Proper Ventilation Significantly Reduces the Pollen Problem

Despite their small size, pollen particles cause many people unpleasant symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, throat irritation, fatigue, or headaches. Even if the immediate symptoms experienced are often mild, inhaling pollen must be taken seriously. Pollen has also been linked to serious respiratory diseases and cardiovascular conditions.

Due to their tiny size, pollen particles can travel incredibly long distances by wind. A pollen particle is only about 0.0015 cm in diameter—roughly half the thickness of a human hair.

You can reduce the amount of pollen entering your home by ensuring that your ventilation system is working properly and by wiping dust or vacuuming, especially near balcony doors, ventilation windows, vents, and in the hallway, where pollen typically accumulates the most.

High pollen levels combined with temperature and humidity can weaken the immune system’s ability to defend against seasonal viruses. International research has also shown a connection between the spread rate of COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, and high outdoor pollen levels. The study was published in Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Humidity at home should also be monitored—excessively dry indoor air can make pollen more active. In summer, air can be both humid and very dry, so keeping track of humidity helps maintain good indoor air quality.

Don’t Wait for Blooming Season to Begin

Short winters and global warming are causing plants to start blooming earlier, thus lengthening the pollen season.

Pollen allergies are mainly caused by alder, birch, various grasses, and mugwort. Pollen from blossoms easily finds its way indoors via clothes, ventilation windows, or balcony doors.

The best way to prevent pollen from entering your home is to act proactively:

• Don’t postpone filter replacement—change filters in spring before the pollen season starts

• Use a filter fabric on ventilation windows

• Shake pollen off outerwear before entering the home

Ensure Proper Ventilation by Replacing Filters with Clean Ones

When ventilation works properly, fewer pollutants enter. Regular filter replacement is important for maintaining effective ventilation. Geographical location plays a key role in how often filters should be replaced. For example, people in the south experience the effects of street and pollen dust about two months earlier than those in the north. The particle levels in the air may also vary from year to year.

A good rule of thumb is to inspect and, if needed, replace filters in autumn after pollen season and again in spring before it begins. When determining the replacement interval, it’s good to remember that filters lose efficiency faster near busy roads or trees that release a lot of pollen.

When choosing an air filter, it's worth selecting a high-quality one with a strong filtration class. For instance, a fine filter of type ePM1 (F7) captures almost all particles larger than 0.4 micrometers and most of the pollen.

However, the filter class for your ventilation unit should match the unit’s settings. The price difference between filter types is negligible, but the impact on indoor air quality is significant.

Mechanical Ventilation Reduces Indoor Pollen Significantly

Mechanical ventilation significantly reduces the amount of pollen indoors. According to Finnish researchers, the pollen level is only about 1.5/cm² in homes with mechanical ventilation, while it can reach up to 37/cm² in homes with natural ventilation. Clean filters can capture large amounts of pollutants from incoming air, which is why it’s essential to replace them with clean ones before the pollen season starts.