Plan ahead for fall mold allergies - Argus Leader
Plan ahead for fall mold allergies - Argus Leader |
- Plan ahead for fall mold allergies - Argus Leader
- 8 Top-Rated Air Purifiers That You Can Buy On Amazon - Forbes
- HVAC companies see high interest in air filters, UV lights in war on COVID-19 - Chicago Tribune
- This sleek Dyson Pure Cool Link Tower Air Purifier is $150 off right now at Best Buy - SFGate
| Plan ahead for fall mold allergies - Argus Leader Posted: 26 Aug 2020 10:37 AM PDT
CLOSE  Summer and fall are prime seasons for mold allergy problems. Mold spores are smaller than pollen grains allowing them to not only effect the eyes and nose of allergy sufferers, but they can infiltrate the bronchial tubes and cause asthma. If the allergy or asthma is combined with participation in sports or a rhinovirus cold at the start of school, it could result in asthma attack. Sudden asphyxic asthma is a condition during peak mold time in which younger patients with alternaria mold allergy can go from breathing well on their own to severe asthma on a ventilator in an afternoon. There are methods to be prepared and take steps to avert this situation. Most mold spores originate outdoors. Staying indoors and keeping the house, office, and car closed is the main avoidance method. The air conditioner with its filter and dehumidification can help a bit more. Additional filters receive some anecdotal praise but are rarely proven clinically helpful. We cannot stay indoors all the time. For most sufferers, topical corticosteroid nasal or inhaler preventative (controller) sprays must be started prior to the season. And always keep rescue antihistamines and bronchodilators on hand. Oral or injections of steroids may be needed. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) can be immensely helpful if avoidances and medications do not work well. Shots are the only treatment that makes the patient less allergic to the mold and thus reduce symptoms. Unfortunately, under the tongue immunotherapy has not been highly effective for mold allergy. More recently, new medications call biologics have arrived on the market and may be necessary. Mold is a major contributor to fall allergy and asthma suffering, but the worst reactions are typically brought on by a combination of triggers. Getting your flu shot can make the flares of allergic asthma far less likely to happen. Washing your hands helps prevent colds and other infections which can exacerbate the problem. And, using your albuterol before sports activity can help. If you suspect you may have a mold allergy, talk to your primary care physician first. Mold allergies can best be diagnosed with a thorough patient history and physical examination. If allergies are suspected, your doctor can refer you to an allergy specialist who can confirm the diagnosis with allergy testing. If confirmed, you and your doctor can work together to create an allergy and asthma action plan. In the end, much of the responsibility for staying well is up to each of us. The best way to manage mold allergies is to be proactive, ask for help, then follow the prescribed action plan. Mark E. Bubak, M.D. practicing in Sioux Falls, is a contributing Prairie Doc® columnist. He is certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology to care for adults and children with asthma and allergies. Prairie Doc can be seen on SDPTV most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central. Read or Share this story: https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/brandon/2020/08/27/plan-ahead-fall-mold-allergies/5652578002/  |
| 8 Top-Rated Air Purifiers That You Can Buy On Amazon - Forbes Posted: 27 Aug 2020 10:31 AM PDT It seems that recently air purifiers have been gaining traction as the next popular household device. And it's easy to understand why. Air purifiers capture pollen, pet dander, dust motes, smoke particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and all sorts of other air pollutants, so it's really no wonder that more and more people are buying them for their homes, especially now that protection from airborne contaminants is so important. And while an air purifier alone isn't enough to protect you from the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the CDC, you can use one as part of a more comprehensive plan to protect people while indoors when used in tandem with other protective measures like social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and hand sanitizing. So whether you're hoping to filter out particles that may contain viruses or simply want to reduce indoor pollution and improve the air quality of your home, there are plenty of great air purifiers out there up to the task. Just make sure you choose an air purifier rated for the size of the room in which you'll use it, be sure to change filters as needed, and again, think of it as one part of a multi-piece strategy used to protect yourself and others against viral infection, not to mention bacteria, allergies and other unpleasantness. Here are eight of the top-rated air purifiers you can buy right now on Amazon. Alen BreatheSmart Flex Air PurifierThis decidedly large air purifier cleans a remarkably large volume of air, effectively refreshing a room measuring 700 square feet every half hour. Its True HEPA filter is rated to last several months longer than that of comparable units, so the initial price will be softened a bit by the savings in replacement filters. With more than 750 reviews posted at present, the Alen BreatheSmart has a shining 4.7-star rating overall, with reviewers using terms like "exceptionally well built [and] quiet" and noting the " big improvement in the air quality" since commencing its use. The device is also quite user-friendly, with simple controls on the top and a light that changes color based on realtime air purity measurements. Dyson Pure Cool Link Tp02 Air PurifierLeave it to Dyson to create an air purifier that monitors the air quality in your home (or office or shop) in real time and communicates with you via smartphone app. This oscillating purifying fan can be set to any of 10 airspeeds, helping keep you cooler in warm weather and serving as a fine white noise machine all while also scrubbing the air of 99.97% of contaminants. It has more than 500 five-star reviews at present and is routinely praised by owners with the one common complaint being the price