Professor Sheryl van Nunen OAM FRSN, Director, National Asthma Council Australia, explains how air purifiers and dehumidifiers can help people living with asthma and allergies.

Watch this short video to learn more about:

• Indoor air quality
• Common allergens and triggers
• Air purifiers
• Dehumidifiers

Prof van Nunen is a clinician and medical educator and her current research interests include new treatments for and causes of hay fever and anaphylaxis. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Clinical Professor at both the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, and the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences Macquarie University.

In collaboration with our partners at Breville, Sensitive Choice shares this essential video resource to help you better understand the use of air purifiers and dehumidifiers and the difference between the two.

Breville has a range of asthma and allergy friendly air purifiers and dehumidifiers available.

What is the difference between an air purifier and a dehumidifier?

Both air purifiers and dehumidifiers are devices that can help improve the air quality in the home.

Maintaining good indoor air quality is important for all households but it is particularly important for people living with asthma and allergies.

An air purifier works by drawing air in, taking the particulate matter and various compounds, sometimes even virus, out of the air and then expelling clean air into the environment.

Dehumidifiers and mould

A dehumidifier can help stop harmful and damp mould.

Mould impacts people with asthma and allergies because it can irritate the eyes, noses and the lining of the chest. Even the skin can become irritated with mould. People might become allergic to mould which can increase the irritation. Mould will also encourage dust mite growth by preparing the food for the dust mites.

Mould is a problem for everyone, not just people with asthma and allergies. There are lots of enzymes in mould, many people will have terrible problems with their sinuses.

If you have an indoor humidity level between 30 – 55%, it will not encourage mould growth. If you have an indoor humidity level of 75%, you will have mould forming, particularly in the wet areas or dark areas of the home.

It’s important to get rid of that humidity so that mould does not have a chance to form.

A dehumidifier will remove the moisture from the air in your home and reduce indoor humidity levels.

The most important features to look for in a dehumidifier is its efficiency and the range of space it’s covering.

What about humidifier?

Unless you live in specific areas within Australia with an extremely dry climate, or have been medically advised by a health professional, humidifiers aren’t usually recommended for every day use.  Sensitive Choice has a range of asthma and allergy aware humidifiers.