Take Action With An Air Purifier
Air purifiers are designed with asthma sufferers in mind. There are many different types of air purifiers available for you to buy, however, if you suffer from asthma, it is recommend that you buy one with a HEPA filtration system built in.
For extra benefits, its recommended that your air purifier also include an activated carbon filter as well. Together, both of these filtration systems are designed to absorb harmful pollutants, smoke and odors, as well as trap and remove particles at the sub-micron level.
For the best asthma relief and overall health, look for an air purifier that can filter out particles as small as 0.003 microns. This means that the airborne irritants responsible for asthma triggerssmoke, dust mites, pollution, pollen, pet dander, and moldwill be removed and destroyed, leaving you with cleaner air for you and your family.
It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need
See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.
If you live with asthma, you know the importance of paying close attention to the quality of the air you breathe. Since asthma attacks can be brought about, or worsened, by airborne allergens and irritants such as dust, mold, pollen, cigarette smoke, and others, its smart to look for ways to improve the air quality around you, particularly in your home.
With that goal in mind, many asthma sufferers turn to appliances such as humidifiers and air purifiers, or filtration systems , to help reduce the effects of allergens and irritants in the air they breathe.
Air purifiers and humidifiers can certainly be helpful in improving the air quality in your home and easing your symptoms. But along with their benefits, these devices can sometimes have disadvantages. Its important to weigh the benefits and cautions.
To give your asthma the best chance of benefiting from an air purifier or a humidifier in your home, the device should be carefully and regularly maintained.
So Should I Buy An Air Purifier
Before you do, know that air purifiers are not a cure-all. There is very little medical evidence to support that air purifiers directly help improve your health or alleviate allergies and respiratory symptoms. Thatâs due in part to the fact that it is very difficult to separate the effects of known air-quality pollutants in your home from other environmental and genetic factors. But if you are an allergy or asthma sufferer, an air purifier with a HEPA filter may be helpful for you as it will be good at removing fine airborne particles.
You May Like: What Happens If You Smoke Weed With Asthma
Recommended Reading: Army Asthma Test
Air Purifiers And Asthma
At this point of the post we hope that we have done a good job in educating you on the benefits of an air purifier for those with asthma and as we previously mentioned, if you have asthma symptoms, an air filter or air cleaner can drastically improve the air that you to breathe and reducing the asthma triggers inside of your home. The air inside of you home is the deciding factor on your asthmatic reactions so keeping down the particulates and chemical triggers should be a top priority for any asthma and allergy sufferer. Simply stated asthma is a condition wherein the bronchi of the lungs are having spasms and in most medical cases this is a direct result of an allergic reaction according to health experts.
Will An Air Purifier Help With Asthma
Now you know that answer to the question, do air purifiers help with asthma?
While air purifiers will help with asthma, the trick is to find an air purifier that will work best for you at removing the pollutants that impact your asthma the most.
After using an air purifier in your home, it will be easy to tell if the indoor air quality has been improved because youll be able to breathe easier and suffer from fewer asthma symptoms.
As a reminder, air purifiers are not a cure-all for asthma but research indicates that these machines can definitely help reduce the symptoms.
About David Morrison
David is an Air Quality & Comfort Technician. He has expert knowledge on the technology and design of air purification, air conditioning, and heating systems. His main role is to write content that helps people get the most value out of their air purifiers, air conditioners, and heating units.
Advertiser Disclosure
When you buy an item using one of our links, we may earn a portion of the sale. Home Air Guides and some products featured on the site are owned by the same company. Learn more.
Certifications
Read Also: If You Have Asthma Can You Smoke Weed
Copd Vs Asthma Understanding The Difference
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also called COPD, is a common condition that makes it difficult to breath. While the symptoms are similar to asthma, it is a very different condition that requires unique treatments.
First, COPD, as the name suggests, is chronic, meaning it is an ongoing and daily problem for sufferers. Asthma sufferers may only have attacks every month or, if managed well, every year. COPD sufferers, however, deal with the condition every day.
In most cases, COPD can be treated and prevented. Smoking is the largest contributor to COPD, but exposure to air pollution, working with chemicals daily, and genetics can all cause the condition.
Create Cleaner Air for Your Family with Oransi
If you are looking for the best air purifier for asthma to remove asthma triggers from your home, browse the large selection available from Oransi. We make the best air purifier for asthma since we have the highest efficiency true HEPA filters to remove the smallest of particles that trigger asthma attacks. Furthermore, in our OV200, EJ and ERIK models there is no ionizer or any other electronic device that could potentially create ozone.
