The Complete Guide to Air Purifiers

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Pollen, dust, pet dander, mold… all of these things can cause many allergic reactions. These things are typically found outside, so most allergy sufferers resolve to stay indoors. Unfortunately, this is insufficient, as outside allergens can still enter.

Millions of people suffer from daily allergies, from coughing and sneezing to nausea and breathing problems. Mold can be especially difficult to deal with.

You may not be able to control the presence of allergens outside the home. However, there are plenty of things that you can do for your home's interior. One thing that you can do is make use of an air purifier. Utilizing an air purifier at home will not only keep your home's air fresh and clean but also keep your home allergen-free.

An air purifier can remove all the allergens and make your rooms comfortable, even if you have pets. There are many ways to do this, from negative room pressure controlling exposure outside containment areas to getting simple dehumidifiers that efficiently remove excess moisture from the air.

What Are Allergens?

Allergens are substances that cause allergic reactions in people. They are antigens that trigger a strong response from one's immune system. This is because the immune system perceives the substance to be a threat.

Millions of people are allergic to at least one thing, and these substances can cause anywhere from a slight itch to anaphylaxis, which is a deadly swelling that can block off breathing or blood circulation.

Food allergies usually cause the latter, but it depends entirely upon the nature of a person's allergies.

Some common allergens are:

  • Pollen
  • Dust
  • Pet Dander
  • Mold
  • Food and Drink (mainly nuts, fish, and dairy)
  • Some Drugs (penicillin, sulfonamides, salicylates)
  • Insects

It needs to be understood that an air purifier will not work on some of these allergens, particularly insects and food. Fortunately, they are things that are relatively easy to avoid. Usually, the first four in this list only cause mild irritation like watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and sometimes rashes.

However, there are things that you can do to avoid these allergens as well. You can’t escape some of them while outside, but you can control the interior of your home.

What Are The Symptoms of Airborne Allergies?

If you're not sure whether you're affected by any of the airborne allergens listed above, there are a few symptoms that you can look for.

  • Sneezing, accompanied by a runny or stuffy nose
  • Coughing
  • Post-nasal drip
  • Dark circles under your eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Conjunctivitis

These are good signs that you have allergies to something, especially one of the things listed above.

Symptoms of Mold Allergies

The most serious airborne allergen, however, is mold. Mold can cause many health problems and be hard to detect because its symptoms often resemble normal allergy symptoms.

If you want to know whether your body is reacting to mold or not, here are some symptoms of mold exposure.

  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Dry, scaly skin
  • Nose bleeds
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle cramps
  • Memory issues
  • Coughing
  • Diarrhea
  • Joint Pain
  • Headaches
  • Light Sensitivity
  • And more…

Suppose you experience any combination of these symptoms that hasn't otherwise been explained by your doctor adequately. In that case, you may be experiencing prolonged mold exposure in your home or work and not realize it.

While an air purifier can help reduce these adverse effects substantially, the source of any mold growth must be removed to solve the problem permanently.

If you have experienced any of the symptoms above, you must speak with your doctor about testing for allergies and mold exposure. Your doctor will be able to give you concrete answers to your questions and advice on dealing with your allergies.

Why Air Purifiers Help With Mold Allergies

Air purifiers are an essential tool in the mold remediation process. After removing mold from the source, it is necessary to clean the air of the mold spores.

Spores are released in the air, Whether on a wall, in a bathroom, or in a basement. That is how mold latches onto new surfaces and spreads throughout your home.

After completing all prerequisite remediation steps, mold remediation experts usually bring in industrial-grade air scrubbers. You don't have to buy an air purifier, but it would be strongly recommended as a precaution and a preventative measure.

If you suspect mold in your home based on allergic reactions, you need to get a mold expert to test and inspect before symptoms, among other problems, become more prevalent.

What Are Air Purifiers?

Air purifiers are devices that filter out impurities like allergens. While most of the air we breathe has many relatively harmless particulates, particulates such as allergens are detrimental to health.

