How Air Purifiers Help Reduce Allergies and Which One to Buy

Dealing with allergies is no fun—the nonstop sniffles, congestion, and sneezing can drive almost anyone up the wall. Perhaps even worse is when the reaction rages on at bedtime or in the middle of your sleep. If there’s a place you should find relief from your allergies, it’s your home. But as you may have experienced, your house can be a minefield of allergens vying for a place in your airways. And while neti pots, nasal sprays, or OTC meds might seem like the best way to counter the symptoms, a better solution might be to use an air purifier to prevent allergy flare-ups in the first place. That way, you can stay sane, sneeze-free, and safe.

In this article, we’ll explain how air purifiers can help relieve your allergy symptoms at home and how to choose the right one for your needs.

What’s Causing Your Allergies at Home? (Common Household Allergens)

If your allergies tend to act up at home, you’re not alone. Many people report experiencing severe allergy reactions indoors, though they feel fine outside. Strange, indeed. But when this happens, they’ve likely inhaled something (or a mixture of things) in their household air.

That said, here are several indoor allergens potentially triggering your allergy symptoms:

• Dust and dust mites
• Mold spores
• Animal/Pet dander
• Carpet, fabric, or upholstery fibers
• Pollen (tree pollen, grass pollen, weed pollen)
• Household chemicals and fragrances (air fresheners, scented candles, cleaning sprays, perfumes containing volatile organic compounds or VOCs)
• Smoke and combustion byproducts (cigarette smoke, fireplace smoke, cooking fumes)

How the Body Reacts to Allergens

When you inhale an allergen (such as those listed above), your immune system wrongly perceives it as a threat. It then creates antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight back as if it’s under attack, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) explains. However, this immune response causes histamine and other inflammatory immune chemicals to flood the bloodstream. Once in the blood, histamine attempts different tactics to hustle the “intruder” out of the body, inducing classic allergy symptoms, including mucus buildup, sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and whole-body inflammation.

Many people use antihistamines (medications that block the effect of histamine) to tame the symptoms. However, the best way to reduce your chances of experiencing indoor allergies in the first place is to avoid the triggers as much as possible. How do you achieve this when you’re probably constantly inhaling them from your household air? Use an air purifier.

Air Purifiers: What They Are and How They Help Relieve Allergies at Home

Air purifiers are devices designed to sanitize the air inside your home. Generally, a fan inside the device pulls in the polluted air, pushes it through filters that physically trap allergens, and blows the “purified” air back into the room. This cycle continues throughout the day to ensure the irritants don’t recirculate into the air. With fewer allergy triggers lurking in your indoor air, it is noticeably cleaner, fresher, and safer to breathe, significantly minimizing the chances of an allergic reaction.

Learn more: 7 Benefits of an Air Purifier for Your Health and Home

What Kind of Household Allergies Can Air Purifiers Help With?

Air Purifiers for Pet Allergies

Despite the joy and companionship pets bring into our lives, living with them isn’t always a walk in the park. Aside from unpleasant odors (think litter box smells and carpet accidents), the dander they leave behind can bring utter misery to guests or household members with pet allergies.

Dander (skin flakes shed from furry or feathery pets) can quickly become airborne after collecting on furniture and other surfaces or clinging to carpets, bedding, fabric furniture, and clothing. When it enters the airways, it secretes proteins that can cause allergic reactions in many people. The symptoms may include sneezing fits, runny nose, watery eyes, nasal congestion, and even asthma attacks in sensitive individuals, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) notes.

Since rigorous household cleaning and regular pet grooming aren’t enough to eliminate all pet dander, consider using an air purifier to help remove the inhalable particles that enter the nose and lungs and may cause allergic reactions. The best air purifiers for pets must also be highly effective at neutralizing or removing pet allergens, including feather dust, hair, viruses, and odors.

Air Purifiers for Seasonal Allergies

With budding flowers, green leaves, and everything in between, the arrival of Spring brings a sense of joy to many of us—not so much for those with pollen allergies. Also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, pollen allergies affect approximately 20 million U.S. adults.

Pollen is a fine, grainy powder spread in the environment from trees, grasses, and weeds. But while people with allergies might shutter themselves indoors in hopes of a reprieve, remaining inside might be just as bad for your allergies. Pollen can hitch rides indoors on our clothes, shoes, or hair after spending time outside during peak pollen seasons (spring through fall). It can also blow in through open windows or doors or be released from household plants. Pollen settles onto surfaces like furniture or bedding, stirs into the air, and floats into your nasal passages.