With air purification systems for home and office, we have everything you need to improve the air in your home!
We hope you find this guide helpful.
If you have any questions related to indoor air quality or asthma in general, please do not hesitate to contact us. We only use US based reps who are knowledgable about asthma air purifiers.
Air Filters For Asthmatics Looking To Splurge
This Amazon Certified machine works with Amazon Alexa and covers 1560 square feet . Its got tons more powerful features and doesnt it just look cool?
I hope that youve found this guide to air purifiers for asthma helpful. I believe that my HEPA air filter has been really beneficial for my asthma, and I hope youll find the same thing.
If you are considering purchasing an air purifier, please consider using the links above. This helps us keep our asthma blog going, at no extra charge to you. Thank you as always for your support!
And dont miss my Ventolin Abuse Guide and my 5 Easy Steps To Getting Off Albuterol article if youd like even more tips for beating asthma. I went from taking my inhaler all day, every day , to now only needing it when Im reeeeeeally sick. Id love to show you how I did it!
I’m Nick Foster – author, blogger, health activist and lifelong asthmatic. This blog is a collection of all the experiences and knowledge I’ve gathered over the years of treating asthma naturally at home.
Don’t Miss: Does Ibuprofen Make Asthma Worse
How Does An Air Purifier Help With Asthma
An asthma attack occurs when the lungs become inflamed or clogged, so its crucial to eliminate the culprit of these attacks. People with asthma often deal with frightening symptoms, including dizziness, wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing. Pollen, dust, and chemicals are the main triggers of allergy symptoms, and an air purifier works to reduce these harmful air particles.
With many asthma triggers existing indoors, its important to place an air purifier in your home where you spend a ton of your time. A HEPA air filter works to purify the air and cleans your living space from allergens and the many air particles that cause asthma attacks. By getting rid of the main sources of asthma symptoms in your home, an air purifier will significantly reduce the number of asthma attacks you suffer from.
The best part of an increasing number of people using air purifiers to alleviate asthma is the validation of quality products you can now find. You can find many asthma and allergy certified air purifiers on the market that target asthma triggers. These asthma air purifiers ensure a cleaner home thats free of unhealthy air particles.
An Air Purifier Vs An Air Filter
An air purifier is different than an air filter, which traps pollutants by forcing the air through a filter. While both devices trap and filter out pollutants, only an air purifier sanitizes the air.
An air filter may be part of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system or be portable.
Several types of filters may be used in both devices, including:
- washable
- pollen from outside
An air purifier can take these triggers out of your home by trapping them in the filter. It works by bringing in air and trapping these small particles, then releasing the clean air. An air purifier also sanitizes the air around it.
However, studies have found mixed or inconclusive results as to whether or not air purifiers help asthma symptoms.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers , air purifiers may be less effective than regular air filters, as they often dont trap particles as well as air filters. If the allergens arent trapped effectively, they may be redistributed on surfaces closer to the purifier.
Other studies have a different opinion. For instance, a 2018 study found that air purifiers are effective for helping to relieve asthma symptoms, especially for children.
According to a 2016 study, air purifiers may be better at getting rid of some allergens, like smoke, but less effective at reducing other allergens, like animal dander.
Overall, how well an air purifier can help with asthma symptoms depends on the:
Don’t Miss: What Is The Blood Test For Eosinophilic Asthma
Portable And Multiple Air Purifiers
A single portable air cleaner can be a cost-saving option if you typically dont use more than one room at a time. You can move the air purifier to the bedroom in the evening, for example. Or you can stock up on more than one air purifier for asthma.
Having several devices may be more convenient for some, especially when more than one person in the home is affected by asthma or allergies, says Dr. McKeon.
Thats exactly why Kathy Przywarawho has lived with the airway-restricting condition for 25 yearsinvested in three air purifiers for her home during spring 2020. One lives in the master bedroom of her Mountain View, California, home. Another is in the bedroom of her son, who has allergies, and the third is in her office, where I spend a significant amount of time.
These were especially beneficial during the 2020 wildfire season, Californias worst on record. Even after the wildfire season ended, however, Przywara has continued to feel the difference. I didnt realize previously how air quality impacted my asthma, she says.
Her symptomsespecially exercise-induced asthmahave not completely disappeared but seem to be less severe. I will absolutely keep using the purifiers moving forward, she says.
What Are Air Purifiers Supposed To Filter Out & Do They Do It
Theoretically, any machine with a HEPA2 filter should remove most of the dust and other particulate matter from the air. However, some people claim that these devices are not doing their job because they release more pollutants into the environment than before. HEPA filters may look clean on one side but be dirty on the other due to trapped particles being released back into your home if this repeatedly happens over time without you realizing it, then you could have much dirtier indoor air than when you started using an air purifier in the first place.
