Our “environment” is one of many ways that it is possible to “leverage” health outcomes. In other words, decrease inflammation (correlated with many diseases) and optimize cell function.
“Environmental air pollution has a direct impact on human health, being responsible for an increase in the incidence of and number of deaths due to cardiopulmonary, neoplastic, and metabolic diseases” (Attribution)
With that said, air pollution levels are increasing—and this problem is not limited to the outdoors.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, indoor concentrations of certain pollutants have increased in recent decades due to inadequate ventilation, combustion sources, and synthetic building materials.
In fact, indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels, sometimes as high as 100 times! With Americans spending 90% of their time in their homes or offices, it leads to many attacks on health and wellness.
Health Risks Associated with Poor Air Quality
Poor air quality can increase your susceptibility to the following conditions:
- Irritation and inflammation in the eyes, with conjunctivitis taking the top spot. It can also cause dry eye syndrome, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (blurry vision), and trachoma.
- Respiratory issues can harm the lungs and lead to chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. It can also make chronic asthma worse.
- The pollutants can enter the bloodstream and make blood vessels narrower and harder. It makes it difficult for blood to flow freely, increases blood pressure, and strains the heart.
- It can also contribute to lung cancer. Per WHO, approximately 11% of lung cancer deaths in adults are due to exposure to carcinogens from household air.
Enter Air Purifiers
Air purifiers can be your saving grace in more ways than one. These portable air cleaners ensure adequate ventilation, remove harmful gas, and capture minuscule airborne particles like pollen, pet dander, smoke, dust mites, and more.
It ensures much-improved air quality, which can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic and acute respiratory illnesses, and other serious health issues.
How Do Air Purifiers Work? A Look at the Features on Offer
Air purifiers come in different sizes, ACH (air change per hour), noise ratings, and ozone emissions. However, their primary function is the same: they draw unclean air through a filter, trapping contaminants and recirculating cleaner air into the space.
Where they differ is the filter technology used.
HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are the most popular and efficient options, as they can remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns (µm)! While it sounds impressive, most people don’t understand just how incredible that is. It means that for every 10,000 particles 0.3μm in diameter, only three will pass through the filter, and the rest will be trapped within.
As such, it can reduce your chances of suffering from:
- Allergy symptoms
- Respiratory infections
- Neurological problems
Activated carbon filters are also a good choice, as they remove contaminants through surface-based adsorption. They eliminate gaseous pollutants, odors, and chemicals like VOCs to create a cleaner, healthier living environment.
Choose a device with a high clean air delivery rate (CADR) for maximum benefits.
Why You Should Consider Investing in Air Purifiers: 9 Benefits
Here are some reasons why you should get an air purifier for your home:
1. Improves Sleep
Poor air quality can cause a reduction in sleep duration by 30 minutes or more.
Air purifiers remove irritants to help you breathe better, reduce odors, and act as white noise, creating an environment more conducive to sleeping.
In fact, according to a two-week randomized-controlled trial, air purifiers can increase total sleep time by an average of 12 minutes and total time in bed by an average of 19 minutes per night.
2. Controls Mold Growth
Mold thrives in dark areas with a lot of moisture. While air purifiers cannot aid in dehumidification, they can trap mold spores from the air to control their spread, which may offer some relief against respiratory issues, allergies, and lung infections.
3. Helps Neutralize Odors
Air purifiers can filter and remove odor-causing particles—as long as you choose the right one. HEPA and activated carbon filters are great, but if you want maximum impact, go for ozone-free bipolar ionization. It will eliminate harsh odors, improve indoor air quality, and make the air feel fresher.
4. Lowers Risk of Diabetes
Around 37 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. Long-term exposure to matter with a diameter < 2.5 μm is associated with diabetes incidence, so using an air purifier to eliminate these particles could lower diabetes risk.
5. Improves Cognitive Function
Exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution is associated with cognitive impairment. It is also a risk factor for dementia. As such, using an air purifier with a good-quality filter could minimize the decline in cognitive performance.
Plus, the cleaner air could improve brain function. In an experimental study, cognitive scores were 61% higher on days with better air quality and 101% higher on days with improved air quality and ventilation.
6. Relieves Symptoms of Asthma
Air purifiers reduce allergens in the air and can thus help people with asthma breathe better. This is backed by a 2020 study on children with asthma. It showed that it can positively affect health by filtering fine dust and microbes from indoor air and reducing the frequency of medications.
7. Enhances Cardiovascular Health
Air purifiers can improve some markers of cardiovascular health in those with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It can also alleviate the influence of particulate matter < 2.5 μm on patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD).
8. Reduces the Risk of Airborne Diseases
When used correctly (with particular attention to placement), air purifiers can effectively remove particulate matter, including viruses like COVID-19. They can mitigate the infection risk of airborne diseases by reducing their transmission rate.
9. Minimizes the Amount of Radon Present
Radon is responsible for about 21,000 deaths from cancer every year, about 2,900 of which occur among people who have never smoked. While air purifiers cannot capture radon outright, a 2021 study suggests they can reduce the concentration of attached and unattached radon decay products (DuRn).
Take Home Message
Air purifiers refresh indoor air and eliminate chemical pollutants, making them undeniably critical for homes and offices. Since air pollution is increasing worldwide, it pays to have a safe, clean indoor space for a better quality of life.
Disclosure: This post contains links to products in which Rehab HQ receives compensation