3 Responses

1. Queen of the Dust Mites

   November 29th, 2009 at 7:04 am

   1

   The article cited by DropYourAllergies refers to HEPA filters that are outfitted to a vacuum cleaner, and it is true that is not always effective because most vacuum systems leak the dirt before it ever makes it to the filter. But, it sounds to me like you want a stand alone machine that you can sit in your bedroom. First, since you have asthma, you must avoid all machines that directly or indirectly produce ozone (a known lung irritant). That means no machines that have an ionizing feature. So stay away from the Sharper Image and Ecoquest brands. As far as economy, you have to factor in such things as how often does the filter need to be changed and how expensive are the filters. Find these thing out upfront. Honeywell has been making the Enviracare for about 6,000 years. It is not terribly expensive, however the machines only last a few years and Honeywell is notorious for discontinuing models, making the replacement filters impossible to get. In my home I have two things to keep the air clean. You also have to make sure that you get the right size of machine for the area you want to clean. All the manufacturers rate their machines in square feet, and that is useless info, since you are cleaning the volume of a room and not the surface. To figure out if a machine is the right size, first calculate the volume of air in the room (length x width x height). Take this number and divide it by the CFM (cubic feet of air moved per minute by the motor). That will tell you how long it will take the machine to clean the volume of air ONCE. You want to have the air turned over in your room a minimum of 6 times per hour and 8 to 10 times per hour is ideal. HEPA machines need to run 24/7, not just when you are sleeping. They can be an important tool in your battle against dust mites. I know, I am terribly allergic to dust mites and I live almost symptom free because I control my environment. I have a dual probe UV sanitizer by Triatomic installed above the coils in the air handling unit of my air conditioner and I have several Austin Air clean air machines. The UV light keeps microbial growth out of the AC and my Austin Airs keep the air in my bedroom and living room clean. My Austin Air machines are 8 years old and I have only had to change the filters once, because they are 5 year filters. They aren’t the cheapest thing up front, but in the long run I save money on filters and medicine because I am not sick. I will give you a link so you can see what they look like. Whatever you get, just stay away from ionizers and ozone machines!

2. momof6

   November 29th, 2009 at 7:04 am

   2

   I have the Holmes Air Purifier in my Bedroom. It has a regular filter and a charcol filter too. It cost around $79.00. But the filters are a little pricey. It takes 99% of the polutants out of the air and dust mites too!

3. dropyourallergies

   November 29th, 2009 at 7:04 am

   3

   Sorry to say that Air Filtering and bedding covers etc. " may " provide "some" relief ..
   but Dust Mite Allergy is one of the Most Stubborn Allergies you can have .

   Addtionally,, DM’s are basically OmniPresent…

   given an Asmatic Child with DM Allergy .. the ONLY solution for his DM Allergy ..and therefore his Asthma is ImmunoTherapy.

   hope this Helps

   HEPA Filters Not So Effective
   For Those With Dust Mite Allergy

   Published in the January 2006 issue of the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, recent research shows that HEPA filters may be no more effective at protecting against dust mites than standard methods. Researchers from the University of Manchester’s North West Lung Centre have just discovered that vacuum cleaners with ‘high-efficiency particulate air’ (a.k.a. HEPA) filters are no more effective than standard models at reducing exposure to dust-mites.

   The researchers were able to compare nasal air samples taken before and during vacuum cleaning from both HEPA vacuums and non-HEPA vacuums. What they found may surprise you. The researchers found that there was actually a small increase in exposure to dust-mite during vacuuming with either type of vacuum cleaner, with the amount increasing when emptying the dust compartments of either machine.

   "These vacuum cleaners are marketed to allergy-sufferers on the basis that they reduce a person’s exposure to air-borne particles raised from carpeted floors,” said lead investigator Dr. Robin Gore. “For allergy sufferers, such particles can trigger asthma attacks. However, we have already found that both HEPA- and non-HEPA vacuum cleaners can actually increase an individual’s exposure to particles containing cat allergens.

   "These latest findings further suggest that there is no significant advantage to using a HEPA vacuum cleaner to reduce exposure to air-borne particles like dust-mites.

   "In combination with our previous work, the study seems to confirm that high-efficiency vacuum cleaners confer no benefits and should not currently be specifically recommended to allergy sufferers as a means of reducing personal exposure to allergens, either by their manufacturers or health professionals."
   The study was published in the January 2006 issue of the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The co-investigators in the study were Professors Ashley Woodcock and Adnan Custovic.