tag. The TP02 can be controlled via remote control, the smartphone app or even by voice when you pair it to Amazon's Alexa. PARTU HEPA BS-08 Air PurifierFor a smaller space like a kid's bedroom or a home office, this compact air purifier is a perfect choice, as agreed to by the 1,000-plus five-star reviews it has at present. Rated for rooms up to 160 square feet, the BS-08 is inaudible at its slowest setting, thus perfect for an office, and can serve as a gentle sound machine and nightlight thanks to built-in LEDs, thus its suitability for a bedroom. The filter can be cleaned as needed and should be replaced two or three times annually, which does add a bit of cost, but for well under $100, this air purifier has a good starting price. Molekule Air Mini+ Small Room Air PurifierThis more compact follow-up to the celebrated full-sized Molekule air purifier doesn't have a compact price tag, but it does have the ability to eliminate even the most compact airborne particles. Unlike so many air purifiers that work simply by catching particulate matter that passes through, this one uses Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) to actually kill viruses, bacteria and other unseen and unwanted little things. The device is small enough to tuck out of sight but handsome enough to be perched prominently in a room. At present, it has scores of five-star ratings and a 4.4-overall average on Amazon. Levoit H13 True HEPA Air PurifierThis plucky little air purifier can replace the air in a room up to 215 square feet five times per hour when on its highest setting and placed centrally in the space. It features 365 degree intake, helping the H13 draw in air from all directions at once and its performance can be customized using different types of filters that are sold separately. These include a "Mold and Bacteria" filter, a "Toxin Absorber Filter" (ideal for urban areas with lots of nearby traffic), and a "Pet Allergy Filter." At the time of this writing, the Levoit H13 has a shining 4.7-star overall rating with more than 6,300 reviews. Blueair Blue Pure Purifying FanTo be clear, this is a fan first and an air purifier second. But whereas dedicated air purifiers usually claim to remove more than 99.7% of all airborne contaminants, this fan can catch 99% of the pollen, dust and dander, so it's a fine choice for adding airflow and scrubbing the air at the same time, especially if you're using it in your own home where you already count on a rather clean environment. The fan has three speed settings and a remarkably simple single-button control (on, low, medium, fast, off, e.g.) and lets you know when it's time to replace the filter, which can refresh the air in a medium-sized room in about 20 minutes when properly maintained. Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Air PurifierPerfect for very large rooms or even for an entire smaller apartment or condo, the Honeywell HPA300 air purifier can be used to clean the air in up to 465 square feet of space. The reviews are also quite big here, so to speak, with more than 4,000 five-star ratings. One thing many people who have reviewed the HPA300 note is the great value, as called out by one gentleman who "very highly recommended" this "fantastic HEPA air filter at a bargain basement price." IQAir Atem Personal Desk Air PurifierThis IQAir Atem air purifier has a 4.7-star rating on Amazon and a 4.5-star rating at Walmart. You can probably count on the number of reviews posted surging in coming months as people look for ways to stay safe as they return to the office, because this compact device was specially designed for people who share a work space. (It perches on a desk and literally blows fresh air in your face.) The Atem creates a safe "personal breathing zone" for you at your desk, at the conference table or in other places, like a computer lab or in your dorm. Properly positioned and with filters replaced as needed, this air purifier is a great choice for use when life starts opening up again.  |
| HVAC companies see high interest in air filters, UV lights in war on COVID-19 - Chicago Tribune Posted: 14 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT  Berkeys Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electrical in Southlake, Texas, says it's having trouble keeping UV lights for HVAC units in stock as homeowners want to install the same air-flow safety equipment used in hospitals. (Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News/TNS)  |
| This sleek Dyson Pure Cool Link Tower Air Purifier is $150 off right now at Best Buy - SFGate Posted: 26 Aug 2020 12:38 PM PDT  Photo: Best Buy/Hearst Newspapers Air purifiers are generally not the sexiest home tech, but with massive wildfire outbreaks choking California residents out with smoke over the last few weeks, they've been at the top of lots of minds. In fact, they've been the best-selling product we've covered in the last 10 days. That's why it's worth pointing out this current deal at Best Buy: The Dyson TP02 Pure Cool Link Tower 400 Sq. Ft. Air Purifier is selling for $349.99, which is $150 less than you'll find it elsewhere.
Don't just take our word for this deal being a good one: It's got an average customer rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 stars at Best Buy, and it's selling for the full retail price of $499.99 on Amazon. Additionally, the sleekly designed tower's HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, mold, dust, and pet dander. And if that's not enough, it works with your smart home, too: You can hook the Dyson TP02 Pure Cool Link Tower up to your Amazon Alexa device, and as a Dyson employee replied the questions section on Best Buy, "This model can be linked to your Smartphone for real-time air quality information and the ability to set a schedule and control the device right from your phone." If you've been looking at an air filter and haven't clicked "Buy Now" yet, this is a good time to do it—plus, you can pick up at your local Best Buy if you feel like getting out of the house, too. And if you wanna read up on how air filters work, and what they do, check out this article: Air purifiers: What do they do? How do they do it? Let's find out! Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Ryan Craggs is the Director of Content Marketing for Hearst Newspapers. Email him at ryan.craggs@hearst.com.  |
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