Based in Manchester, Marie is one of the writers at HouseFresh and our resident dust expert. She works together with our in-house researchers and our Managing Editor to produce in-depth articles offering practical advice on how to tackle indoor air quality issues.
Our verdict:
Most experts agree that air purifiers can help people with allergies and asthma. Yet the level of effectiveness depends on which air purifier you buy. Units with HEPA filters will capture the greatest amount of harmful particles, helping minimize asthma symptoms.
Similarly, many health and science professionals also acknowledge that air purifiers are most effective when combined with other strategies. For example, removing or minimizing environmental triggers such as dust and smoke from your home.
With pollution levels rising worldwide, asthma presents many difficulties for those who suffer from the condition. While humidifiers may be effective at controlling symptoms, air purifiers are also believed to help ease the condition, according to experts.
Be sure to keep reading as we explore all that in this article. We’ll delve into some of the scientific studies behind air purifiers and how they can help people with asthma.
While identifying a single cause of asthma isn’t easy, we’ll look into some of the most common triggers and symptoms.
Finally, we’ll round up some of the key things you should consider before buying a purifier for asthma, such as efficiency and cost.
How an Air Purifier Can Help Your Asthma
An air purifier, or cleaner, is a device that can help to remove pollutants and contaminants from indoor air, helping you to breathe more easily. The purifier often uses a filter to capture very fine particles, allergens and pollutants in conjunction with a fan.
| HEPA The most effective units contain one or more HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters to remove pollutants from the air inside your home. |
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pollutants such as dust, smoke and mold are common triggers for people who have asthma. Air purifiers can reduce symptoms by helping to eliminate such environmental causes.
Numerous studies have supported the notion that purifiers are highly effective in minimizing asthma symptoms.
| Air Purifiers & Asthma — Scientific Studies 📖 A 2021 study published in Allergologia et Immunopathologia reported that air purifiers can improve the quality of life for people with allergic asthma — meaning that allergens like dust trigger their condition. 📖 A 2018 study published in the European Respiratory Journal indicated that air purifiers have promising health benefits for people with asthma. 📖 A 2020 report in the Jonsei Medical Journal examining the effects of air purifiers on children with asthma concluded that the devices could have a positive effect by filtering fine dust and microbes from indoor air. 📖 According to a 2016 review in the American Academy of Pediatrics, portable purifiers that use HEPA filters reduce harmful particles in the air by around 25–50%. Consequently, these devices can decrease asthma symptoms and ease the severity of attacks. 📖 This theory is backed up by an article published by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA points out that while air purifiers can help reduce indoor pollution, they cannot eliminate all sources of indoor air pollutants. 📖 A report published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology states that using just one method, such as an air purifier alone, did not improve asthma measures, or the results were inconclusive. 📖 The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) maintains that while air purifying devices might help people with asthma, removing as many sources of environmental triggers as possible is important. |
What Is Asthma (and What Causes It?)
Affecting both children and adults, asthma is a long-term lung condition that can cause breathing difficulties. Due to inflammation, the air passages in the lungs narrow, and the muscles around the small airways tighten.
This can mean the airways produce extra mucus, leading to breathing problems. According to the AAFA, the condition is fairly common and impacts 25 million people in the US.
People with asthma may experience various intermittent symptoms, which can often worsen at night or during exercise.
Symptoms include
- Shortness of breath (the word asthma means ‘short of breath’ in Greek)
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Chest tightness or pain
- Trouble sleeping due to coughing or shortness of breath
- Specific breathing difficulties from respiratory infections like a cold of flu
Some people with asthma find that it’s simply a minor nuisance which doesn’t affect their daily lives too much. For others, however, it can be a major problem and may lead to a serious, potentially even life-threatening, asthma attack.
When an attack occurs, the person’s airways become swollen and inflamed. The airways then produce extra mucus as the muscles around the airways contract. This causes their breathing tubes to narrow and get smaller, which puts a lot of pressure on the respiratory system, making it much harder to work as normal.
While there is currently no cure for asthma, people affected can discuss treatment plans with their doctor and these typically consist of medication coupled with avoiding specific triggers. Such treatments can help keep their symptoms under control so that the condition doesn’t significantly impact their life.
