Allergies can be a real nuisance, causing coughing attacks, runny nose, sneezing, nausea, headaches, and even allergic reactions. If you're struggling with allergies and have done all you can to reduce allergens in your home, an air filter might be the solution. However, in some cases, using an air purifier can actually worsen allergies instead of improving them. This is usually due to ionizing units that increase the amount of allergens and dust in the air.
It's important to avoid air purifiers that generate ozone. According to the EPA and medical professionals, ozone is a respiratory irritant and can actually make allergy or asthma symptoms worse. Dust bunnies can often contain pet dander, hair, saliva, pollen, and mold spores - all common household allergens. Air filtration is often recommended as part of environmental control measures for people with allergic respiratory diseases.
When I asked Ted Myatt, an environmental microbiologist who works at the University of Rhode Island and consults for Honeywell, if I would feel healthier after using a household air purifier for an extended period of time, he was hesitant to give a definitive answer. According to a survey conducted by the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), air filtration was found to be the fourth most commonly implemented strategy (27.4%), preceded only by no smoking (80%), no pets (53.9%), and washing sheets with hot water (43.2%). Pillowcases (23.7%), mattress covers (23.4%), not using carpets (14.5%), and using a dehumidifier (13.8%) were also popular strategies. So what about ionizers? Because they don't contain a fan, not much air can pass through them, which can leave much of the space your pet occupies unresolved. To answer this question once and for all: will an air purifier make your allergies worse? We decided to take a closer look at these issues. Additional interventions included a room air filter (69.3%) placed in the child's room, a basement dehumidifier (54.5%), and dryer exhaust ventilation (35.6%).
Ionizers work by negatively charging the air as it passes through them and releasing it into the room, where the negatively charged particles are attracted to and adhere to the positively charged air particles in the room. Don't expect an air purifier to clean your entire house - only particles that pass through it will be captured. Dr. Ted Myatt recommends taking “first-line measures” to keep pollen at bay first - such as closing windows, wearing glasses outdoors, and changing clothes and showering when returning home - before considering an air purifier. Molekule air purifiers are different because they contain Photoelectrochemical Oxidation (PECO) technology.
People with lung diseases such as emphysema or COPD might also consider buying an air filter, according to Dr. Paul Enright, research professor of medicine at the University of Arizona. Sometimes you may notice that skin scales float in the air or build up in certain corners of your home. So what happens if you don't have an air filter in your air conditioner for more than 7 months? Can you get sick and how serious is it?.