Will An Air Purifier Help With Bronchitis

Did you know the presence of indoor pollutants can be more harmful to our respiratory system? Oh yes! They exist. Covid-19 made us stay home more than ever, exposing us to indoor pollutants. Indoor pollutants are dust, pollens, tobacco smoke, asbestos, and gases released from heaters, stoves, etc. The particulates cause various lung conditions like asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, bronchitis, etc.

Can air purifiers help with bronchitis? The answer is Yes, to a degree. These indoor pollutants pollute the environment,, aggravating the existing symptoms and causing difficulties in patients with bronchitis.

Read on to learn more about bronchitis, how air purifiers play a role in helping people with bronchitis, and how the device works. Also, this article will brief you about the types of air purifier, how it benefits people with bronchitis, and help you to choose the best air purifier.

Knowing bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is where there is a productive cough for more than three months in a row for at least two years.¹

It is an Obstructive lung disease because the inflamed bronchioles trap the air inside, making it difficult to exhale, which worsens other lung conditions.

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lung airways known as bronchioles.

Acute bronchitis- mostly seasonal viral cold/flu. Resolves within a few days. It can be a bacterial infection too.

Chronic bronchitis- persists for more than three months or more.

Any infection of the lung airways leads to swelling of the airways, which in turn traps more dust, irritating the airway route and producing more mucus than usual, disturbing the gaseous exchange of lungs.

Common causes of bronchitis

Bronchitis is caused by the viruses responsible for causing colds/flu.

When a person sneezes, the air droplets containing these viruses get transferred from an ill person to a healthy person.

Smoking (both active and passive smoking) is the primary factor for chronic bronchitis. The irritant substance present in the smoke worsens bronchitis.

You become more susceptible to bronchitis if your occupation exposes you to dust, chemical substances, etc. This is called occupational bronchitis.

What are the signs and symptoms of bronchitis

• Patient complaints of Malaise (body ache)
• Fever
• Chest Pain
• Excess amount of productive cough. The colour of the sputum may be clear, yellow, or green²
• Shortness of breath
• A wheezing sound can be heard while breathing without auscultation
• Abdominal pain
• Headache and tiredness
• Bluish colour of the nails
• In severe cases, the person becomes unable to perform his daily activities

Complications 

• Secondary pneumonia³
• Respiratory distress
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Cardiac failure

When to seek medical attention

If you find it difficult to sleep, have headaches and a dry mouth in the morning, feel tired the whole day, and your partner notices you snoring loudly, it is time for you to consult the doctor.

Usually, acute bronchitis resolves on its known.

If your cough and other symptoms persist for more than three weeks, and you feel difficult to complete your daily chores, it is time to seek medical help.

Understanding air purifier

Air purifiers, as the name suggests, it purifies the air. It has an internal filter that draws all the indoor contaminants from the air and thus improves air quality.

Passive air purifiers are more in demand because of the advanced technology since active air purifiers make the specks of dust stick to the surfaces.

A few air-born conditions are hay fever, viral flu, etc.

How does it function

Air purifiers contain a fan and a filter. The fan acts like a suction to draw in the pollutants from the indoor environment and trap the toxic particulates, the filter inside neutralizes the poisonous air, and the clean air is recirculated.

However, the work of the filter increases with the type of air purifier you choose to purchase.

Types of air purifiers

• HEPA Technology- High-Efficiency Particulate Air is the technology in which the filter traps particles that are less than 0.3 microns (invisible to the human eye)⁴

HEPA not only purifies but also sanitizes the environment by trapping chemicals, molds and bacteria, and other air-born organisms.

The HEPA filter looks like an accordion (a musical instrument) which allows the air to pass through its mesh-like fibres trapping all the smaller pollutants invisible to the human eyes.

Once the filter is full, it needs to be replaced.

• Activated Carbon Technology- activated carbon is excellent for absorption because of its porous quality. From face masks to air purifiers, it is in demand

Activated carbon filters contain molecular-size pores with a high absorbent ability making them ideal for attracting various chemical emissions, gases, odours, etc.

• UV technology- this is often used as an adjunct to HEPA, activated carbon. UV rays are known to kill microorganisms

The UV lamp should be monitored and adjusted accordingly.

• Active air purifiers- active air purifiers are negative ion air purifiers that draw in the pollutants like dust, hay, and pollen till the newly-formed particle is too heavy to remain in the air. Eventually, the particle drops and gets stuck to the solid surfaces in the room. This has been proven to be less effective as compared to other advanced air purifiers.

• Ozone air purifier- Ozone is a harmful particulate. However, many companies claim that ozone can purify the air

Although, studies have refused such claims. Ozone is believed to aggravate asthmatic symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing sound while breathing, etc.

Benefits of air purifier to our health

1. Air purifier eliminates Dust and spores from our furry friend
2. Remove harmful toxins present in the air
3. Sanitizes the indoor environment

A 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that HEPA technology that uses mechanical suction to pull air across a high-frequency filter could decrease exposure to Covid-19 aerosols present in a conference room.⁵

A 2016 study reported that air purifiers should be the primary call of the public health response against indoor wildfire smoke exposure.⁶

HEPA filters eliminate the toxic particulate and the acrid smell and could decrease the toxicity concentration in the air, improving the air quality.

It reports that respiratory cardiac conditions and other infectious diseases can be enhanced with portable air purifiers.

How air purifier helps people with bronchitis

Bronchitis is an obstructive condition with a swelling of the lung airways. Indoor pollutants containing bags of dust, pollens, and chemicals can aggravate the symptoms of bronchitis by irritating the already swollen airways.

Air purifiers with HEPA technology are a preferred choice in case of bronchitis since the HEPA filters can draw microbes or toxic particulate that are less than 0.3 microns in size and are invisible to human eyes, making the air breathable.

The electrostatic properties of air purifiers help trap all the harmful pollutants from the environment.

Choosing the best air purifier for people with bronchitis

Choosing the best air purifier before purchasing is ideal since the quality varies from brand to brand. Few air purifiers trap the pollutants, whereas few just neutralize them without filtering them.

Do you need an air purifier or are trying to decide which one to buy? Try out the quiz section of Austin air. They will provide solutions to your queries, and Austin air has got medically proven air purifiers with HEPA and Activated carbon technology,

Tips to follow:

• Check the air quality of the room first
• Check the purification rate
• Don’t go for ozone air purifiers, as they might aggravate respiratory symptoms
• Avoid those cleaners which claim to give 4-5 actions in one system
• Small purifiers cannot service a room much significant than its capacity. Those who need a high-degree purification system can opt for high-calibre room air purifiers
• Nothing is called a ‘true HEPA’ or a ‘fake HEPA.’ Avoid falling into fake marketing terms
• Depending upon your needs and budget, it is advisable to purchase your air purifier

Summary

Air purifiers are not replacements for medications. Medications and taking care of the indoor environment, like home cleaning, regular dusting, using exhaust fans, etc., together can minimize the toxic air in the environment. Air purifiers are a great way to improve air quality when used as an adjunct to the ways mentioned above.