Preventing Asthma Attacks with an Air Purifier

In recent years environmental researchers have done studies that show that in most cases the air we breathe indoors is more polluted then the air outside. There are a few reasons for this; more energy efficient homes, more synthetic materials used throughout our homes, and the chemicals in many of the cleaners used daily.

Because of this increasing indoor pollution people who suffer from asthma are at a greater risk of having an attack inside. One way to solve this problem is to filter, or purify the indoor air. Pollen, dirt, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria can all trigger an asthma attack and the best way to deal with these airborne threats is with an air filter.

There are many reasons that asthmatics need clean air to combat the effects of their condition. An understanding of the disease helps to clarify just why this is true.

Asthma affects between 3 to 5 percent of the general population at one time in their life. With the exception of newborns it affects all ages and genders equally. It is a condition that causes the bronchioles and bronchi, (the airways in the lungs), to narrow, restricting airflow and causing difficulty breathing.

The symptoms of asthma are pretty well known; trouble breathing, inability to catch ones breath, and a wheezing cough are the main signs of an asthmatic attack. Most asthmatics seem to experience more severe symptoms at night. The severest of attacks cause a sharp increase in respiration rate and a rapid pulse. Unable to speak the asthmatic may also exhibit cyanosis in which the skin starts to turn blue due to the lack of oxygen.

Pollutants and other foreign substances in the air are the main cause of an asthmatic attack. Bronchiole hypersensitivity to these substances is the main trigger point for this disease. Just about any airborne pollutant can trigger an attack; vehicle exhaust, smoke, smog, animal fur and dander, tobacco smoke, ozone, perfumes, and the list goes on. Because of the increasing amounts of airborne pollution both indoors and out asthma is becoming increasingly common around the world.

While steroid inhalers provide sufferers quick relief from the affects of this condition, avoiding the airborne triggers is an important part of the daily management of asthma. For indoor air an air purifier can significantly reduce the amount of irritants an asthmatic is exposed on a daily basis, helping decrease the number and severity of reactions they might have.

There is one type of air purifier that someone with asthma should avoid; ozone producing air cleaners are not recommended as the ozone they produce may trigger an attack.

Preventing asthma attacks with an air purifier is a good way to manage the affects airborne pollutants have on this condition. There are a wide variety of filters on the market today, from single room units to whole house systems, so be sure to research the choices thoroughly to choose the right filtration option for your needs.