6 Ways to Control Allergens at Work For those in cold climates, the approach of spring is a welcome relief, unless you suffer from allergies. Sneezing, wheezing and runny eyes can make it tough to get through the work day, causing lost focus and productivity. The American Academy of Asthma and Immunology says 10 to 30 percent of the population suffers from allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal airways caused by breathing in allergens). Related: How to Make a Flu Season Contingency Plan "Allergies are among the top three reasons people miss work, and can have a significant effect on productivity, so it's very important for business owners to recognize that they should do some simple things that can reduce overall exposure to allergens and other irritants," says Dr. James Sublett, allergy specialist at the Family Allergy and Asthma clinic in Louisville, Ky. Protect your workplace with these easy steps 1. Control dust mites. One of the most common allergens in homes, dust mites are often passively carried form home to the workplace.

"Eggs can be carried into the office environment on clothing," says Sublett. Carpets, upholstered furniture and even cubicle walls may harbour dust mites. Requesting frequent carpet cleaning and dusting your work area with a microfiber cloth or wet rag can help reduce dust mites in your work area. Sublett recommends installing a small HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) cleaner to clean the space around your immediate work area. 2. Reduce animal allergens. Even if you work in a pet-free building, you may be exposed to cat and dog hair. "Pet hair is carried on clothing and becomes part of the indoor environment," says Sublett. If possible, avoid placing allergy sufferers and pet owners in the same workspaces and provide hair removal rollers at the office. 3. Protect against seasonal allergens. "Pollen can enter the workplace through ventilation and opening and closing of windows," says Sublett. Ensure your office has good air filtration. Sublett recommends changing air filters and maintaining heating and air conditioning systems twice a year.

4. Reduce environmental hazards. Cleaning fluids and air fresheners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. living air purifier model xlThese fumes can irritate lungs causing respiratory distress and shortness of breath. where to buy air purifier in dubaiAvoid using plug-ins and aerosol air fresheners and switch to cleaning products with no VOCs.air purifiers for animal shelters 5. Encourage employees to get an allergy test. "You may think you know what triggers your allergies, but you may be wrong," says Sublett. Managing allergies requires knowing what your triggers are. Sublett gives the example of a client who thought she was working in a building that was full of mold, dust and poor air quality, but allergy testing showed it wasn't the building -- she was allergic to cat hair.

Her runny nose and itchy eyes were a result of her allergies being triggered by her cat-owning co-worker who had carried her pet's hair to the office on her clothing. Consult with a certified allergy specialist to do an accurate assessment of your allergy triggers. 6. Change your allergy medication. While antihistamine medication may ease allergy symptoms, they can also have you falling asleep in the boardroom. Sublett recommends taking a non-sedating antihistamine or asking your doctor about getting an allergy shot which may provide longer-term relief without the drowsy side effects. Related: This Is How Dirty Your Office Desk Really Is (Infographic)Allergies, what are they and Almost a quarter of us will experience some sort of allergic reaction at some stage in our life with the figures being highest and rising each year amongst children.  from person to person but commonly include runny nose,  itchy eyes, wheezing, coughing, a shortage of breath, sinus problems and

Often these are harmless but severe cases can result in hospitalisation or even unfortunately death.  the body overreacts to normally harmless substances, most commonly pollen, house dust mites, moulds, pet dander, wasp/bee stings, chemicals, medicines and foods. Allergy suffers have to first know what they are allergic to so that they can avoid contact.  Depending on what you are allergic to this can be easier said than done.  In the case of food you can choose not to eat them, in the case of medicines you can work with your doctor to avoid them, in terms of the allergens brought to us by nature and allergens that are a bi-product of western industrial life it can be very difficult. At the top of the list of allergens for many are pollens, pet dander, mould spores, and the house dust mite.  All of these will be present in our home and since we spend a huge percentage of our life in our home what can we do to protect ourselves?

Mould spores and dust mites both like the same thing - moisture. If you can keep the relative humidity down then you can stop them fromLower reproduction rates will mean that there is less in the air to irritate you.  For detailed information on Dust Mites we have a page dedicated just to them dehumidifier is the only reliable way to keep the level of relative humidity down low enough to ensure that both mould and dust mites areA dehumidifier like the benefits from an accurate humidistat to keep the levels down, a silver-nano filter to kill bacteria and an ioniser to help trap particles in it's filter. So dust mites and mould can be controlled, that leaves pollen, pet dander, and the mould spores and dust mite dander that is floating around before we get the relative humidity under control.  is where a good air purifier comes into play. Air purifiers do exactly what they say, they are a combination of a fan and a filter and they clean the air. 

The thing about an air purifier is that you have to remember they generally only do the one room and they tend to only specialise in one group of allergens. So you have to think what you need to clean from the air and whether you can afford multiple units or are you going to concentrate on just There are lots of different types of air purifier filters and it canMost will of been independently tested to confirm their effectiveness and you should look at this independent data before you buy anything.  But just as importantly you need to look at the cost and time required to maintain the air purifier. Ask yourself and the retailer the following questions. How often do the filters need to be replaced? How much will it cost to replace the filters? What room size can the air purifier control? Once the filter is dirty how effective is the air purifier? How noisy is the air purifier? Can the filters be cleaned? These are all very important questions because.

Some filters need to be replaced every three months.  filters at £100 per filter set soon becomes a major expense. Match the air purifier to your room, too small an air purifier in a room will result in a poor performance and the problem will not be As the filter becomes clogged with dirt it's effectiveness will reduce and it's ability to clean the air will reduce.  If you leave the filter then then air purifier will not be doing it's job, dirt could escape back into the room and you have a machine that is not doing the job that you bought it for. Most people look to put their air purifier into their bedroom because that is the room in the house where you spend the most time.  if it has a noise level above 38dB we doubt that you would want to Filters that can be cleaned increase the interval between having to buy new ones and save you money. The Meaco Airvax and the Airfree When we looked at which air purifiers we might like to put our name to

and sell to our customers we wanted something that did not involve expensive filter changes for customers and we wanted something that you could live with and use long term.  We also wanted something that offered a wide range of protection to users whilst at the same time still being effective against each individual type of allergen. Not an easy task. Meaco Airvax is different to all other air purifiers in that it offers effective protection against both particles and chemicals, it is quiet enough to use in the bedroom, the filter can be cleaned and will last up to three years and it looks great! The performance of the has been proven time and time again in independent tests and we are satisfied that it is a good enough product to carry the Meaco name. Further details can be found The Airfree range of air purifiers work in a different way, they have no filter at all.  Instead the Airfrees' have a tube in their