Basic Tips and Advice on Choosing Air Filters

Most people do not really understand what is in the air they are breathing. They don't realize that air they breathe, has particles that contain mold, mildew, pet dander, microscopic plastic particles and many more pollutants. Combine all those air contaminants and you can see that all of these particles can be harmful to your health. But, how do you reduce or get rid of them...safely?

By using an air purifier filter in your air purifier, you can capture as much as 99% of the particles in the air that are related to health issues. This is the main cause, airborne pollutants, that are causing you or a family member, a host of health problems. Most people do not realize how simple it is to remove these contaminants. By using good ventilation methods and by purchasing an air purifier that uses a high quality air purifier filter, you can breathe easier in your home.

In the world of air purifier filters, the HEPA filter is tops. The HEPA purifier filter removes the most pollutants, up to 99.97%. This means that your air is much cleaner than ever before, simply by using a good quality air purifier filter. HEPA air purifier filters are also capable of removing cigarette smoke, which helps remove the odors that many non-smokers dislike.

Some air purifier filters are more expensive, depending upon the quality of the filter. For example, HEPA filters are always more expensive. Nevertheless, these air purifier filters are of a much higher quality than other standard air purifier filters, which makes them worth the additional cost. When it comes to your family's health, it is a good idea to find the best filters possible for your air purifier.

When looking for the perfect air purifier for your home, look online for your selected machine. Change them as scheduled by the manufacturer or as needed in order to ensure your air purifier works at full capacity. When working properly, the air purifier will help ensure the air quality for your family is the best possible. Never compromise when trying to ensure the health of your family.

Indoor Air and Your Health

You may experience health effects from indoor air pollutants soon after exposure or, even years later.

Immediate effects may show up after being exposed initially...or after repeated exposures. These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is simply eliminating the person's exposure to the source of the pollution, if it can be identified. Symptoms of some diseases, including asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever, may also show up soon after exposure to some indoor air pollutants.

The likelihood of immediate reactions to indoor air pollutants depends on several factors. Age and preexisting medical conditions are two important influences. In other cases, whether a person reacts to a pollutant depends on individual sensitivity, which varies tremendously from person to person. Some people can become sensitized to biological pollutants after repeated exposures, and it appears that some people can become sensitized to chemical pollutants as well.

Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the time and place the symptoms occur. If the symptoms fade or go away when a person is away from the home and return when the person returns, an effort should be made to identify indoor air sources that may be possible causes. Some effects may be made worse by an inadequate supply of outdoor air or from the heating, cooling, or humidity conditions prevalent in the home.

Other health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal. It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home even if symptoms are not noticeable.

While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems. People also react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants. Further research is needed to better understand which health effects occur after exposure to the average pollutant concentrations found in homes and which occur from the higher concentrations that occur for short periods of time.

7 Unsuspecting Air Pollutants in Your Home

1.The Kitchen Stove
Did you know that your kitchen stove is the main contributor of excess nitrogen in your home?  Yes!...when you're cooking, especially if it is a gas stove, your stove can bring you in contact with  really unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide. Too much nitrogen dioxide is bad for the respiratory system, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory illness. You can prevent this from happening by properly ventilating your stove. 2.Ozone-Generating Air Purifiers
We use air purifiers in our homes to purify the air but the fact of the matter is that they sometimes can do just the opposite. Purifiers that emit ozone, a harsh and respiratory system irritant and the main ingredient in smog, can cause you health problems and possibly health damage. Ozone, in excessive amounts, can scar lung tissue, bring on asthma attacks, cause you to have bouts of coughing and lead to permanent damage that could shorten your life.  I recommend that you don't buy an air purifier that emits ozone. See EPA...for more on "ozone-generating machines.
3.Cockroaches 
The droppings, body parts, and saliva of cockroaches can be asthma triggers. Certain proteins, called allergens, are found in cockroach feces and saliva and can bring on allergic reactions, or trigger asthma symptoms, in some people. Traditional pesticides can pollute our ground water, our eco-system as well as the air we inhale. Why not try and keep the house cleaner, making sure that no food is left out in the open , to attract bugs.
4. Laser Printers 
Some type of laser printers used in offices and homes release tiny particles of toner-like material into the air that could pose a pulmonary health threat to office workers, if inhaled. These particles are minute enough to enter the lungs, causing damage equal to inhaled cigarette smoke. Instead, why not print less, or if you do have to print, ventilate the area.
5.Drapes 
Dust mites are the number one reason for indoor allergies and asthma.  Drapes attract dust mites.  Dust mites are related to spiders and ticks but are microscopic, naked to the eye. An easy solution to eliminate, or even reduce dust mites, would be to install window blinds instead of drapes, as this switch would cut down on dust mites' habitat. 
6.Incense
Burning incense emits airborne contaminants as well as benzene and carbon monoxide, two dangerous gases.  Studies show a link between heavy exposure to incense smoke and cancer, asthma, and skin irritation. It's best either to stop totally stop burning incense, or make sure that you  ventilate the room when you burn incense.
7.Spackling
If your spackling compound used for filling holes in walls  has been stored around the house, it may  contain asbestos, says the American Lung Association.  You can find many home-building asbestos products are you home, including roofing and flooring materials, wall and pipe insulation, spackling compounds, cement, coating materials, heating equipment, and acoustic insulation. These products are a potential problem indoors only if the asbestos-containing material is disturbed and becomes airborne, or when it disintegrates with age.  If your home was built before the mid-80's, it could contain asbestos.  You can either hire professional asbestos abatement contractors to investigate or consider installing ¼-inch drywall over the existing ceiling.  This is less expensive, but will require that the old ceiling be well sealed so as to avoid the risk that it will become friable in the future.