How an Air Purifier Can Help Combat Hay Fever Symptoms

Hayfever can be incredibly debilitating. Nasal congestion, sneezing and itching are all common symptoms. When you are outside, there are a number of things that you can do to protect yourself from pollen spores, thus reducing your symptoms. In the home, however, protection is limited.

You may not even realise that you can be affected by hayfever inside the home because pollen spores are invisible to the naked eye, but the simple fact is that you can be just as affected inside as you can outside. Spores will circulate in the air inside the home and cause an array of nasty symptoms.

If you are looking for a solution to help you combat hayfever symptoms in the home then an air purifier may be worth considering. Depending on the type of air purifier you buy, some of them are very effective in reducing the amount of pollen circulating in the air, thus reducing your symptoms.

How Does An Air Purifier Help With Hayfever?

To put it simply, an air purifier works by trapping particles in a filter, removing them from the air around you. Different types of filters have different uses. Some types of air purifier will contain more than one type of filter for maximum results. Here are some of the common types of filter that you will find and what they do.

• HEPA Filters – These are the most common types of filter that you will find in an air purifier. You will also find HEPA filters in some vacuum cleaners. These filters are so popular because they remove 99.97% of pollutants in the air. They are very good for removing dust, pollen, pet fur and even tobacco smoke. If you are going to buy an air purifier with the intent of reducing hayfever symptoms then a HEPA filter is essential.
• Activated Carbon Filters – Commonly used alongside HEPA filters, activated carbon filters work by absorbing impurities in the air. Whilst these are not necessarily great for removing things like pollen from the air, they are good for removing odours such as tobacco smoke and pet smells.
• Pre-Filters – Again, these are commonly used alongside HEPA filters. The idea behind these filters is that they prevent any large particles from coming into contact with any sensitive areas of the air purifier to prevent any damage from occurring. These are particularly useful for more expensive air purifiers.

Choosing the Right Air Purifier for your Home

Because there are so many different types of air purifiers for the home, it is important that you look at different features so that you can choose a model that will help to alleviate your hayfever symptoms as well as make sure that you get good value for your money. Here are a couple of the features that you should look for.

• Number of Speeds – When choosing an air purifier to help remove pollen spores from the home, one of the features that you should consider is the number of speeds available on the unit. This is because you are going to need the purifier to work more during seasons where the pollen count is high and less during the autumn and winter months. Most air purifiers will have adjustable fan speeds to choose from.
• Noise Level – If you suffer badly with hayfever then it is likely that you are going to need to run your air purifier quite a lot, even overnight. Because of this, you should look for a unit with a low noise level so that it doesn’t disturb you or anyone else whilst you are asleep.
• Type of Filter – As we have mentioned above, different units will have different filter types. If you want to get the best results in terms of a reduction in hayfever symptoms, it is generally a good idea to go for an air purifier with a pre-filter, a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter. This will provide you with maximum protection.
• Read Reviews – The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. Before you buy any air purifier, make sure you do your research. It is particularly important to research how effective different air purifiers are for hayfever sufferers. By doing this, you can make sure that you are buying a unit that is going to benefit you.

So, to answer our question – yes, an air purifier can help reduce hayfever quite significantly. It is definitely a worthwhile investment if you are one of the many millions of people who suffer with hayfever every year.