Pet dander is one of the most common indoor allergens, and according to the latest U.S. pet demographics, 84.6 million households have pets. If you love your pet and seek relief from persistent allergy symptoms, the key is proper management. Create an Allergy-Free Bedroom. No matter how much your pet cries or claws at the closed bedroom door, having an allergy-free bedroom is essential for anyone with ongoing symptoms. You can create an allergy-free zone practically anywhere in the home, but the bedroom is often the easiest to keep off limits to your pets. An allergy-free bedroom helps you sleep better at night, and you're more likely to wake up without stuffy sinuses. Aside from keeping the door closed to pets, run an air purifier with a HEPA filter and use impermeable mattress and pillow covers to cut down on dust mite allergens. Bathe Your Pet Regularly. Bathing your pet once a week can reduce the number of allergens on fur by up to 84 percent. You can also get your cat accustomed to being bathed, especially if you start when your pet is young and you can introduce it to a routine. Vacuum Daily. Vacuuming at least once per day with a high-efficiency vacuum with a HEPA filter can help eliminate pet hair and dander. While we can usually tell how much a pet is shedding based on the amount of fur left behind, pet dander is difficult to spot because it consists of tiny skin particles. When in doubt, run the vacuum more frequently than you think is necessary. You can take many steps to reduce pet allergies and manage your symptoms. Following the simple tips here can have you breathing easier in no time. Sources: The Humane Society of the United States; Petfinder | ||
Two years ago, Mike Saavedra moved to Southern California, equipped with a new high-paying healthcare job and a plan. The former Arizona resident would rent by the beach while becoming familiar with neighborhoods where he may want to purchase a house. But a few months after starting his search, the Manhattan Beach renter cut it off. It was, he decided, the wrong time to buy. “I definitely think home prices are slightly overinflated,” Saavedra, 48, said. And he thinks there’s a good chance they’ll fall. “I would kind of like to wait and see if that happens.” After nearly seven years of sometimes fevered price hikes, the Southern California housing market has slowed markedly in recent months. Sales have fallen from year-ago levels and price appreciation has shrunk. In Los Angeles and Orange counties, year-over-year price increases peaked at 8.2% in April and have declined every month since. In October, home prices in those counties rose 5.5% over th
Comments