How Do Air Purifiers Help Control Allergies?

Spring is the time of year that allergies return for many people in the Oklahoma City area. This is not only a problem outdoors, but also indoors from the many allergens in the air of our homes. If you're one of the many people who suffer from springtime or year-round allergies, an air purifier could dramatically reduce your symptoms.

So what's in the air of our homes that causes allergic reactions and how do air purifiers help control allergies?

What causes indoor allergies?

In order to understand how air purifiers help control allergies, it's important to first know what's in the air of homes that causes allergic reactions.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, dust mite feces is the number one cause of indoor allergies. Dust mites grow best in moist conditions, which is why there tends to be a lot of them during the cooling season when humidity levels are higher than the rest of the year.

However, dust mites are only one of the indoor air pollutants that cause indoor allergies. Other culprits include pet dander, mold, plant spores, tobacco smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

How do air purifiers help control allergies?

The advantage that air purifiers have over standard air filters is their ability to remove smaller particles from the air. Unlike air filters, which can at best block out particles of 1 micron in size or larger, air purifiers can remove particles that are much smaller in size.

Dust mite feces, the number one source of indoor allergies, are smaller than 1 micron in size. In fact, 98 percent of all indoor air particles are smaller than 1 micron in size, including many of the other particles that cause allergic reactions.

An air purifier can remove 99 percent of the particles from your air that are 1 micron in size or larger, and 97-99 percent of the particles that are smaller than 1 micron in size. As a result, an air purifier can remove almost all of the particles from the air that aggravate your allergy symptoms.

If you have any questions about how air purifiers help allergies, or if you'd like an air purifier installed in your home, contact Comfort Incorporated, your Oklahoma City HVAC company.