Do air purifiers really work?

[clyrc]

I've been sick with asthma, nausea, runny nose, cough, and other various ailments for five months now. I suspected that the landfill being cleaned up about a mile from where I live might be the problem, so I googled landfil and saw every single sympton I've had described as a result of living too close to a landfill. Moving is out of the question, but I am so unbelievably tired of feeling rotten. One suggestion was an air purifier. Anyone have any idea if they work?

[bettyellen]

1. yes but they can make your walls dirtier

if they are ionic.
humidifiers or inhalling saline mist are always good too because they help you flush that crap out of your system

[clyrc]

3. I can always make my kids clean the walls!

I'm truly getting desperate

[texanwitch]

2. Mine work, I have several.

You will be surprised when you clean the filters. My have dust and this black crap, comes from the freeway.

[clyrc]

4. This is the dust storm season here, too

so I imagine I will have to clean the filters often

[yewberry]

5. Yes.

I love ours--it's pretty typical. It has two filters--one is a pre-filter that grabs the big stuff and one is a HEPA filter.

Family members with allergies and breathing conditions always vie to stay at our place when they're in town. It really makes a difference. At the very least, you should have one in your bedroom if you're struggling the way you've described.

[clyrc]

6. How about brands?

I don't know what is available where I live, but I'm going out looking right after payday

[texanwitch]

9. Check the internet before you buy, to see what kind you would like.

[Orangepeel]

7. Consumer Reports says no, FWIW

From CR (no link because it's subscription only)

Even the best air cleaners could be a frivolous investment, according to medical experts. Our tests also show that a few produce significant levels of ozone, an irritant that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function.

Market leader Sharper Image's Professional Series Ionic Breeze Quadra SI737 is among the ionizing room models that did a poor job of cleaning dust and smoke from the air in our May 2005 report on ionizing air cleaners. All ionizing models produce some ozone, but those poor performers emitted enough of it to fail the industry-standard Underwriters Laboratories test that we replicated.

CR absolutely panned both the Sharper Image ionic breeze (both the regular and the one that supposedly doesn't produce ozone) and the Oreck one that "moves the air." It recommended two:

1 Friedrich C-90B
$500

3 Whirlpool AP45030R
$250

[clyrc]

8. Thanks orangepeel!

Since it seems to be my only option, I'll probably get at least one, and hope it does some good.

Oh, and it's nice to see you again!

[bettyellen]

10. i'm telling you a humidifier will help, and/ or a netti pot.

[clyrc]

11. I have wanted a neti pot for a while

and a humidifier might help, but I have mold allergies and that's why I'm certain the disrupted landfill is causing my problems.

[bettyellen]

14. if the air is dry, it'll help.

i'm allergic to mold too, but it's all so much worse when the air is too dry.
the netti is hard to get used to, but if you are breathing in debris, you should try it.
there's a netti thread here tonight too. sounds like kismet to me.

[clyrc]

15. yup!

A friend just a few doors down uses a neti pot as part of yoga.

[bettyellen]

16. ask her to help, it's a little tricky....

but if you do in in the shower every morning, it makes a big difference.
i need to start doing it again soon.

[texanwitch]

12. I bought some great air cleaners here, good prices to.

www.ioniczone.com

This company has good deals, you will be able to put air cleaners all over your house.

[clyrc]

13. Thanks!

I don't live in the states, though, but I will look at the website.

[RebelOne]

17. I smoke in the house and I use air purifiers.

I have 2 that plug in like night lights. And then another tabletop one. I don't care what anyone says, but they do help with the cigarette smoke.

[clyrc]

18. Seems like it's worth a try

This is about the sixth day in a row I can hardly choke down food, in spite of being hungry. I'm taking Singulair for the asthma and antibiotics (my sixth round in seven month) for an infection. Those are probably the main culprit in my stomach problems, but without the medications I'm even worse off.

[raptor_rider]

19. We have one in the living room

and it work great. When you walk into the house, you cannot tell that it is a smoker's house (both husband and I smoke) and that we have 5 cats. We are really never sick. Just get little bugs here and there. I think they work. We have one that has a cell instead of a filter that we clean out every couple of weeks. FWIW, get one (if you do) with a cell to clean out. Granted that it is more expensive, however you save tons of money from buying filters all of the time. That is where they get you on the other ones that use filters.

[Deja Q]

20. I think so. I've to clean the dust and crud out of them every ~3 months,

but they do work.