As spring blossoms, so does pollen. For the more than one-quarter of adults and one-fifth of children in the U.S. who suffer from seasonal allergies, pollen can make it difficult to enjoy all the fun that spring can bring. For severe allergy sufferers, it can be downright unbearable.
If you’re struggling with seasonal allergies, you probably know that medications will only get you so far. But you have another option for breathing easier — air purifiers can improve your indoor air quality and reduce the effects of allergies.
Let’s take a look at why air purifiers are an effective seasonal allergy solution, how they work, and what steps you can take to add air purification at home.
Why do allergies get worse in the spring?
As the rhyme goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, May flowers bring copious amounts of pollen. And don’t forget about the trees and grasses and weeds springing back to life, too.
This simultaneous eruption of pollen means people prone to allergies are fighting against multiple triggers at once. To make things worse, pollen spreads easily. Doctors at the University of Rochester note that tree pollen is easily moved by breezes and can travel up to 100 miles. This is great for tree species propagation, but it also means that the allergens you’re dealing with might not be the ones right in your backyard — they could have come from anywhere.
Add to that the long pollen seasons in the U.S., and sufferers could be dealing with “seasonal” allergies throughout most of the year. The Allergy & Asthma Foundation of America says tree pollen season runs from February to May, grass pollen from April to June, and weed pollen from July to November. Depending on your sensitivities to each type of pollen, your symptoms could include anything from sneezing, watery eyes, and a scratchy throat to more serious respiratory issues, including coughing, wheezing, and other aggravated asthmatic symptoms.
Stopping pollen with air purifiers
If you can’t avoid your allergy triggers, the next best step is to remove them from your environment. Air purifiers are an ideal solution here. They use a variety of technologies to eliminate airborne particles including pollen, pet dander, and mold spores. Air purifiers can help everyone in your home, whether their symptoms stem from seasonal allergies or other indoor air pollutants.
Many different types of air purifiers are available to help clear the air in your home, but not all of them are suited to pollen particulates. For instance, activated carbon air purifiers primarily remove volatile organic compounds from the air. Similarly, ozone-generating air purifiers neutralize odors and can kill some airborne microorganisms, but can’t mechanically filter particles like pollen.
To handle pollen specifically, look for HEPA or ionizing air purifiers.
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HEPA air purifiers. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters use synthetic filters that are highly effective at trapping particles of different sizes. A filter must eliminate 99.95% of particles to earn the HEPA designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Ionic air purifiers. Systems such as Panasonic’s nanoe™ X technology neutralize the triggering compounds in pollen by emitting charged particles into the environment. Ionic air purifiers combine efficacy and safety. Once the pollen is rendered inert, the only byproduct is H20 molecules — water!
How to choose the best air purifier for your home
Once you’ve selected the right type of air purifier for your needs, consider a few other criteria to find the perfect unit:
Room size
Most air purifiers are designed to clean a certain volume of air. Look for square footage guidelines in the product description to make sure an air purifier will effectively work in your place. You can also install whole-house air purifiers as part of your HVAC system.
Noise level
Especially if you intend to use your air purifier in a bedroom or other quiet space, consider the noise output of each model you’re comparing. Units like Panasonic’s WhisperAir Repair® will run more quietly than other designs.
Maintenance requirements
Air purifiers are only as effective as the homeowners responsible for changing the filters. Take a look at each model you’re considering and learn how often they require filter replacement or cleaning. Consider how easy it is to access the filter, too. The WhisperAir Repair is maintenance-free, for instance, making your air purification process even easier.
As spring ushers in a profusion of pollen, air purifiers are your new line of defense against seasonal allergies. By selecting the right purifier for your home, your family will breathe easier. Take that, spring pollen season.
When you’re ready to get started with air purification in your home, Panasonic has the resources and solutions to help. Learn more and find the system that’s right for you.