Breathing in even a tiny amount of pollen may trigger severe allergic reactions within seconds or minutes, with symptoms ranging from sneezing and runny or stuffy nose to scratchy or watery eyes and itchy ears or throat. It’s a good idea to purchase an air purifier if you’re sensitive to pollen, but ensure it’s rated to capture such tiny fragments from your household air.

Air Purifiers for Dust Mite Allergies

If you’ve been extra sleazy lately, with a healthy dose of runny nose, you might have dust mite allergies. Dust mites are invisible, microscopic, insect-like critters related to spiders and ticks. But unlike the latter, they don’t bite, sting, or burrow into our bodies. They feed on dead human and animal skin and thrive in dark and humid environments like carpets, mattresses, and curtains.

Like animal dander, dust mites don’t trigger allergies themselves; some people are highly sensitive to the proteins in the mites’ urine, feces, and decaying bodies. They also aren’t inherently airborne. Cleaning out areas like closets, garages, bookshelves, or behind appliances can release armies of dust mites into the air. When inhaled, the proteins can provoke symptoms including facial pressure, coughing or wheezing, asthma attacks, rhinitis, and difficulty sleeping.

While you can’t completely eliminate dust mites from your indoor air, there are measures you can take to reduce them. In addition to reducing humidity, regularly dusting, and replacing carpets, consider using an air purifier to eliminate suspended dust mites.

How Effective are Air Purifiers for Allergy Relief at Home?

Air purifiers play a star role in relieving allergy symptoms at home, but how effective are they?

A clinical study found that after six weeks of using HEPA-filtered air purifiers, patients with house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis used approximately 26.3% less allergy medication. Per the study, concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5) in the bedroom initially exceeded living room or outdoor levels but declined (by up to 51.8%) following active purifier operation.

Another recent study involving adults with nighttime allergies reported a 27% reduction in perceived allergy symptom severity, including:

• 36% decrease in sneezing
• 63% reduction in itchy nose or eyes
• 55% decline in runny or stuffy nose
• 64% decrease in red or watery eyes

Notably, 80% of study participants indicated that the air purifier helped reduce their allergy symptoms and improved their sleep quality. However, experts emphasize that while air purifiers can significantly reduce airborne allergens and improve symptoms, they should be part of a broader allergy management strategy that includes regular cleaning, proper ventilation, and allergen avoidance measures.

Humidifier or Air Purifier: Which is Better for Reducing Allergy Symptoms at Home?

If you’re battling allergies at home, it’s natural to wonder whether a humidifier or an air purifier would be the best candidate to help relieve your symptoms. Air purifiers are generally better for allergies because they actually free the air of the allergens causing your reactions. As Dr. Sima Patel, an allergist and immunologist at New York Allergy and Sinus Centers, explains, “prevention is always better than the cure” for allergies. While it’s tough to prevent allergies, she emphasizes that air purifiers are the best defense to keep them at bay.

That doesn’t mean allergy sufferers won’t benefit from humidifiers. Allergen expert Dr. Cliff Han says, “Dry air can irritate airways and worsen allergy symptoms, especially when one has to breathe through a mouth with a congested nose.” “A humidifier can help to moisturize the air and reduce the irritation – although to a limited degree,” he adds. Just make sure to clean the humidifier frequently and adequately to prevent mold growth inside the device and mold spores from stirring into the air. Also, avoid using humidifiers if you’re concerned about dust mites, as these critters thrive in moist and humid environments.

How to Choose the Best Air Purifier for Indoor Allergies

While air purifiers aren’t a magic cure for allergies, they can make a massive difference if used properly. If you’re looking to include an air purifier in your household allergy prevention strategy, there are several boxes you need to check to help ensure you select the best option for your allergy needs.

The size of the room or area you want to filter

Among other factors, air purifiers are rated by their Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). This tells you how much air passes through the purifier over a certain period and signals how quickly the system can eliminate airborne irritants from the air in different room sizes. A higher CADR rating usually means more efficient air cleaning, but it’s best to look for a CADR that matches the room or area where it will be used.

The types of allergens you want to filter

If common airborne allergens like pollen, dust mites, and pet dander are a concern, opt for purifiers equipped with True High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters. HEPA filters, found in TrustedAir air purifiers, are the gold standard for allergen removal, capturing at least 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. If odors or gaseous pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are triggering your allergies, models with activated carbon filters can help neutralize these irritants.

