Fight against respiratory allergies with an air purifier

An allergy is when your body misinterprets a harmless substance as dangerous, causing an adverse reaction and kicking your immune system into high gear. Respiratory allergies, or allergies affecting the respiratory system specifically, can lead to unpleasant symptoms. Below we will discuss how an air purifier may help you combat these unpleasant symptoms and live a more comfortable, allergy-free life at home and in the workplace.

What is respiratory allergy?

As mentioned above, respiratory allergies affect the respiratory system. For those who suffer from allergies, when the body comes in contact with an (usually harmless) airborne substance, the immune system triggers a false alarm and releases antibodies in response. These antibodies then trigger allergic chemicals to be released into the bloodstream, causing allergy symptoms¹.

Respiratory allergy is also known as either “hay fever” or “seasonal allergic rhinitis”. One in four people in the UK, or 16 million people, suffer from hay fever, and these people are four times more likely to suffer from other allergy-related conditions such as asthma, eczema, and food allergy. Unfortunately, this number is growing as allergies become more commonplace with seven times as many people requiring a hospital visit due to severe allergic reaction in 2000 versus 1990. From 2002-2012, the number of people admitted to hospital for anaphylaxis due to food allergy doubled². These types of allergies cause many people to experience restrictive and often frightening everyday lives.

What causes respiratory allergy and what are the symptoms?

The causes of respiratory allergy are airborne allergens. Some of these allergens may be present in the air year-round while others are only present during a short period of the year. Some of the more common airborne allergens are:

• Pollen
• Fine particles
• Pet allergens
• Dust mites
• Mould and mildew⁴

Symptoms of hay fever may include an itchy nose, eyes, and/or throat; sneezing; a stuffy, runny nose; and/or watery eyes. Allergic asthma – 80% of asthma attacks are triggered by allergens³ – can cause breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath, coughing (which gets worse at night), wheezing, and tightness in the chest.

Throughout Europe, one in five people suffer from a moderate to serious form of the condition which may lead to complications in the ears, nose, and throat (ENT) as well as the lower respiratory tract³.

What can we do to protect ourselves from respiratory allergy?

The most effective way to elude respiratory allergy is to avoid triggers. Some ways to do this at home are:

• Keep pillows and mattresses covered with zippered cases
• Keep bedding clean by washing regularly in hot water
• Avoid carpeting in the home and replace with hard flooring if necessary
• Avoid dust build-up in the home by dusting regularly
• Keep windows closed during seasons of high pollen
• After being outside, shower and change clothes
• Keep pets out of the bedroom and wash your hands after touching them
• To avoid mould growth in the home, keep kitchens and bathrooms clean and try to keep humidity at a level of no more than 50%¹

Invest in an air purifier to keep allergy symptoms at bay

Although effective, some of the suggestions in the above list may seem challenging for some to maintain in the long-term and impossible whilst at work or travelling. Another excellent way to rid your breathing air of airborne allergens and to ease allergy symptoms is to install an air purifier in your home or workplace.

Air purifiers containing a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, the gold standard of air filtration, are the only devices that are proven to clean the air of allergens. HEPA is a European certification overseen by European standards EN 1822 and EN ISO 29463. These filters can filter airborne allergens (usually measuring around 2.5 µm) and fine particles down to a size of 0.01 µm. All Eoleaf devices are equipped with HEPA H13 filters. Furthermore, Eoleaf’s high-quality air purifiers contain other filtration technologies, such as activated carbon filters, enabling a broad spectrum of action on most varieties of allergens and pollutants.

If you are suffering from respiratory allergies, install an air purifier in your space to ease your symptoms and breathe cleaner, fresher air. Contact Eoleaf today to find the device that would best suit your needs.

References

¹ Valeii, K., & More, D. (2021, November 22). What are respiratory allergies? Verywell Health. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/respiratory-allergies-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-5206183

² Why are allergies on the rise? Allergy statistics. Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. (2019). Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.narf.org.uk/the-allergy-explosion

³ Stallergenes Greer UK. (2022). What is respiratory allergy: Stallergenes Greer UK. What is respiratory allergy. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.stallergenesgreer.com/how-allergy-diagnosed

⁴ Norwegian Institute of Public Health. (2018, September 10). Allergy - food allergy, respiratory allergy and skin allergy. NIPH. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.fhi.no/en/mp/chronic-diseases/asthma-and-allergy/allergy/