A common side effect of air pollution is a sore throat. This article will explain the causes of this side effect, as well as how to avoid it.
If you have been feeling discomfort in your throat recently, know that you are not alone. Many people experience a sore throat after spending time in areas with poor air quality. The common cause of a sore throat from pollution is because it irritates the membranes lining the respiratory tract, giving them a dry feeling and making throats feel scratchy or raw.
Other reasons may include allergic reactions to the pollutants in the air, or increased exposure to pollution increasing your chances of catching a cold. While it is best to avoid exposure to air pollutants, there are many measures you can take to ease your throat if you do find yourself in an environment with high levels of particulate concentration.
If you are already suffering from respiratory illness, or have recently caught a cold, exposure to polluted environments will increase the irritation of your throat and make things worse for you. If at all possible, avoid exposure to polluted environments if you are already sick.
No. This is a common misconception, since some particulate air purifiers do enter the air you breathe (such as HEPA filters). However, once the particulate air purifier has filtered the air and removed most of the hazardous particles in it, it releases clean air into your environment.
Since your immune system is designed to remove harmful pathogens from your body, it occasionally mistakes harmless and inoffensive airborne particles and viruses (such as those in a HEPA filter) for harmful invaders and causes an immune response in your body. This effect is comparable to when you get an allergic reaction to substances such as pollen or pet dander- your body treats these harmless things like they were dangerous pathogens.
Some air purifiers do release ozone into the air. There is no evidence to suggest that the small amount of ozone released by an air purifier will cause irritation of the respiratory tract, and many people find it pleasant to breathe in.
If you feel like you may be sensitive to ozone, we recommend that you leave your environment for at least 30 minutes after turning on an air purifier; otherwise, stay as far away from it as possible for this time period to avoid irritation or infection.
However, most air purifiers do not release ozone anymore!
Normally no, but they DO remove small particles from the air that cause breathing problems such as asthma and allergies. If you or your family members have any breathing problems or allergies, we recommend that you use an air purifier with an HEPA filter, which can trap and remove particles of up to 0.3 microns (or 3/100th the width of a human hair) in diameter.
HEPA filters are usually advertised as removing dust and pollen; however, most HEPA filters will also remove viruses and even some viruses the size of bacteria.
Not usually, but some are designed to filter out airborne particles, which can make you feel like you are holding your breath. However, most air purifiers do not cause this effect. Many people find that the small amount of ozone released by an air purifier is pleasant to breathe in, and this is true with many HEPA filters as well.
If you find you are sensitive to ozone or breathing it may make your symptoms worse.
Yes. Your lungs are covered with tiny hairs (cilia) which act like a filtering system to keep out any large particles that enter your body via the air you breathe. Once these small particles do get past the cilia, alveoli (tiny sacs in your lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are absorbed and released) trap them, which is why having an air purifier will also decrease your chance of getting sick.
Note that it is not enough to just have a clean environment- your immune system needs a strong defense to kill off the virus after it is inside your body. Therefore, although having a clean environment will help you avoid colds and other infections, it does not replace other measures you should take to keep yourself healthy if possible.
No. Air purifiers don't change the relative humidity in the air, although some air purifiers do release a small amount of ozone. Ozone is a substance that forms from oxygen by UV light from the sun or sometimes from chemical reactions with other substances.
This substance can be toxic at high levels, but your body produces it naturally. In fact, ozone is used to sterilize hospitals and kill germs in food and water before selling them. Although ozonized air is safe, you may find it uncomfortable to breath in after being exposed to pollutants for a while.
Yes. HEPA filters can trap up to 99.97 percent of airborne viruses, including the common cold viruses.
Viruses are tiny, invisible, microscopic organisms that cause infectious diseases such as the flu and mumps. When you catch a cold or flu virus it enters your body, where your body's defense system tries to remove it by making antibodies against it. However, some of these defenses are very large molecules that are known as antigens.
If antibody is unable to stop the virus immediately before it multiplies to millions of copies of itself then the virus will be able to slip past this defense and continue spreading throughout your body. This is how you can catch a cold if you come in contact with someone who had one sitting on their desk at work for example.
If you have mold, it may make your throat hurt.
Air purifiers can help kill mold spores as well as bacteria and viruses, which are all large particles that must be removed from your home to reduce your risk of getting sick from them. Some air purifiers also have humidifiers, which can help prevent the accumulation of mold in damp places that lead to a buildup of mold spores.
If you have a lot of dust, it may make your throat hurt.
Air purifiers can eliminate dust and other particles from your home and reduce your risk of developing allergies and infections.
Many air purifiers work by drawing in dirty air through a pre-filter, which will remove large particles such as dust and pet hair. The dirty air will then flow through the electronic part of the air purifier, which will separate out any viruses or bacteria using an ultraviolet (UV) light or HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. The clean air then flows out into your room.
Twenty minutes up to two hours. This depend on the size of the room and the number of thing in it. Sometimes air purifiers can take a long time to clean out your air, even if they are rated highly. This is because the filter itself may not be very effective at trapping airborne particles, so you need to have an air purifier with either a large filter to get rid of pollutants.
Vitamin D for people with COPD, and Vitamin C for people with emphysema.
Whole grains, no sugar, no cheese. Good fats, good meat fats, good vegetables and fruits, and nuts. No sodas or sugar-sweetened drinks. Eat a variety of food so you will be getting most nutrients from whole food rather than from supplements or pills. One fruit per day is better than two fruits a day because most fruits have lots of sugar.
Beans are better than meat as the main source of protein because they contain a lot of fiber and other good things that help to clean out your digestive system and do not put as much stress on it as meat does.
Air purification may be able to reduce some or all of the health problems which occur in older people. HEPA filters are very light for better comfort, while ionizing air purifiers are also very light. There are some risks involved in using air purifiers, but they can be helpful for righting breathing problems due to allergies, dust and smoke.
As you get older you will have to be more careful about adjusting your daily schedule to keep your healthy. This may not be easy because you're getting more conscious about the environment around you, but it will help your body work better and improve your health.
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An air purifier is a device designed to remove dust, pollen, smoke, soot, mold spores, smog, and other airborne pollutants from the air.
If you want to keep your home clean and free of contaminants—and save money on heating and air conditioning bills—quality air purifiers are a powerful first step.
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