Cheesy and improperly used air purifiers can make you feel downright miserable. Think about throat irritation, dry cough, headaches, and similar health problems. While air purifiers can help clean the indoor air space, they tend to work more effectively when combined with a filter. Headaches, sore throat, cough, asthma attacks and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms that some air purifiers can cause. Your air purifier can aggravate many of the health problems you expected it to solve.
Fortunately, all air purifiers do not cause these difficulties and some work as advertised. But how do you know the difference? Let's take a look at what makes some types of air purifiers work wonders for your health and well-being, while others can be unsafe.
Air Purifiers Can Help You Sleep Better
Yes, air purifiers help you sleep better by eliminating allergens from your indoor environment. Allergens can trigger sleep-altering symptoms in some people. Frequent coughing, sneezing, or shortness of breath are some of the allergic reactions that affect the quality of sleep.Air Purifiers Can Reduce Chances of Allergies by Trapping Contaminants
You'll sleep better in a clean and fresh environment.Sleeping well at night also improves mood and cognitive functions. Most people spend most of their time indoors, so indoor air quality can be a major concern. This is especially true for people with allergies or asthma, who may be reacting to airborne pollutants in their homes. Air purifiers can reduce these pollutants and help you feel better, but not all air purifiers are created equal.
How to Choose an Air Purifier
You should consider the type of air cleaner, the size of the interior space, the MERV rating, and how often you will need to change the filter.For example, an air purifier with 400 CFM will purify the air in a 400 square foot room much faster than an air purifier with 300 CFM. Some filters are reusable and washable, but require meticulous maintenance, so they are not usually found in the most effective air purifiers. Pollen, dust mites and dander from pets floating in the home environment are trapped in these nets for clean air. If you want an air cleaner to remove particles such as dust, dirt and soot, refer to the packaging or product description for a clean air supply rate (CADR). If you also want to avoid odors and fumes, try air purifiers with HEPA and activated carbon filters.
If routine allergies or asthma symptoms adversely affect your life, evidence that a HEPA filter improves respiratory health may encourage you to seek an air purifier.
HEPA Filters Can Remove 99.7% of Particulate Matter
Air purifiers with HEPA filters can remove 99.7 percent of particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air circulating in your home environment. Even if proper airflow can be managed, most portable air purifiers do not have the necessary air volume capacity to filter enough. In one study, HEPA air purifiers significantly decreased the concentration of allergens (which were predominantly dust mites) in both air and bedding. Another study among smoking households with nonsmoking pregnant people found that while the HEPA air purifier reduced particles in the air, it did not reduce nicotine in the air.Types of Air Purification Systems
Mechanical filtration: These types of air purifiers draw in air that is mechanically forced through filters that remove particles in the air.Research has shown that HEPA filters are very effective in removing fungi, mold and other allergens from indoor air.
