According to Asthma Canada, asthma is the third most common chronic disease in the country, affecting more than 3.8 million Canadians. Although there is currently no cure for asthma, steps can be taken to effectively control the symptoms and prevent severe outcomes.
Find out more about asthma and whether air purifiers can be used to give those living with the condition a better quality of life!
People with asthma have particularly sensitive airways that tend to overreact when irritated. Muscle spasms, inflammation and mucus cause the airways to narrow, making it difficult to breathe. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing.
Asthma ranges in severity from mild, occasional symptoms to serious attacks that can lead to hospitalization and even death.
Asthma triggers
Asthma triggers are things that irritate the sensitive airways of asthmatics, causing attacks and/or making symptoms worse. Triggers differ from person to person, and individuals can have more than one.
Asthma often occurs in conjunction with allergies. People with both usually find that environmental allergens will trigger their asthma symptoms. Common factors include pet dander, dust mites, mold and pollen.
Cigarette smoke, dust, air pollution, strong odors, viral infections and exercise can also be allergy triggers. If you have asthma, it’s important to know what your triggers are so that you can take steps to avoid and/or mitigate them.
Air purifiers are designed to eliminate the fine particles present in indoor air. Many are equipped with HEPA filters that are adept at capturing even the trickiest sizes of particles. Air purifiers with HEPA filters can effectively trap many of the most common asthma triggers, including dust, dander and pollen, cleaning the air and helping to mitigate asthma symptoms. There are also residential UV air purification systems. These are designed to destroy micro-organisms in the air, such as bacteria, mold spores or viruses. In addition, UV can affect the proteins of allergens present in the air, reducing their allergenic potential.
There's no doubt that air purifiers improve air quality and that reducing asthma factors is an essential step in preventing and reducing the symptoms of this disease. Asthmatics can, therefore, combine an air purifier with other methods to alleviate their symptoms.
Avoiding triggers and managing symptoms can be a daily challenge for people with asthma. Fortunately, modern technology provides various solutions that can contribute to a comprehensive mitigation strategy!