While asthma and allergy medications can control allergy symptoms once they start, it helps to avoid exposure to allergens in the first place. Staying away from allergy-producing plants isn’t enough. Pollen can travel hundreds of miles on wind currents. Some plants, like ragweed, can produce a million grains of pollen in one day. It only takes 20 ragweed pollen grains in a cubic meter of air to trigger an allergic reaction. That means the pollen count in the air doesn’t have to be that high to cause allergy symptoms.

Individuals suffering from pollen allergies should use personal room filtration systems that can effectively remove pollen from the air. Pollen measures about 10 to 60 microns in diameter. Most indoor air purifiers can filter out air particles as small as 3 microns. 

Air filtration is especially important if you think your baby or child has asthma, as their smaller airways mean regular symptoms could be life-threatening. Your child's pediatrician is the best person to go to, but to help determine if your baby has asthma, take a look at our overview of six symptoms to watch for.

If you or your child does have asthma, consider an air purifier designed to help remove airborne particles that can make breathing difficult for asthma sufferers.