It can be difficult to pinpoint a specific cause of asthma. Yet as we discussed earlier, environmental allergens and irritants are thought to have a significant impact, according to the WHO.
Let’s have a look at five of the most common triggers:
| Asthma Cause | How it happens and why it triggers asthma |
| 💨Dust | Dust is a mixture of all sorts of things, including hair, bacteria, soil particles, microplastics and sloughed-off skin cells. It’s common in all homes. When someone with the condition inhales the dust, their airways become swollen and inflamed, making breathing difficult. Microscopic bugs called dust mites can also trigger an attack. |
| 🐈Pet dander | Dander refers to the tiny flakes of dead skin that animals shed and cats produce the most dander simply because they have so much fur. The dander is kicked up into the air when the animal scratches its skin or shakes its fur. This can cause breathing difficulties for people with asthma when they come into contact with dander. |
| 🚬,Smoke | All forms of smoke — especially tobacco — can harm anyone. Yet people with asthma are especially at risk. The chemicals and tiny particles within smoke can get deep into the lungs, causing irritation and breathing difficulties. |
| 🍄Mold | The mold inside your home is often found in damp places, such as bathrooms, kitchens and basements. The spores within the mold cause problems for people with asthma. When someone with asthma breathes in the spores, this can trigger an attack. |
| 🌺Pollen | Pollen is released by plants, trees and flowers and is easily inhaled, especially when the count is high in the spring and summer. It’s also possible to ingest the pollen when eating fruits or vegetables that bees have pollinated. For people living with asthma, inhaling or ingesting pollen can cause their airways to narrow and swell, leading to respiratory issues. |
Top 3 Air Purifiers to Help With Asthma
We test every air purifier that hits the market, and we know what to look for when it comes to eradicating the allergens that cause asthma to flare up.
Here are our top three choices:
Choosing an Air Purifier for Asthma
There are lots of different air purifiers on the market. To narrow down your choices, be sure to consider things like:
1. Efficiency — The higher the efficiency, the more harmful particles will be eliminated from the air, helping reduce asthma symptoms. As we mentioned earlier, purifiers with HEPA filters are the most effective and can remove at least 99.97% of particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter or larger, according to a report published in 2015.
2. Room size — You can buy small and large purifiers because not all purifiers are suitable for every room. For example, if you want to use it in a large room, you must choose a unit that can properly clean the square footage. Look out for the purifier’s CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate). The higher the CADR, the bigger space it can serve and the more quickly it will be able to clean the air.
3. Certification — Choosing a purifier with asthma-related certification means you can be sure it meets the highest standards. The AAFA recommends buying an air purifier certified as asthma and allergy friendly, as this ensures it can remove almost 98% of allergen air particles.
4. Ozone-free — Some purifiers, particularly ionizing devices, produce ozone. This can harm everyone but is especially dangerous for people with asthma as it can irritate their respiratory systems. Aside from the health risks, ionizing air purifiers may not even be as effective as HEPA filters because ozone does not remove air particles, according to the EPA.
5. Cost — It’s a good idea to consider how much you want to spend upfront for the purifier. Equally, consider how much it will cost to run the unit continuously for a year. Some devices use more energy than others, and vice versa.
6. Noise — If you intend to run the purifier while resting or sleeping, you’ll want to know how quiet the device is during operation. Most purifiers display noise levels on their product specs, so check these out before you buy.
Final Thoughts
If you or someone you know suffers from asthma, using an air purifier can significantly help the condition. Many experts agree, however, that the devices are most successful when combined with other strategies that help to minimize symptoms.
It also depends on the type and quality of air purifier you use. Those with HEPA filters, for example, are by far the most effective and will help to keep symptoms at bay.
SOURCES
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Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. (2019). Asthma Information. aafa.org
Asthma.com. (2020). Allergies, Pollen, and Asthma. asthma.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Common Asthma Triggers. cdc.gov
Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Air Cleaners and Air Filters in the Home. epa.gov
Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners. epa.gov
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Last update on 2023-06-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API