{"id":1829,"date":"2023-08-30T08:23:17","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/?p=1829"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:02:32","slug":"do-i-need-an-air-purifier-if-i-have-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/do-i-need-an-air-purifier-if-i-have-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need An Air Purifier if I Have Allergies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Air purifiers frequently claim to be reliable when it comes to improving indoor air and related health concerns. Still, are they really that good at addressing these problems?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The experts at the <\/span>Allergy and Immunology Center<\/span><\/a> believe that air purifiers might help with <\/span>allergens in the air<\/span><\/a>. Still, only to a certain degree, and it will highly depend on your expectations and what your goals are from that specific air purifier. Can they help with <\/span>asthma symptoms<\/span><\/a>? Below, we\u2019ll take a closer look at the benefits of these air purifiers.<\/span><\/p>\n

About Air Purifiers<\/b><\/h2>\n

Before we answer the question \u201cDo I need an air purifier?\u201d we need to state that this article concentrates on portable devices for single rooms and not whole-house systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, most of these current devices can filter gasses and particles. To do this, many of them use several filters. For the most part, air purifiers usually work with the same principle: with the help of their fans, they draw the air through the filter, trapping different contaminants and recirculating the clean air into the room. Still, these devices may be different based on the number and type of filters they use, the square footage they are able to clean, the amount of air they can draw through the filters, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And when assessing the benefits of a specific air purifier, you need to consider every aspect. For example, you will need to know the exact dimensions of the room(s) you want to clean, the capacity of the purifier you are considering, and, ultimately, the type of contaminants you want to eliminate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Air<\/p>\n

Know Your Air Purifier Filters<\/b><\/h2>\n

Still, when addressing all the variables, choosing the right filter type remains essential. Experts agree that the best filters would be HEPA filters, designed to collect around 99.5% of the particles from areas less than 3 microns in size (such as dust, moisture, pollen, dirt, viruses, and bacteria).<\/span><\/p>\n

The efficiency of a HEPA filter hinges on the density of its fibers, which is typically indicated by a rating ranging from MERV 12 to MERV 17. It’s advisable to select a filter with a minimum rating of MERV 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

On that note, you will also want to address another variable that experts refer to as CADR or clean air delivery rate. As the name implies, this is the amount of clean air the machine will be capable of recirculating. Typically, the rate of the cleaner should be the same or at least two-thirds of the room\u2019s dimensions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are cleaners that have specific CADRs based on the pollutant types they are capable of targeting, like pollen, tobacco, smoke, dust, or small- medium, and ultimately, large-sized particles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Air Purifier Types\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The following three types are the most common air purification devices:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n