Asthma Air Purifiers: How they Help Relieve Eczema and Allergies

Asthma-Air-Purifiers

By Jennifer Roberge (bio below)

One year ago my son, Tristan’s, asthma seemed to be getting worse. Before he’d only had difficultly breathing and needed his Ventolin and Flovent a couple of times a year and only when he was quite sick with a virus. But just over a year ago, as spring was ending, we noticed he started coughing a little at night. We didn’t think much of it until it started worsening. He began coughing every night and would experience long coughing fits that kept him awake for large parts of the night. When we realized that the coughing was actually related to his asthma, we started giving him Ventolin a few times each night, which provided great relief. Shortly after, it wasn’t enough. We added Flovent to the routine, which I was not comfortable with, but figured it was ok as a short-term solution until I could figure out how to prevent the asthma in the first place. What was causing Tristan’s asthma to worsen?

Please keep in mind that I am in no way a medical professional. If you’re experiencing severe rosacea or eczema or have a topical infection, it is always best to seek medical advice immediately.

Well, two months went by and we were using Flovent pretty regularly, we had removed the throw carpet in his room, and were regularly washing his sheets in hot water, but the asthma still persisted.

Looking For Relief With An Asthma Air Purifier

Next step, I contacted Kevin from AchooAllergy, who you may remember from his post about hidden allergies in the home a while back. I spoke with Kevin at length about Tristan’s worsening asthma and he suggested an air purifier. I had heard purifiers could be really helpful with allergies and asthma, but knew not all air purifiers are created equal, so I asked Kevin for his advice. He was very knowledgeable and discussed the best options for our family. He also pointed me to AchooAllergy’s Air Purifier Buying Guide as another great reference.

asthma air purifier by austin airI ultimately decided on the Austin Air. Here’s why I went with the Austin:

  • Highly recommended Kevin and parents on our FB page when polled.
  • It has a true HEPA filter which meets or exceeds the HEPA standard of trapping 99.97% particles 0.3 microns or larger.
  • Simple system – no frills which in my experience can easily malfunction.
  • Only change filters every two years.
  • Made in the USA. ( I think they may be the only purifier that hasn’t gone to overseas production.)

There were a few models to select from, but Kevin indicated they were all excellent and ultimately don’t vary that much from one another except when it comes to the size. Since I was only worried about purifying Tristan’s room, we went with a JR. size, smaller, but more economical and appropriate for use in a bedroom of up to 275 sq ft.

And The Results….

We turned the asthma air purifier on full blast on the night it arrived and have been using it pretty constantly ever since, usually on the low to medium setting now. Here’s my review:

  • It works! It has DRASTICALLY reduced our need to use asthma medication as Tristan no longer coughs at night. We’re essentially back down to only needing to use the Ventolin and Flovent when Tristan’s battling a virus. And even then, we were able to reduce the frequency of asthma treatments while he’s sick.
  • Truly clean air. When we run the purifier in Tristan’s room with the door shut – the air is so fresh and clean, really unbelievable. The air outside his room and inside his room is night and day different. It’s remarkable. I wish we could afford to install a purifier of this capacity throughout our house as I now feel like the air in the rest of our home is just so stale and full of allergens.
  • Noise Level – Yes, it’s a bit loud, but there’s not much to be done about that – all air purifiers are quite noisy, but it’s a steady white noise and kind of soothing in a way. We found it always works great for blocking out random noises and even helped our son sleep through neighborhood construction and such. A nice bonus!
  • Asthma relief – check! – We’re very happy with how our air purifier has helped relieve Tristan’s asthma as you saw above.
  • Allergy relief – check! – Tristan suffers from pretty severe spring allergies each year (which started at age two) and I’m happy to say that using this purifier along with Allergex (a homeopathic tincture for allergies) made him 95% symptom free! Besides spring allergies, we’re guessing he developed a dust mite allergy which was causing his regular nighttime coughing. So, this dust mite allergies are now under control as well.

Read More: Top Natural Remedies for Allergies.

  • Eczema relief – check! – Each spring Tristan’s eczema flares up terribly, but this year, nothing. Was it the purifier, was it the Allergex, was it the new, improved skin care regime using Manuka Honey Skin Cream? To be honest, I can’t say for sure which one item provided freedom from eczema flares, but more than likely, it was a combination.  We’re just so happy Tristan stayed eczema free this spring. His skin has been so great for the past year, and to be honest I was dreading this spring, but I won’t live in fear next spring. Aside from Tristan, I have heard from countless adults and parents of children with eczema who have very clearly seen relief from eczema flare ups after they started using a high-end air purifier. Since dust mites are a big trigger for many, it makes sense an air purifier can provide eczema relief.

Read More: Natural Remedies for Eczema – What Worked For My Son

I’m very happy we invested in a high-end air purifier. If you or your child are experiencing chronic asthma, allergies, or eczema – it may be worth giving an air purifier a try. It certainly can’t hurt, except for maybe where your pocket is concerned – but then again, you could save on asthma, allergy, and eczema medications in the long run.

Have you tried an asthma air purifier or more specifically an Austin Air? Did you see a great improvement in asthma, allergies, or asthma? We’d love to hear from you!