For the best protection, however, consider a multi-stage filtration system (MSF) that uses a combination of filters, such as pre-filters, HEPA filters, and activated carbon filters, to protect against particulate and gaseous allergens. Also, ensure the filter can capture particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) or smaller for enhanced allergen control. If you’re wondering, PM2.5s are fine particles, like smoke, bacteria, vehicle emissions, and other particulates small enough to enter the respiratory system and can trigger or worsen allergy symptoms.

Your budget

Of course, you’ll also want to decide how much you will spend on a quality air purifier. Air purifiers range widely in price, typically from $50 to $700+. Budget-friendly options under $100 usually cover smaller rooms and offer basic air purification, while mid-range models ($100-300) generally provide broader coverage and additional features like timer settings or air quality indicators. High-end models ($300+) often include innovative features, Wi-Fi connectivity, customizable filters, and superior coverage.

You’ll also need to factor in ongoing running costs. Replacement filters for large air purifiers can range from $20 to $200, and up to $50 for odor-eliminating carbon filters. Generally, you should replace pleated filters every six to 12 months and every three months for activated carbon filters.

Tip: As with any product, the most expensive air purifier doesn’t always guarantee the best protection; focus on finding a purifier that best suits your specific needs and budget.

Keep Your Home Allergy-Free with TrustedAir Air Purifiers

TrustedAir air purifiers are thoughtfully designed with allergy sufferers in mind. Our smart air purifiers combine True HEPA and carbon air filtration, alongside other sophisticated technologies, to quietly and efficiently rid your home of up to 99.97% of dust, smoke, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and more. They also feature an intelligent allergen detection and reduction mode, where the device continuously monitors the room’s air quality and adjusts the speed accordingly.

We also understand that every home is unique, so we’ve engineered our range of models to maximize airflow and performance in spaces of different sizes. For instance, the Trusted SmartAir – 400s, perfect for bedrooms and small offices, cleans up to 400 square feet (sq. ft.) in 12.5 minutes, whereas the Trusted SmartAir – 1800s cleans up to 1800 sq. ft. in under an hour.

Plus, with our user-friendly app, you’re always in control. Adjust settings, monitor air quality, and schedule purification cycles from anywhere. We also offer an unbeatable three-year warranty, speedy two-day delivery, and a “Try Before You Buy” program that lets you test our air purification systems in the comfort, coziness, and convenience of your home before completing payment.

Air Purifiers for Allergies FAQ’s

• Can air purifiers make allergies worse?

Most don’t, but there are concerns that the ozone emitted from ozone-generating “air purifiers” can exacerbate allergy symptoms and even damage your lungs. Air ionizers have also been found to generate ozone. Therefore, you might want to avoid these products if you have allergies, asthma, or severe respiratory sensitivities.

• Where should I place my air purifier for faster allergy relief?

Place your air purifier in the room where you spend the most time, often the bedroom. Also, consider choosing a model with a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) that matches your room size. Position it at least a foot from walls and furniture for proper air circulation and close doors and windows, when possible, to help the purifier work more efficiently.

• Should I sleep with an air purifier if I have allergies?

Yes. Studies show that people using nighttime air purification experience better sleep quality, fewer awakenings, and reduced allergy symptoms like sneezing, congestion, and itchy eyes. Since you spend approximately one-third of your life in your bedroom, keeping this air clean can substantially minimize your allergen exposure and improve sleep quality.

• How long will an air purifier take to reduce my allergy symptoms?

While air purifiers won’t eliminate all allergens from your home, some people may notice improvements within a few days to weeks. One study found that allergen symptoms lessened after four weeks, while another showed noticeable improvements after six weeks. In some cases (like severe allergies), it can take a few weeks or even months after placement of the air cleaning device for full effects, according to a report by AAAAI.

• Do I need to run my air purifier all day to relieve my allergies?

Not necessarily, though the longer it runs, the better your indoor air quality, says the EPA. Ultimately, the ideal runtime will boil down to air quality, allergy severity, and room size. The good thing about smart air purifiers is that many of them continuously monitor your air quality and switch on and off automatically based on that.

Final Thoughts

Air purifiers aren’t an allergy panacea, but the right one in your home—one that matches your room size, allergen concerns, and budget—can massively reduce your allergy symptoms or keep them at bay. TrustedAir offers a unique line of smart air purifiers designed to combat common allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites, as well as innovative features engineered for enhanced convenience, usability, and performance. If you’re ready to breathe easier but unsure which purifier is right for your home, contact us today, and we’ll help you find the perfect solution for your needs.