Some models also emit ozone gas which can cause respiratory problems for those who suffer from conditions like asthma or COPD . Some say that these devices are making allergies worse by releasing more allergens into the environment.
You May Like: Smoking Weed And Having Asthma
How Do Hepa Filters Help With Asthma
We are going to dive right into this topic and get into HEPA 101 and explain to you the main benefits as well as dispell some of the rumors that have been circulating about HEPA filters. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air and we should look at a HEPA filter as a mechanical air filter that works by forcing air through a fine mesh. The mesh in a HEPA is there to trap harmful airborne particles that may trigger an asthmatic or allergic reaction. Some common particulates that make this list that can be filtered by a HEPA are pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and tobacco smoke. the filter works not only on large particles but even on small microorganisms. Now that we are HEPA experts lets get into the next stage of filtration which is equally or as important for your home when it comes to air filtration and that os removal of VOCs and chemical triggers.
What are the health effects of VOC exposure for an Asthmatic?
The risk of health effects from inhaling any chemical depends on how much is in the air, how long and how often a person breathes it in. Scientists look at short-term exposures as hours to days or long-term exposures as years to even lifetime.
Breathing low levels of VOCs for long periods of time may increase some peopleâs risk of health problems. Several studies suggest that exposure to VOCs may make symptoms worse in people who have asthma or are particularly sensitive to chemicals. These are far different exposures than occupational exposures to VOCs.
Air Purifiers To Avoid For Children With Asthma
There are also air purifiers that will actually make your childs asthma worse. Ozone generators claim that generating the gas ozone breaks down harmful contaminants, but ozone itself is a serious irritant and unhealthy in high concentrations. The last thing you want to do for a child with asthma is introduce ozone into your house.
Ionic air purifiers, which use an electrostatic charge to draw particles out of the air, may generate ozone as a side effect. Again, this is a bad idea for asthmatic children and parents should avoid introducing these air purifiers into the home. For more on why you should avoid buying an air ionizer if you have asthma, click here.
You May Like: Are Chihuahuas Good For Asthma
Choosing An Air Filter
Ask the following questions before purchasing an air filter:
- Is it large enough? Will the unit clean the air in a room the size of my bedroom every four to six minutes at a fan speed I can tolerate? An adequate size is determined by the device’s clean air delivery rate . The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers rates air cleaners according to their clean air delivery rates see the AHAM web site for details.
- How difficult is it to change the filter? Ask for a demonstration. How often does the filter have to be changed ? How much do the replacement filters cost?
- What is the estimated cost to run the unit continuously for a year?
- How much noise does the unit make? This is very important for the HEPA units that include a fan. The CADR rating is only when you run the fan on the high speed, which is always the noisiest. Is it quiet enough to run while you sleep?
If you or a loved one has asthma symptoms and there’s a smoker in your home, an air filter is likely to improve your asthma control. If there is no secondhand smoke in your home, air cleaners may not help your asthma. If you are the one smoking, a room air cleaner will only help the nonsmokers in your home, not you. The bottom line on using air filters to prevent an asthma attack? If youâre a healthy individual living in a relatively unpolluted environment, there’s probably no need to spend the money.
Conventional Air Purifiers And Asthma Allergens
An air purifier that will be used to help a child with asthma should be capable of removing a wide range of allergens from the air. Here is some background on the conventional types of air purifiers and why they may not work as expected for your child:
As you can see, conventional air purifiers cannot remove every type of allergen that might trigger asthma attacks in your child. Only the Molekule PECO technology is designed to destroy indoor pollutants ranging from allergens, mold, pet dander and airborne chemicals.
Also Check: What Happens If You Smoke Weed With Asthma
What Do Air Purifiers Actually Do
It may be that my asthma specialist seemed indifferent toward air purifiers when I inquired those many years ago, because the evidence on their efficacy appears mixed. A study published in 2010 notes the following of HEPA air filters:3
- May be effective for removing pet allergens and they appear to be effective in decreasing cat and dog allergen when used in uncarpeted rooms “or in conjunction with HEPA vacuuming of carpeted rooms. A Cochrane review notes the evidence is not strong enough to recommend use where pets are present in the home of a person with a pet allergy.
- They do not appear effective at reducing dust mites and mold, however, a small study demonstrated a decrease in airborne particulates that could improve symptoms in those with dust mite allergy.