One of the insidious things with most allergens is that their particles can be so tiny that we cannot actually see them. For this reason, it's tough to get rid of them entirely when cleaning. It also can be troublesome to determine which particular allergen is triggering your response.
Frequent allergens in a household will include:
- Mold and mildew
- Animal hair
- Dust and house mites
- Pollen
- Volatile organic compounds
- Bugs
Indoor allergens have a tendency to move around and finally get deposited on different kinds of surfaces, like the carpet or the bed covers. Once they become deposited, you are subjected to them whenever you step over the carpet or stretch out on the bed. The settled allergens are emitted back into the air you breathe.
Another thing that can trigger mild responses is the smell. But if you are allergic to peanuts, the scent of the nut or peanut butter is not going to provoke a response. This is because the peanut particles that provoke allergic responses cannot be sufficiently fleeting to be breathed in.
When cooked, however, large particles are emitted that can cause food allergies. But it is not the scent, it is the particles that are emitted.
Allergies may also present as susceptibility to such chemicals like fragrances and cleaning agents. This is generally called chemical sensitivity or multiple chemical sensitivity. Persons with this disorder can suffer a wide number of effects. Among them are feelings of nausea, asthma episodes, migraine headaches, vertigo, as well as even heart palpitations.
An air purifier assists in getting rid of these allergens and triggers before you have the opportunity to inhale them. It may contribute to decreasing the necessity for regular thorough cleansing.
But not all air purifiers are created equally efficient at removing allergens. So, there are a couple of things to pay attention to in finding one that will really help make a distinction for you.