Which air purifier to choose for asthma and allergies?

What is asthma?

Asthma is a type of allergy. See our asthma and allergy guide.

What causes indoor asthma?

Asthma and other breathing allergies are caused by allergens such as dust, mites and smoke. Indoor allergens can be naturally occurring (e.g. dust from dead skin cells) or artificial (e.g. smoke or other man-made pollution).

How indoor air purifiers can help allergies

Air purifiers can reduce the amount of allergens in the air. By reducing the amount of air-borne allergens, we reduce allergic and asthmatic reactions to indoor pollution.

Cost effective and common sense steps

Before we get into indoor air purifiers, there are some simple, cost effective, steps that you can take to reduce indoor allergens:

  1. Most dust and dust mite related allergies come from dust that has settled on bedding, soft furnishings and, most importantly, the carpet. Vacuum these items frequently, perhaps as often as once every 2 days.
  2. Strip and vacuum bedding such as mattresses.
  3. Vacuuming alone is not enough to completely remove dust and dust mites. Think about having carpets professionally cleaned once every three months.
  4. Obtain a vacuum cleaner with recognised allergen effective filtration. This reduces the amount of dust that is re-distributed in the air during vacuuming.
  5. Don’t smoke indoors. Smoke is a major factor in asthma and smoke related allergies. If you need to smoke, perhaps think about building a custom, outside smoking shelter.

Air purifiers for asthma and allergies

Mechanical

High Efficiency Particle Arrestor (HEPA) purifiers force air through a mesh filtration system. The mesh is small enough to catch allergens such as dust, mites, pollen and tobacco smoke. To qualify as HEPA, purifiers need to catch 99.97% of all particles that are 0.3 microns or larger in diameter.

Advantages of HEPA purifiers

  • Simple.
  • Cost effective.
  • Can produce small amounts of ozone (can be potentially harmful).

Disadvantages of HEPA purifiers

  • Filter meshes need periodic replacement.
  • Like any mechanical device, HEPA filters generate audible noise.

Electronic

Have you ever seen how two magnets react? Same poles repel whereas dissimilar poles attract. It’s the same with electrical charges. Allergen particles in the air have an electrical charge that is either positive (+ve) or negative (-ve).

Electronic type filters attract allergens by generating  negatively charged particles called “ions”. These negatively charged ions attract, capture and neutralize positively charged dust or smoke particles before they get into your lungs and airways.

Advantages of electronic (ion) purifiers

  • Silent. No moving parts.

Disadvantages of electronic (ion) purifiers

  • Ozone produced. Check that the amount produced is within current recommendations for safe ozone exposure.

Hybrid

A mixture of mechanical HEPA and electronic (ion) purifiers.

Gas phase

Removes non-particulate pollution such as cooking odours. Does not remove airborne allergens.

Advantages of gas phase purifiers

  • Ideal for removing bad odours.

Disadvantages of gas phase purifiers

  • Does not remove allergen particles.

Ozone

These types of purifiers can remove allergens from the air. However, they are not recommended as the effects of high levels of ozone can be potentially harmful. Research is continuing into the effects of ozone on human physiology. Until such time that ozone is better understood, these types of filters are best avoided for indoor air purification.

How to choose air purifiers for asthma / allergies

Ask for help from a reputable air purifier retailer. Some questions to ask are:

  • What substances can the purifier remove and what are beyond its capability?
  • What is the maximum size of room does the unit cover?
  • How do I change the filter, and how easy is it (ask for a demo)?
  • How much noise does the unit generate (ask for a demo)?
  • Does the purifier have a recognised efficiency rating?

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