Dust, pollen, and more irritate your sinuses and make breathing difficult. Air purifiers will capture most allergens and irritants and make breathing easier for you and your loved ones at home.

There are many different types of air purifiers, but there are usually four categories that they will fall under:

  • Carbon Filtration
  • HEPA Filters
  • UV Light
  • Ionizing and Ozone Generators

Each has its special method of purifying the air and unique strengths and weaknesses.

Each one has a filtration system that may or may not benefit you, so it’s always a good idea to research them before purchasing.

We’ve narrowed down a few of each type to assist with your decision. Some of them have mixtures of the filters.

Carbon Filtration

This type of filtration has been around mainly for water and has only been utilized in air filters over the past decade or two.

Using activated carbon, the minerals absorb chemicals and other impurities from the air through chemical attraction. This helps clean the air of impurities and restores the air to an odor-free state.

There are many benefits of using a carbon filtration system, including:

  • It can absorb almost any vapor and many chemicals and molecules.
  • High absorption capacity, making it last a lot longer before needing replacement.
  • Functions in a large array of temperatures and humidity.
  • It is completely safe.

There are very few drawbacks, but there are a few. For example, the amount of carbon is crucial to how much it can absorb. The filters are also somewhat more expensive to replace.

A smaller, portable air filter may not pull as many impurities as you’d like or need it to, but a larger one would certainly do the job.

HEPA Filters

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters have existed since the 50s. They are standard when it comes to air purification and are found in quite a few of the other air purifying machines. These filters are government-regulated and each must catch 99.97% of particles with a size of 0.3 microns. There are four primary filter collection mechanisms:

  • Diffusion
  • Interception
  • Inertial Impaction
  • Electrostatic Attraction

With these processes, there is hardly any escape from allergens. These filters are so widely used that they also prevent the spread of bacterial and viral organisms. They are used in hospitals to protect both staff and patients. Airlines and motor vehicles also use these types of filters.

UV Light Air Purifiers

While UV lights are not the most powerful air purifiers on the market, quite a few are genuinely effective. However, many do not live up to expectations. Along with negative room pressure to safely isolate rooms, hospitals also use UV lights to help purify air. Ultraviolet lights are stronger than visible electromagnetic waves and will destroy microbes in the air on contact.

Some air purifiers are combined with UV light to better filter, but those with only UV light do not have to deal with filters. The lights eliminate the allergens and microbes from the air, removing them completely and practically making them disappear. It can make your rooms a bit brighter than you may be initially comfortable, but it’s effective.

Ionizing Purifiers and Ozone Generators

The basic thing about ionizing air purifiers is that the machine uses high voltage to electrically charge air molecules. This eliminates airborne bacteria and allergens and reduces static electricity build-up in electronics. These ionizing air purifiers will draw the microbes from the air, walls, and ceiling, similar to how static electricity draws things to it.

Ionizing purifiers are similar to ozone, but ionizers use electrostatically charged plates to charge gas ions and produce some ozone. In contrast, ozone generators attract an extra oxygen ion. Ionic air purifiers seem somewhat complicated, but you can think of it as zapping all the allergens in the air and making them inactive.

There have been studies that suggest both ionizing purifiers and ozone generators are potential health hazards. They can potentially produce lung irritants and have been known to worsen asthma in people.

They have been banned in California, so to consider your health, we will not be listing any on this page, but we have a page here that lists some guidelines and offers product recommendations. Nothing beats HEPA and carbon filters for filtration, so we suggest using one if you don't have mold.

Conclusion

While air purifiers can be expensive, especially if you aim to cover an entire home, there are some smaller ones that you can have in your bedroom or office that can still make those areas more comfortable. Even if you suffer from seasonal allergies, air purifiers can do wonders to relieve you.

Having cleaner, purer air can not only keep you free of allergy symptoms, but it can also bring a real lift to your mood. Even those without allergies may be affected by dust and odors at times. An air purifier is a worthy purchase for anyone, so take back your comfort zone from allergens today.

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