Allergies Air Purifier

Air Purifiers for allergies

With air purifiers, allergy sufferers can turn their dwellings into an almost pollen-free zone. However, not every purifier is suitable for the fight against allergies. Some even have a counterproductive effect.

Allergies sound harmless, but they can be hell in some severe cases. In mild cases you will only sneeze, the severe ones struggle with itchy eyes, constant mucus secretion, inflammation of the sinuses and conjunctiva, and even asthma. These symptoms last longer in particular parts of the year, as climate change causes many things to bloom earlier and sometimes far into late summer.

For this reason, the home should provide relief during the blooming season. Sadly, all sorts of particles slip through the tiniest cracks in windows and doors or are carried in with your clothes. In addition to tablets, drops, and creams, it is also possible to take technical action against allergic reactions, at least within one’s four walls – with an air purifier. While these devices were still rather niche products two years ago, the Corona pandemic has resulted in a considerable surge in new devices in all price ranges and equipment variants.

The basic principle of the air purifier pet allergy is simple: air is drawn in, passed through several filters, and then released back into the room in a purified state. Such a device does not have to run continuously.

Depending on the room size and the power of the purifier, it can be turned for several minutes an hour or a few times in the same time period. The purifier should be able to filter approximately twice the actual room volume per hour. Some manufacturers specify the performance in square meters.

When buying an allergy air purifier look for…

Only allergy air purifiers with a so-called HEPA filter can come in handy for allergy sufferers. It stands for “high-efficiency particulate absorbing”. The filter level before that is called EPA. HEPA filters can filter particles smaller than one micrometer from the air. Pollen with a size of at least five micrometers reliably remains in the membranes, but also mite eggs and even bacteria, mold spores, and viruses. These filters can be expensive, depending on the manufacturer and device.

To prevent the expensive filter from clogging up quickly, it is usually placed behind a pre-filter – a membrane for the coarse, which blocks hair, dust, lint, and insects. Prefilters are usually not replaced but cleaned or rinsed from time to time with the vacuum cleaner.

Between the pre-filter and HEPA, you can find activated carbon filters, that are also used in kitchen environments. Its task is to filter odors. Microscopically, charcoal is very porous, and the air flows through it as through a giant labyrinth. Odor particles get trapped on the long paths and become embedded in the charcoal structure.

The ionizer is another function the best air purifiers for allergies might have. This component in the air purifier electrostatically charges the air particles with UV light. Particles in the air attach themselves to the negatively charged particles created by ionizers, forming larger clusters that sink to the floor and are much easier to filter out of the air. The idea is taken from nature itself. Among other things, ions are the reason why we perceive air from outside as clear and indoor air as stale.