Air Purifier/dehumidifier for Asthma

[Threecats]

Hi everyone

I was going to reply to Homely’s post but then thought it best to start a fresh one, rather than hijack that one!

I have mild asthma, normally exercise induced but, at this time of year my chest feels tight all the time , a combination of damp and the proliferation of fungal spores this time of year, I think. I also have three cats (hence the name!)

I was thinking about getting an air purifier in the hope it would help but am undecided as to whether I should go for one in combination with a dehumidifier ( humidity is normally around 60 - 65% indoors) or whether separate units would be better.

Any thoughts / experiences and brand recommendations (if that doesn’t contravene forum guidelines) would be appreciated, thank you.

[Oldandgray]

I bought a £42 HEPA filter from Amazon for my bedroom. The machine sits on my bedside table and within 48 hours I noticed a difference in my asthma which is allergy driven.

I then bought a slightly more expensive one for the lounge, further improvement. Lastly I purchased a big Dyson HEPA for the hall.

No my asthma hasn’t disappeared and is still annoying but it’s December and to don’t need any prednisolone!

[Threecats in reply to Oldandgray]

Thank you for your reply, that’s encouraging to hear. Pleased you have no need of the prednisolone, that’s quite a result and shows how helpful the filters can be.

[Collienut]

I have a Hepa filter air purifier, non ionisation, it made a huge difference in the summer and I still have it on by night or if the air seems dusty, or my breathing is wobbly, I move it from room to room. It cost £99 (Lenoit). Need to replace the filter every 6 months which is £30.I also have a dehumidifier, but the filter on it isn't brilliant so I only use it to check and lower the humidity in the bedroom.

Good luck. xx

[Threecats in reply to Collienut]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. It definitely sounds like a Hepa filter is the way to go x

[Logo132]

I have an air purifier by blue air . I got it from Argos. Very simple and straightforward to set up and it sits next to the best. Totally silent when it’s on night time mode and then you can adjust the mode to a higher power when you wake. I also have a separate dehumidifier, it’s just a standard one I got from b and a but it’s a shock how much water it collects! Another tip that costs nothing is just leaving the window open for 10 mins a day as long as it’s dry outside. it sucks out all the cold damp air. I usually do this first thing when I go down for breakfast just to give the room a change of air.

In terms of asthma, yes I still have my winter allergy asthma but it’s a lot better at night and is only really affected in the day when I’m out and about.

[Threecats in reply to Logo132]

That’s good to know, Logo, thank you. I like simple to operate 😊 and judging from yours and the other replies I’ve received, it certainly seems that separate units for air purification and dehumidification are the way to go.

[Homely2 Administrator]

I have started measuring the humidity levels in the house before I get a dehumidifier.

I also wanted to see if there was a link between the humidity level and my asthma.

Firstly airing the house once a day definitely helps the humidity. Though not immediately.

At present though I am not sure I have a strong link between asthma and humidity. However my asthma hates mould, so there is an indirect link.

So I am going to see if I can control the humidity with airing and selected plants, if that fails I will then get a dehumidifier for the bathroom.

[Threecats in reply to Homely2]

Thanks Homely, that’s interesting to hear and reinforces my thought that I should try a hepa air purifier first to see if that helps my symptoms. Definitely with you on the mould though, that is very much a trigger for me, too. Good luck with your experiments.

[Mandevilla]

We found a couple of second hand dehumidifiers on Ebay/Gumtree which have been great. The brand is Electriq. The big one also has an air purifier function, but it's the dehumidifying that is most helpful for me. Both are very quiet, and I can easily fall asleep to them.