Eczema is one type of skin condition that might appear due to certain pollutants and allergens present in the air. Often people do not have a clear idea about preventing eczema with the help of air purifiers, and here arises confusion – how effective are air purifiers for eczema?
Air purifiers can prevent the expansion of eczema by removing the pollutants from indoor air. With high-performance air purifier filters, the allergens responsible for spreading eczema can be reduced efficiently.
This article is all about preventing eczema with air purifiers. Besides, you will also get to know the effect of indoor air quality on eczema symptoms; so that you can decide whether you should use an air purifier for this purpose or not.
How Does an Air Purifier Help Eczema?
Air purifiers can minimize the chance of getting in contact with various chemical and biological pollutants which are responsible for the outbreak of eczema. But how does the process work?
Here are the stages by which an air purifier deals with the pollutants causing eczema-
Stage 1 – Release of Microparticles by Several Pollutants
When allergen elements, molds, and pollens are present in your home environment, they release microparticles in the indoor air. This process might be addressed as oxidation or corrosion.
Each of these microparticles differs in size and shape, which makes it difficult for regular air filters to filter them out effectively.
Stage 2 – Passing the Toxic Air into the Filter
The air purifier takes the polluted air inside and passes it through the mesh filter. Basically, a regular mesh filter is capable of filtering large particles like dust and larger allergens. After primary filtering, the air then flows to the other filters of the air purifier.
Stage 3 – Filtering the Microparticles
From the mesh filter, the air is passed through the HEPA or activated carbon filter for the final filtration process. These filters are specially designed for a high-performance filtration process by which almost 99% of pollutants can be filtered out.
The microparticles were filtered in the HEPA and activated carbon filters which were still in the air after mesh filtering.
Stage 4 – Releasing Clean and Fresh Air
After final filtering with HEPA and activated carbon filters, the air purifier releases fresh and clean air to the home environment. This indoor air is free from almost every type of allergen and other microparticle pollutants that can cause eczema and other skin complications.
Are Air Purifiers Effective for Eczema?
There is no one specific pollutant that is primarily responsible for spreading eczema. Actually, several contaminants like dust mites, allergens, molds, and also pet hair can impact eczema symptoms on the skin.
Once you are affected with eczema, different environmental factors like dryness, dampness, and less humidity level can flare up the basic symptoms and make it severe.
Often people use air purifiers for skin allergies, eczema, irritations, and several other skin conditions. But there remains confusion about whether air purifiers are effective for removing eczema or not.
Mold spores are mainly the seeds of mold that are produced to expand their territory. As we know, molds and allergens are mainly responsible for eczema; air purifiers trap mold spores and pollen into the HEPA filter and flow out clean and fresh air into the house environment.
To remove eczema effectively, you should use air purifiers in the most possible places in your house where you may frequently find molds. Washrooms, basements, and kitchens are such places, and you should mostly install air purifiers in these areas.
So, in case you wonder whether air purifiers help eczema or not; well, you can definitely use air purifiers for this purpose, but you should always choose them with HEPA filters.
Types of Air Purifiers for Eczema
All types of air purifiers are not capable of removing eczema and other skin complications. However, because certain filters are needed on air purifiers for this purpose, we will discuss the air purifiers that can effectively remove eczema from indoor air.
- Air Purifiers with HEPA Filters
Basically, HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are designed to filter out 0.3 micron-sized particles, which makes the air harmful to humans and other living animals.
Air purifiers with HEPA filters are highly effective for dealing with eczema symptoms. A HEPA filter works in an air purifier by three mechanisms. These are diffusion, interception, and impaction.
- Air Purifiers with Activated Carbon Technology
Activated carbon filters are made with natural and scratch materials, including charcoal, coconut shells, carbon granules, wood chips, and sand. These elements can remove biological air pollutants like bacteria and molds that can cause eczema.
Activated carbon technology is used in air filters to purify indoor air efficiently. These filters work based on the absorption method in which the pollutants are trapped by the filter and release clean air inside your house.
- PCO Air Purifiers
The PCO (photocatalytic oxidation) process can be a game changer for reducing the pollutants from indoor air which are responsible for spreading eczema.
This process consists of UV-c radiation effects and titanium dioxide, which works as a catalyst. When chemical and biological contaminants pass through such a filter, this technology transforms the pollutants into harmless elements.
This process can be effective for allergens, molds, and pollens, which transform into gasses and reduce the chance of eczema in the human body.
Air Purifiers Vs. Humidifiers for Eczema- Which One to Choose?
As eczema spreads largely in dry environments having a low humid level, it is often recommended by doctors to use a humidifier as a solution. So, it can be a bit confusing to use humidifiers or air purifiers for eczema.
Actually, both of them can play a vital role in dealing with eczema. Air purifiers work on the pollutants which can cause eczema, while a humidifier affects the intensity of eczema symptoms.
Air Purifier for Fresh Air to Prevent Eczema
By eliminating almost every type of biological contaminant, including virus, bacteria, molds, and spores, air purifiers ensure clean and fresh air that prevent eczema. They can also effectively remove pet hair from the air, which can trigger eczema by flaring up on the skin.
Humidifier for Maintaining Moisture in the Air
On the other hand, humidifiers can add moisture to the indoor air by reducing dryness. As a result, the eczema symptoms might not be too intense, and the allergic reaction may reduce in a short time.
To deal with eczema and other skin complications, prevention is always better than cure. So, if you are wondering about air purifiers vs. humidifiers in preventing eczema, actually, it is better to prioritize air purifiers as they can effectively prevent allergens and molds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do air purifiers help with itchy skin?
The main cause of skin irritation is various bacteria, viruses, and allergens. These pollutants affect the health of your skin, causing several skin complications. Air purifiers can remove these contaminants from the indoor air and prevent the itchiness of the skin.
- Which is better – air filters or air cleaners?
If you are confused between air filters and air cleaners, it is better to choose air filters. Because air cleaners just filter the large pollutants, while air purifiers are effective for removing small contaminants and microorganisms.
- Do humidifiers help reduce eczema?
Humidifiers can help reduce the effect of eczema symptoms. Generally, eczema spreads largely during winter as the air remains too dry. Humidifiers increase the moisture level of air which prevents eczema from flaring up.
Final Words
Air purifiers with high-performance filters can effectively prevent and reduce the effect of eczema symptoms. Hopefully, this article made your confusion clear about whether you should go for air purifiers for eczema prevention.
Make sure to choose the right air purifier according to your skin condition and home environment. And maintain them well, so the filters work efficiently for a longer time and protect your home from harmful pollutants.
