There isn’t just one answer to which air purifier to use to treat an allergy because it depends on what kind of allergy requires relief.
Allergy expert and Health Practitioner Mark Richardson answers the 10 most commonly asked questions when it comes to providing allergy relief with an air purifier:
Which air purifier technology is best to relieve allergies?
It depends on what kind of allergies you have.
For seasonal allergies like pollen, and pet allergies, HEPA (high efficiency particle arresting) air purifier technology for is recognized by Doctors as providing the best relief.
HEPA will remove airborne allergens to .3 microns, or 99.97% of all airborne particles.
How about allergies to Mold and Mildew? HEPA, while it will remove mold spores, will not kill Mold and Mildew. To kill Mold and Mildew you will want UV and Tio2.
How about Cat and Dog allergies? HEPA and a Pre-filter (a screen-like filter to catch hair and dust which also saves the life of the HEPA)
How about Dust allergies? HEPA, to gather dust, and a Pre-filter to capture hair and dust before the HEPA filter to help it last longer.
How about Air Purifiers like the Oreck?
The Oreck doesn’t have HEPA and relies solely on "electrostatic" or the positive and negative charge of some airborne pollutants so is not considered effective in my opinion for allergens. Most allergens do not have a charge so won’t be captured in their "truman cells" as they call their plates.
How often should a person change the HEPA filter?
It depends on the size of the HEPA filter but on average a good-sized HEPA should last 9-12 months under normal use. One thing to be wary of is the fact that many air purifier companies overcharge for the replacement HEPA after the initial purchase of the air purifier itself. So check replacement prices in advance. For a good sized HEPA filter look for replacements in the $30-40 range.
How long should it take to be effective?
Assuming that you have the right technology to do the job several hours of running the air purifier should be enough to notice a difference. Again this will depend on what you are trying to remove from your air. Mold and mildew can take 6-7 hours to clear
How much should a good air purifier cost?
Because there are alot of overpriced air purifiers out there this becomes a good question. For a normal Living room or bedroom I wouldn’t spend more that $300 for a multi-technology unit.
Should I run it all the time?
To save electricity costs you might consider air purifiers that feature allergen and dust sensor. These sensors from Japan adjust the machine to the conditions in the room saving electricity and guesswork.
What do you recommend?
For an affordable alternative to the typical 2-3 technology air purifiers, you can now find 9-technology air purifiers that include HEPA, UV, Tio2, Ion, Carbon, Electrostatic and more all-in-one by companies. I have a video review of some of these models, some of which include the new allergen sensing purifiers, available on YouTube via the link below.
Mark Richardson is an author, and Health Practitioner who researches cutting edge health products. To find healthier, and more effective alternatives watch Marks Allergy Cure and Air Purifier VIDEO Reviews at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhfOC5JHE7U Or visit his website at at http://www.allergyreliefonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_E._Richardson
More stuff from blogs on allergies and air purifiers:
Peanut Allergy Kid: Getting Rid of Eczema: Air Purifier
At the very beginning of my quest to get rid of Tyler’s eczema in early spring, a friend of mine surprised me with an air purifier for his room. She is a mom with a teenage son who has tree nut allergies, eczema, and asthma.
Alleviate Your Allergy Symptoms With An Air Purifier
Rash allergy. It is estimated that each year millions of Americans think about purchasing an air purifier for their home
How to Prevent Pollen Allergy in Infants
Make sure that there is an air purifier in the nursery or the room that the child sleeps in. this reduces the risk of allergies and respiratory diseases as the purifier removes all pollutants from the air.
Sinus Infections And Some Beneficial Devices
Air Purifier indoor areas are sometimes polluted by gases and particulates. As mentioned earlier, sinus infections can be due to pollutants. Through the air purifiers, you can breathe clean air.
to treat my allergies, i just take in some antihistamines like claritin~`,
Fight Allergies with Natural Supplements
It’s no secret that the more medicine we take – over the counter or prescription – the less likely our bodies are able to respond to the medicines. We build a tolerance, which means that when you take ibuprofen on a regular basis for headaches, it will eventually become necessary to up your dosage from one pill to two, and two to three, and so on. With the constant pressure we receive in the media to treat everything from sleeplessness to post-nasal drip (which, by the way, is a media convention … post means after – so if it’s a drip happening after your nose … well, you get the picture), it’s easy to see why we tend to turn immediately to the medicine cabinet for all of our daily “worries”. As we grow older, our tendency to develop allergies grows with us. Where once we could run through a hay field, tumble around with the dogs, and happily roll in the grass, now those same things can bring an irritating onset of runny nose and itchy eyes. Some acne, in fact, is caused by allergies and it’s a long-known fact that allergies can set off a nasty bout with asthma. If we turn to the medicine chest for every sniffle we get, though, what are we doing for our chances of having the medication we really need work all that well next time? There are many ways to treat your allergies naturally, without medicine. Unless it’s an allergy that is life-threatening, try one of these methods before you reach for the multi-colored pills. You might find that some of them are even more effective, and you’re boosting your body’s natural defenses while you take care of the irritation. By treating your allergies naturally with things like vitamins, minerals, and herbs, you also boost and strengthen your immune system and provide adrenal support. In other words, not only are you fighting your allergy symptoms, you’re also helping your body fight illness down the line.
NOTE: I’ve dedicated my life to Educating Consumers on Natural, Organic, Supplements, Vitamins, Healthy Living, Natural Healing, Non-Genetically Modified, Non-Chemical Enhanced or anything we consume made from Un-Natural Sources. I’m asking anyone who reads my articles to post articles like it, or my articles on Great Blogs like this one to spread the word and help make people healthier. You can take credit for the articles, you can go to my Facebook Fan page and get information from there if you’d like or you can go to my store by clicking on my name above for information. I don’t mind if you use articles from my websites. The more we work together, the bigger the demand will be to grow more Natural and Organic Foods. We can’t beat big business and stop them from producing products that cause a vast majority of America’s Health problems because they’re after quanity and profits. Until they see the market shift and start losing money, they won’t change. That’s up to us and it’s time we demand better, safer, healthier supplements, vitamins, and food. We can show them, we the consumers are in control. That all starts with education and helping educate people who have not yet learned about these subjects. My Facebook Fan page is located at http:/www.Facebook.com/TreeHuggersOnline
Thanks and I’ll post new articles like this once per week!
Roger OBrian, I totally agree with you and your descriptive comments, good contribution as a commentator.
However, I have experienced HEPA as It has worked for me.
Overall nice post!
I like to look for this kind of fitness/health tips!
AllaGee´s last [tips] ..What is a Page Title Tag and How to Optimize It
air purifiers would be a necessity if you have kids that are sensitive to pollen and dust”*-
the best air purifiers are usually the ones using hepa filters but they are very very expensive ,~-
allergies can be a menacing sickness specially if you get stuffy nose and rashes all overy your body each day ‘-;
Air purifier with hepa filters really helps me to rid of different type seasonal allergies and allergies due to pet dander
AllaGee´s last [tips] ..Air Purifiers For Allergies With Hepa Filters updated Sat Aug 6 2011 3:56 am CDT