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Suffering from allergies? Take these five steps to minimize them.

Sponsored by Life Cycle Air Products

If you live in Louisiana, you’ve probably experienced allergies. At one time, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America named Baton Rouge and New Orleans among the nation’s 10 worst places to live for those who suffer from them.

Springtime brings grass and flower pollen; late summer and early fall, weed pollens and mold.

But if you and your family find yourself sneezing and wheezing year-round, the problem may be your own home.

According to the AAFA, one of the best ways to manage allergies is prevention. It’s important, as allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. Some of the most effective prevention measures:

• Control dust mites by keeping surfaces in your home clean uncluttered. Avoid wall-to-wall carpet, as bare floors and walls are best.  Wash bedding in water 130 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer each week and dry it in a heated dryer cycle.

• Most physicians suggest that people who are allergic to animal dander—the shed skin cells that all animals have—avoid pets with feathers or fur. If you do have pets, bathing and grooming them may reduce symptoms, as animals can also bring pollen and dust from outdoors into the home. Keep pets out of your bedroom and wash their favorite furniture and toys often.

• Keep windows and doors closed to reduce the amount of pollen entering the home.

• Avoid mold spores by reducing moisture around the bathroom, kitchen and other areas where water is routinely used.

• A whole house air purification system can target many allergic triggers with little effort on your part. Forget about cleaning or replacing any special filters, because none of that is required. All of the contaminants are collected by your existing air conditioning filter—the same one you already replace regularly.

Life Cycle Air Products can install a whole house air purification system that will remove surface and airborne contaminants including VOCs, odors, dust, pet dander and other allergens directly into your existing home or commercial HVAC system for as little as $650. Contact Life Cycle Air Products for more information or to schedule an installation.