Medical

For some 35 million Americans who suffer from allergies and hay fever, staying inside is not always a sure bet.

Dust mites, pet dander and dirt can make life intolerable for people with indoor allergies.

Michael Patrick is one of millions of people who know about the problem firsthand.

"I was taking three or four different types of allergy medications daily and I would still wind up sneezing and had a runny nose and my eyes were watering at the time and now I don't have those symptoms," said Patrick.

Michael and his wife, Sandy, helped resolve the problem when they designed their new home. To make the environment more healthy, they installed hardwood floors and high efficiency air filters.

They also equipped it with a central vacuum system which gets rid of dust, dirt and allergens from the living area.

"A central vacuum is a very powerful vacuum, and one that completely removes all the allergens from the home, is a very powerful and effective tool for managing air quality and helping allergy patients," said Larry Hartley, who works in the industry.

In fact, in a study of allergy sufferers, those who used central vacuum systems experienced a 46 to 61 percent improvement in their symptoms.

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