I’m new here and posted this question under the wrong board, so I am reposting it here:
Hi everyone,
I have developed severe allergies since I quit smoking a few months ago. I’ve had a few people tell me that I need to get a hepa filter. My husband seen an inforcommercial on the Ionic Breeze, which is really expensive.
It’s worth the money if it really does help. I am desperate, I wake up in the mornings and usually sneeze about 10 times just to get the day started. Sometimes it’s not too bad, but when it does flare up it’s really bad and it’s an all day thing. Then when I lay down at night my heart just starts pounding hard, which is really irritating, it’s like BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!, which can go on for an hour or more (I don’t know if that has anything to do with allergies or not, could just be more sensitive to caffiene since I quit smoking).
Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on a good filter, or something that I could do to alleviate my allergy symptoms I would greatly appreciate it. I do take Benadryl sometimes for it. I don’t like Allegra or anything like that, I don’t like the feeling of being wired up.
First, if at all possible, see a doctor. He/she’ll be able to advise you on how best to deal with severe allergies, and it sounds as if yours may qualify.
Second, you need to get rid of all possible sources of allergens. Dust mites can live in any kind of fabric. Have your carpets steam cleaned as well as any furniture that’s covered with fabric. Clean your mattress with a dilute solution of water and bleach. Have your home inspected by an expert for toxic mold. Regularly clean and disinfect all surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms.
If you have central air, have the ductwork cleaned and disinfected. Likewise, have the heater itself cleaned and disinfected–this can sometimes be the source of allegens. Get the most restrictive air filter for the intake that you can. Measure your intake to get the right size, and go down to the local home supply store and get a few convoluted furnace filters with the smallest pores possible. The best disposible filters run about $20 each, and last 1-3 months depending upon the air in your home and the time of year. You can also get a reusable electrostatic filter that you rinse off once a month, but those aren’t quite as effective as the best disposable ones. They do cost less in the long run.
If you don’t mind replacing the filter once a month at a cost of $20, change the fan setting for the furnace from “Auto” to “On” whenever you’re home–this way the air in your home is constantly being circulated through and cleaned by the furnace filter (make sure you’ve had it cleaned first if you choose to go this route–infected ductwork or heaters may actually spread allergens). However, do not run the fan 24/7–this can burn out the furnace fan and cause more problems than you want.
Number Six is dead on. i sugest you do every thing he (or she) said. i had moderote alleriege for a while untill i got my ductwork and heater cleaned and disinfected. i could not beleave how much dirt and mold and STUFF was in my ductwork. after everything was nice and clean i installed a uv-c light in my air intake to try to keep it that way. i also buy the 3M air filters every other month. becouse of all of this, not only are my allerieges better, but i hardly have to dust any more.
The problem with air ionizers – as to why they could actually make the problem worse – is that although they put a charge in airborne particles to make them stick to the filter, not all of the charged particles do. Some of them pass through, still charged, and stick to the next thing they find: your furniture, your walls, your pillow.
If you decide to get an air purifier, I’d favor HEPA.
Faith, have you moved to a new geographical region in the past three years or so? (A person often enjoys a couple of years’ worth of relief from allergens during the period of initial exposure; but many people observe that their hay fever really kicks in on their third seasonal exposure.) Are you even living in a cold clime, and if so, which heating system does your home use – forced-air or baseboards/radiators?
When I moved to my current place, I cleaned the baseboard heaters, which were clogged up with years’-worth of dust bunnies. (The A/C filters were filthy, also.) Forced-air ductwork isn’t the only way a heating system can trigger allergies.
And I can testify to the helpfulness of HEPA filters. First, get a good vacuum cleaner – one with a HEPA filter – if you don’t have one now. (Unfortunately, we also have to use the dang thing.) I also have a large HEPA air filter – the kind that is large, cylindrical, and rests on wheel casters – that I keep in the bedroom. In the morning, when I make the bed, I turn on the filter for a few minutes and it takes care of the dust very quickly. I don’t leave it running all day, because when the room is undisturbed there’s virtually no dust problem and that would just be wasting electricity.
Then there’s the bedding problem. Try taking your pillows outside and just pound the crap (literally) out of them. You will probably see thick clouds of dust. If your bedspread fails the slap test (slap the bed and see if that kicks up a flurry of dust), and laundering is problematic, you can still use the vacuum and an attachment to (carefully) clean it, as well as the mattress. No, it won’t remove all the dust and mites, but it should help. There’s also dust-impermeable mattress and pillow covers on the market; I don’t have any experience with these, though.
Also, you might be allergic to particular kinds of dust, such as feather particles. Have you recently acquired any down bedding? Pet birds can also pose a problem for asthmatics. Do you burn candles in your home? Maybe you’re reacting to the dye or scent in one of those.
