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Air Cleaners & Asthma

Asthma is a serious, potentially life-threatening respiratory disease affecting over 20 million Americans. Medications and shots can sometimes relieve the symptoms of this incurable disease. These options complement the use of air cleaners to treat asthma. It is important to choose the one that is right for you.

  1. What Is Asthma?

    • Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes inflammation of the lungs and increases mucus production. Both occurrences cause wheezing and coughing as the affected person tries to breathe using lungs that are swollen and mucus-filled. According to sufferers of the disease, breathing during an asthma attack is like trying to breathe underwater.

    What Causes Asthma?

    • Asthma is an allergic reaction caused by environmental triggers such as smog, smoke, pollen, chemicals, dust mites, mold and pet dander. The number of people who have asthma has increased over the past 30 years, according to the EPA. Those most affected tend to range in age from five to 14.

    Treatment Options

    • An ear, nose and throat specialist or allergist will be able to determine what the triggers are that cause your asthma attacks. Once this is determined, it is recommended that you avoid these triggers. When complete avoidance is not possible, you may want to consider shots, inhalant medications that reopen airways and air cleaners to combat the symptoms.

    Best Air Cleaners

    • HEPA stands for "high efficiency particulate air." These cleaners consist of a high-density, flat filter made from fiberglass fibers. Unlike other air cleaners, HEPA filters capture particles as small as 0.3 microns at an accuracy of 99.97 to 99.99 percent. Some of the particles trapped include dust, mold, airborne chemicals, pet dander, pollen and smoke. Room-size and whole-house HEPA filter systems are available online and at home improvement stores. You can even purchase a HEPA furnace filter or have a HEPA unit connected to your furnace.

    Air Cleaners to Avoid

    • According to Consumer Reports, electrostatic air filters clean the air in your home, while producing lung-irritating ozone. Gas-phase absorption air filters convert contaminants into harmless compounds. Their nontoxic and nonhazardous media, generally created using carbon and other compounds, can be custom-designed to target specific air impurities. These air purifiers are geared more toward disbanding toxic chemicals and smells rather than ridding your home of allergens, and tend not to work for asthma-causing triggers.

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