Spring is around the corner!

The sun shines brighter, birds are returning home and nature is in full bloom. Some people will happily welcome the spring season, while others are preparing for their worst nightmare because of their allergies. Almost one out of six people in Europe suffers from pollen allergy.

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is an allergy to pollen which are released from grass, trees or plants in the genus Ambrosia. All these plants release pollen grains during their reproduction cycle. These grains are so small that they float through the air and can easily be inhaled. People who suffer from allergic rhinitis react heavily to the pollen, which causes the membranes to swell up, asthma attacks and other symptoms.

During an attack, different symptoms can occur such as a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, itchy, or watery eyes, and swelling around the eyes. These symptoms can worsen depending on the weather conditions and the environment where one lives. On dry and windy days, a lot of pollen will be floating in the air. While on rainy days, pollen tend to stay on the ground and affect people with hay fever less.

In addition, the air quality has deteriorated over the years. The amount of particulate matter in the air has increased and the chemical mixture of our air has changed. This in turn impairs nature’s ability to reduce the amount of pollen in the air. The pollen will remain stagnant in the air we breathe, instead of escaping to the atmosphere.

­The outside environment is largely out of our control; however, we can control our indoor environment. A True HEPA filter which is included in all WINIX air purifiers eliminates 99.97% of all particulate matter, pollen and allergens so you can enjoy clean and healthy air at home.