My son has always suffered from seasonal allergies, but recently, they’ve been severe. Every morning he wakes up with red, puffy eyes and snot running down his nose. When I felt like I did everything I could to relieve his allergies, I took him to the doctor’s office to be seen by a professional. After looking at him, the doctor told us what we already knew. He had allergies that were really severe. I asked what could be causing the allergies to flare up so suddenly? He suggested that I go home and look at the air filter for our HVAC system. If it hadn’t been replaced recently and was congested with dust and debri, it could be affecting his allergies. The doctor said that a dirty air filter was one of the number one reasons patients had severe allergy flare ups. Most people assumed the change in seasons brought on allergies, but that wasn’t always the case. The accumulation of dust and mildew on an air filter affected the body. All the air we breathe in our house passes through that air filter. As soon as I got home, I checked the air filter. I was disgusted by how much mildew and dust was trapped in that air filter and I couldn’t believe that we’d been breathing in those contaminants. It’s no wonder my son’s allergies were so severe! After refreshing the dirty air filter with a clean one, I told myself I’d never forget to replace the air filter again.