I would recommend a “Rainbow” home cleaning system. I don’t sell them, and don’t make any money off of recommending them. Don’t buy one new, as it’ll run you about $1,600.00 (Although they have great warranties, and this is probably peanuts compared to what you’ve spent on cigarettes). Look for one on ebay, where I’ve seen them as cheap as $400.00. You can use these things as vacuums, and they are water filtered, so all the airborne particles end up trapped in the water. But you can also put it in any room of your house, run it for a half hour or so, and it’ll just clean the air in that room!! I highly recommend them.
BTW, congratulations on quitting smoking. I know it’s very, very difficult!!
One more thing: I change my pillowcase every night. This makes a real difference! Granted, you have to buy many more pillowcases, but the improvements in allergy-relief and hygiene makes it well worth it.
I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that those Ionic Breeze things are nothing but a ripoff. They’re friggin expensive, but I don’t really see why. There’s not even any moving parts on those things right?!?
My theory is that you probably get the same benefit from leaving your TV on all the time and cleaning that instead of buying an Ionic Breeze to get the same effect. Plus you get to watch TV at the same time for an extra added bonus!
Seriously, did you ever notice how quickly the TV will accumulate a thick nasty layer of icky stuff. I’d be willing to bet a good size TV picks up more stuff than those stupid Ionic Breeze ripoff things.
Welcome to the SDMB, Faith. Posting the same question in two forums is called cross-posting. You’re new here so you probably didn’t know that cross-posting is not allowed. For future reference, if you suspect you have posted in the wrong forum, the right thing to do is to e-mail a moderator to move the thread for you. I’ll close the thread in Comments on Cecil’s Columns.
I suffer from allergies, have cats, smoke, and am obsessed with indoor air quality.
The best thing by far is ventilation. (No central air here.) I turn on the kitchen fan, crack windows, and in half an hour the air is very fresh inside.
The HEPA filter helps a lot with smoke and visible dust.
I have an Ionic Breeze too, and it’s probably a ripoff at the price. But I do believe it helps a lot. I’ll run it in the bedroom with the door closed. You can wipe the collection plates every day and see what it’s catching - I believe far more than the TV, although I rarely turn my TV on so it’s a bad comparison.
And - I’m kind of ashamed to admit this - I have an Ozone Generator too, and while I have no idea if it reduces dust, it certainly makes the place smell nice and fresh.
Now that I’ve announced my crackpot status, I’ll sum up by saying that removing the source of the dust is #1, ventilation is #2, and filtration is #3. I’d need no filters at all if I’d just quit smoking and get rid of the cats.
If you’re really miserable, get rid of your carpet altogether (if possible) and choose furniture with minimal fabric upholstery (if possible). I hope you don’t have a lot of fussy curtains and knickknacks and stuffed animals and such.
Before you go out and spent a lot of money on the things suggested by the other posters, I suggest you find out if there is any solid evidence that any of them work. The fact that various people who post on this board have the impression that something helped them is not solid evidence because allergy symtpoms tend to wax and wane on their own.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much good evidence one way or the other. Sheikh and Hurwitz did a systematic analysis of the published research on house dust mite avoidance measures for perennial allergic rhinitis (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001;(4):CD001563) and here is part of what they found:
“Perennial rhinitis is most often due to allergy to the house dust mite. In such patients, house dust mite avoidance is logical, but
there is considerable uncertainty regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce dust mite exposure.”
“Trials to date have been small and of poor methodological quality making it difficult to offer any definitive recommendations on the role, if any, of house dust mite avoidance measures in the management of house dust mite sensitive perennial allergic rhinitis. The results of these studies suggest that interventions designed to reduce house dust mite exposure in patients with house dust mite allergic perennial rhinitis may be of some benefit in reducing rhinitis symptoms. Data at present is only available for acaricides [mite poisons], HEPA filters and a bedroom-based environmental control program; therefore, if considered appropriate, these should be the interventions of choice.”
I have allergies and live with people with allergies. We have two HEPA filters. I’ve never noticed an effect (except a lot of noise). We’ve used the washable electrostatic HVAC filters and the $20 disposable pleated ones. I’ve never noticed any effect except a thinner wallet. We’ve removed all the carpeting from the house. I’ve never noticed any effect except cold feet. My wife uses a steroid nasal spray; she says that definitely works.
I read a Consumer Reports about these recently. The Ionic breeze (from Sharper image) is indeed a rip-off. They recommended the HEPA filter model. I would recommend that you first go to your local library (Gee, I feel like I am in a PSA) and find the most recent issue of Consumer Reports that deals with air filters.