Indoor air quality plays a vital role in our lives. Just by walking into a room, we can almost immediately tell if we’re allergic to something—even if we aren’t touching anything. That’s because tiny allergens like dust and pet dander can travel through the air. In response, our bodies release histamines to flush out these foreign particles, causing headaches, congestion, and itchiness.
Families with pets may struggle more than others due to airborne pet dander and fur.
Reducing allergens in your air benefits everyone, but especially those with allergic rhinitis, aka hay fever. For these people, the difference between clean and polluted air is very noticeable. Over 400 million people around the world struggle with allergic rhinitis, making it one of the most diagnosed conditions.
A 4-month study placed HEPA air purifiers in the bedrooms of 32 people with allergic rhinitis. After 4 months, researchers found significantly decreased levels of airborne PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 (PM=Particulate Matter) in the test subjects’ bedrooms and noticed a corresponding reduction in allergy symptoms.
At the end of the day, you want your home to be the most comfortable place it can be. Purifying your air is a great way to ensure comfort for you and your family.
Look for an air purifier with H13 True HEPA filtration. To be classified as H13 True HEPA in the U.S., a filter must be able to trap at least 99.97% of 0.3-micron airborne particles. This includes pet dander, fine dust, pollen, and smoke particles.
You should also look for an air purifier with activated carbon. Activated carbon acts like crumpled sticky tape—as gases pass through, they “stick” to the carbon and are prevented from reentering your air. This is how an air purifier helps eliminate common household odors such as litter box smells, smoke, fumes, and volatile organic compounds (VOCS)—substances that evaporate at room temperature, such as cleaning products and scented aerosols. The more carbon an air purifier contains, the more effective it will be at filtering odors and fumes.
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