Seeking allergy relief through air purification

If you’re like me, and many of my friends and family, allergy season is in full swing.  Fortunately, there are things we can do to help relieve the itchy eyes and sneezing, the worst of my symptoms being severe sinus pain.

There’s not much I’m going to do outside my home.  The yellow dust on my car each morning tells me a bit about how the rest of my day will go.  But inside my home, I have taken steps to reduce the allergens floating around in the air.  Luckily for me, pollen is the least of my worries.  Inside the house, there is a much more sinister enemy.  Unfortunately I have not yet tracked down the name of the culprit.  I know only that he hides in my closet among the layers of dust on the floor.  I stay clear of him, for he is the one who in one quick swoop, knocked me to my knees with sinus pain that could take down the fiercest of beasts.

Ok, ok, maybe I exaggerated a little, but it was quite painful.  It did knock me onto the couch in an attempt to find some position to lessen the pressure in my head.  But an allergy tablet and 30 minutes later, I was back on my feet.

Sweeping the closet is a good start in preventing another such attack.  But there is more I could be doing to fix the problem.  Central Air Purification would be great, but since I don’t have any duct work in my house, I’m looking more into individual air purifiers in the rooms that need it most.

Air purifiers clean the air, removing allergens such as pollen, dust, mold and pet dander.  They work in different ways depending on the type you choose.  Some pass the air through a special type of filter that removes the particles in the air then blows the air back into the room.  HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air filters) are the most effective in removing tiny particles.

Some purifiers do not use a HEPA filter, but instead use ozone.  However, high levels of ozone can be dangerous if a person is overexposed.  You will want to contact a specialist if you feel your home requires ozone treatment.  Unfortunately, ozone may actually worsen allergies in some people.

Others, like the one in my home, use an electrostatic filter to capture the particles in the air.  Some electrostatic air purifiers will then send the air through a charcoal filter to remove even more contaminants.  I like this type because the filter is reusable.

Of course, air purifiers can only do so much.  Frequent vacuuming and dusting is also critical in keeping allergens to a minimum.  If you want to know more about air purification, the folks at AirNow would be glad to help.