Bio: Jennifer is the author of It’s An Itchy Little World blog, as well as owner of The Eczema Company. After going through so many trials and errors to heal her son’s eczema, Jennifer wanted to share her experiences and favorite products with others in need. Discover her journey here. Jennifer is not a medical professional. Her comments, suggestions, and reflections are not intended to take the replace of medical advice. Always seek the help of a medical professional before undertaking any diet or lifestyle changes. Please see It’s An Itchy Little World’s disclaimer for information about affiliate links and more.

25 Comments

  1. Amanda on June 4, 2013 at 10:25 am

    Ooh, I want to get one but I’m living in hotels for the next couple months as I move across the country and get settled. Dust is a huge asthma, allergy and eczema trigger for me and this air purifier sounds great! Thanks for the recommendation.

    • Jennifer on June 4, 2013 at 10:39 am

      Of course! I hope it helps you Amanda! Good luck with the move. Jennifer

  2. Courtney on June 4, 2013 at 10:15 am

    This post was perfect timing for me!! I’ve been looking into getting a new air purifier and had no clue which route to go. Thanks for posting this, I’m gonna look into getting an Austin!

    • Jennifer on June 4, 2013 at 10:39 am

      You’ll love it – really, really helps my son. I hope you find the same! Good luck with your purchase, Courtney, and let me know if you have any questions. Jennifer

  3. Jennifer on June 5, 2013 at 10:49 am

    Thank you Melissa!

  4. Tracy Scarpulla on June 6, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Thanks for the information! We have a few old air purifiers and were looking into new ones – love your post!

    • Jennifer on June 10, 2013 at 8:42 pm

      Hi Tracy – Thank you! And I’m intrigued about the Maker’s Diet your own. I started a Candida Diet last Monday and so far so good – not too different from what you’re doing it seems. Sending courage and motivation your way to stay strong with the diet! Jennifer

  5. Latha - Columbus Allergy on June 11, 2013 at 11:22 am

    Thank you for the read. Its always great to hear when people can find another solutions than medication. It seems that most people just want the medication but that doesn’t always seem to help. This article goes to show you that you have options. Thanks again for the read!

    • Jennifer on June 11, 2013 at 3:39 pm

      Hi Latha – Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It was written from the heart on a whim. Jennifer

  6. mfant2013 on October 23, 2013 at 4:46 pm

    I understand the importance of getting an air purifier. I have 2 pets and allergies. My air purifier makes it so much easier for me to breathe. I got mine from a local company, https://www.collincreekductcleaning.com/

  7. airpurifierreviews12 on March 8, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Great post. AIr purifiers are especially important to take care of allergies

  8. James on April 13, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    Its great to hear you found a solution to the asthma problem. Fortunately you found a true-HEPA device that removes asthma irritating particles from the air as small as .3 microns in size. A note for other people reading your blog with asthma symptoms… watch out for Ionic or Ozone generating air purifiers, they can emit ozone into the air that can actually make the asthma worse. Always go with a “true-HEPA” filter which is safe for asthmatics. These are the best air purifiers for you 🙂

  9. John on June 1, 2014 at 2:23 am

    An air purifier is an essential. I have one in my lounge, bedroom and office. If you get one yourself make sure you get one with at least 4-6 different stages. http://air-purifier.co.za

  10. fbook on December 2, 2014 at 1:40 am

    Hi,
    Are air purifier good for eczema flare ups? Allergex for 3 yr old? How to give allergex and is it good for eczema? Does it do the same tjing as Atarax only natural? Can you recomnend a natural remedy for itchiness instead of Atarax. Thank you

    • Jennifer Roberge on December 2, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Hi – Air purifiers can really help if dust or environmental or seasonal allergies are one of the eczema triggers. Allergex is great – give it in the same doseage for adults and children. For itching, I’d recommend looking at this post for some homeopathic ideas.

  11. Alice on March 16, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Allergy season is coming up and it is dreadful for my family and I. I will be sure to check out achooallergy and try one out. Thanks for the review.

    • Jennifer Roberge on March 17, 2015 at 7:30 am

      Courage during allergy season Alice! I hope it’s an easy one for you.

      • Alice on March 22, 2015 at 2:33 am

        Thanks, Jennifer! I hope it will go well. You have a great blog. Very informative!

  12. Air purifier for dust on March 25, 2015 at 1:14 am

    I have used it. I found great results using this.

  13. ouatni on August 13, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    Hi Jennifer, very nice article, i’ve written also about an air purifier the
    Germguardian AC4825 it’s a good one to.

  14. Tim on November 5, 2015 at 11:44 am

    Thank you, I was looking for a purifier to help with my asthma

  15. Condensation Auckland on June 1, 2016 at 6:03 am

    With so much increase in pollution and polluted gases disease like asthma, allergies, and skin problems like eczema has increased rapidly. But air purifiers are a way to prevent yourself from getting these diseases.

  16. Ryan on August 10, 2016 at 7:14 am

    Hey, great post. Good information. I wanted to mention that Austin Air is also great smoke eliminator.

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