Air purifiers are designed to improve your health by removing contaminated particles from the air. However your air purifier can make you sick depending on for some reasons. This article discusses why your air purifier may aggravate some health issues rather than alleviate the problem.
Can Air Purifiers Make You Sick?
Your air purifier can make you sick, depending on some factors. Ozone air purifiers have been found to have side effects on your health. Some users have complained that the purifier might be threatening to people with an asthmatic condition. These purifiers release ozone into the air as the purifier works.
This ozone gas masks the odor in your house and makes it appear fresher. This means that if you use an ozone air purifier, the air in your room will feel clean and fresh because of the ozone gas. Ozone changes the chemical composition of the gas or particles in the air. After using ozone air purifiers, there might still be traces of particles triggering asthma. What this implies is that ozone purifiers may not be the best for people with asthma.
Therefore, your air purifier can make you sick if it is the ozone type. You can get sick from the side effects of this air purifier. Inhaling the emitted ozone can impact your health, especially your breath. This happens most to people with asthma. If you are asthmatic, you may avoid using ozone purifiers and those with ion generators. Allergic people may also be prone to having issues with this type of air purifier.
Also, the quality of the air purifier you use matters a lot. If you are using an air purifier of low quality, it might cause more damages than do good. An air purifier of low quality could pollute the air and cause you to breathe in air that is worse than what you would have breathed in if you did not use the air purifier.
If your air purifier is not well maintained, it can also make you sick. If the filters are not clean and you neglect the device, it will get to a point where it fails to do the job it is meant to do.
Additionally, where you place your purifier also matters. If you place it wrongly, you might not get the best from it. When you get sick from breathing in polluted air, you might think that your air purifier is making you sick; however, the simple reason is that it is not purifying the air. You are breathing the same polluted air you bought the air purifier to clean for you. For instance, if you keep your air purifier close to your laundry and have a pile of clothes on it, it will not function as you expect.
Also, if you place your purifier far away from the source of the odor, you might not get the best from it. If your air purifier is not close to the source of the odor, it might take longer to rid the air of that odor, if it does at all. If you place your air purifier close to your bedside, the blowing might give you a headache.
If you buy an air purifier too small for your room, it will not function to expectation. If you get an air purifier meant for a small space and place it in a small room, it will not eliminate the contaminated particles and odor in the space that is far from it. You will feel the air purifier’s efficiency in the space closer to it because it is built to work within a smaller space.
What Are The Side Effects Of An Air Purifier?
The ozone purifier releases ozone into the air, which you breathe when you are in the room. Inhaling ozone has some effects on the body, even if you inhale it in small quantity. Some of the effects are:
- Lung irritation
- Shortness of breath
- Throat irritation
- Chest pain
- Headache
- Cough
- Increase risk of respiratory infections
Some ozone air purifiers function with an ionizer or an ion generator. This ionizer sometimes comes with an air purifier. If it does not, you can buy it separately. Ionizers are useful for ridding the air of particles. The particles leave the air when they cling together or to surfaces and leave the air.
While this ionizer is useful for ridding the air of unwanted particles, it may also emit ozone gas. This means it can also have the side effects of the ozone purifier.
How to Ensure Your Air Purifier Doesn’t Make You Sick
To ensure that your air purifier doesn’t make you sick, consider taking the following steps:
Get the right one
Picking the best battery-operated air purifier will ensure you get an air purifier that does not make you sick. First of all, get a product with a reputable brand. If the brand is reputable, you can trust the review and ratings. If you are unsure which brand is best to buy, you can ask family and friends for recommendations.
If there is no one to ask for a trustworthy recommendation, you can check their customer services and policy to see if there is anything to give you the go-ahead to buy from them. For instance, the company might have a refund policy that allows you to return the product if it does not function to your satisfaction. If it is applicable, you might also get a trial period within which you can return the product if it does not tick the necessary boxes.
Purifiers with HEPA filters are most recommended for you. These purifiers have high air purifying capacity. They are designed to rid the air of almost 100% of the pollutants in the air. These air purifiers are the best. Therefore, when buying a purifier, ensure that you get one with HEPA filters. Some products are purported to have HEPA filters when in actuality, they do not.
Maintain it properly
Properly maintaining your purifier will also go a long way in making it safe for your health. Ensure the filters are properly cleaned when due. Also, ensure that the device is maintained and functioning well. If it has any fault, fixing it on time is advised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it true that air purifiers can make you sick?
Your air purifier can make you sick depending on its quality, the type of the purifier, and how well you maintain it.
Also, if you fail to pick the right purifier according to room size you can be sick as you are still breathing in polluted air despite possessing an air purifier.
Actually, air purifiers never make you sick since no air purifier contains harmful components in its mechanism. Rather, it depends on the quality and right product based on the range of the space.
What are the benefits of an air purifier?
An air purifier improves air quality, your health and makes your home odor-free.
Air purifiers mainly protect you from any airborne disease such as cough, Asthma, pet related issues, and respiratory symptoms.
Moreover, it helps you to fix your sleeping issues by improving the room environment. Above all, it makes your living space or vehicle a safe place to breathe in tackling all possible threats your surrounding air can cause to your health.
Is it safe to use an ozone air purifier?
It is not safe to use an ozone air purifier in residential areas because ozone is detrimental to health.
When the level of the Ozene exceeds the standard that is tolerable for humans it can cause serious lung issues. Even inhaling a bit more of that amount can also cause temporary chest pain, coughing and other respiratory issues. Continuous inhaling of excessive Ozene can reduce the Lung’s strength to fight against respiratory disease like Asthma and Pulmonary Tuberculosis etc.
Therefore, know your air purifier before going for it. Confirm the filter is of high quality such as HEPA, Microfiber or carbon. Determine the level of Ozone your air purifier can create and make sure it is not more than the amount safe for humans.
Is it safe to use an air purifier in an enclosed room?
There are air purifiers specially designed for small rooms or an enclosed space.
ACH rate of an air purifier is to be taken into account in this case. ACH refers to how many times an air purifier purifies or filters the air in a specific range of space per hour.
Enclosed room or room that possesses about 300 to 700 square feet needs air purifiers with 2-3 time rate ACH ( Air change Per Hour).
Why do I get sick after using an air purifier?
You get sick after using an air purifier because it is not a safe product for you, or you do not maintain it well.
Conclusion
An air purifier is your solution to fresh air. However, you may be getting the best from the device or doing yourself harm depending on the type you buy.
Ensure you keep your air purifier in the right position to get the best performance. It is also essential to maintain the air purifier properly.
