Introduction
There are so many things that can cause headaches. Whether it's a lack of sleep, caffeine, or simply working too hard, you can do things to help avoid them wherever possible.
What do you do if you get allergy headaches, though?
There doesn't seem to be much you can do unless you take allergy meds every day, and that's not often the best solution.
If you get allergy headaches, the problem can be with what's in the air around you. You can actually reduce the amount of headaches you get with an air purifier.
Here's how it works.
What's Causing Your Headaches?
Before going onto the subject of air purifiers, you need to think about what's causing your allergy headache. There can be all kinds of triggers in the air that are causing you harm, including:
- Poor indoor air circulation
- High levels of carbon monoxide
- Pollen
- Dust and dirt
- Tobacco smoke
- Pet dander
- Mold spores
When you come into contact with these allergens, they will come up your nose and into contact with your mucous membranes. This irritates them, making the sinuses react and cause pressure, which leads to headaches.
Of course, there are ways to monitor these levels in some cases, before you get headaches. For example, if you have a carbon monoxide monitor in the home, you'll be alerted if levels begin to rise dangerously.
With things like pollen and dust though, what can you do?
Removing Allergens From Your Home
Those who have allergies to things like pollen and dust will need to keep them out of their home as much as possible. Regular cleaning will always help, but you have to be careful that you're not simply moving dust around. Emptying and cleaning vacuum filters, and cleaning dusting cloths as soon as they've been used will help a lot.
There's also the issue of your HVAC system. The filters in them need to be changed regularly, as these are what catch allergens before they can come into the house. If you don't, they spread through the house, triggering your allergies.
Don't forget that you need to allow for good air circulation, too. There's a lot of dust and dirt that can be removed just by opening windows regularly. However, this may not work all the time, especially if you live in an urban area or on a busy street.
Using An Air Purifier
If you do all these things and you're still getting allergy headaches, then the best thing to do is use an air purifier. These will help you remove more of the allergens out of the air, so they won't affect you and so reduce headaches.
Air purifiers use several different filters, depending on the one you're using. Basic types use coarse air filters. These catch large pollutants, such as dust or animal hair. They're usually made of a mesh or porous material.
There's also fine filters, which can catch smaller pollutants like dust and pollen. These filters look a lot like folded paper or fabric, in the shape of an accordion. The final type is the HEPA filter, which is the most effective as they catch even the smallest air pollutants.
Air purifiers work by pulling in air in your home, and passing it through these filters. You can compare them to the ones that sit in your HVAC system. They pull air through, but the allergens can't come through with them.
As such, the air is then expelled and is much cleaner than it was before. When the air in your home is cleaner, there's going to be much less allergy headaches for you.
Which Air Purifier Should You Buy?
As soon as you start looking into air purifiers, you'll see there's lots and lots of them on the market. As there's so many, it's hard to know where to start. Which one is the right one for you?
The two main types out there are emitting and non emitting types. A filter air purifier is a non emitting type, while emitting types are also known as ozone purifiers. This is because they emit ozone into the atmosphere in order to purify it.
Are Ozone Purifiers A Good Way To Clean Air?
Many people have bought ozone purifiers in the past in an effort to clean the air around them, but they just aren't as efficient as a filter purifier. That's because they don't work in the same way. When they emit ozone, the idea is these molecules will attach themselves to allergens, neutralizing them.
The problem is, these purifiers can actually cause headaches, making the problem worse. They can trap some allergens, but they'll also put out by products that harm some humans.
You'll also find ionizers being sold as air purifiers, and they are emitting types too. They're not as likely to cause headaches, but it can still happen.
Can An Air Purifier Help With Allergy Headaches?
They absolutely can when you buy the right model, and use them in the right way. You'll firstly need to be doing what you can to keep allergy levels down in your home. That will include doing laundry regularly, cleaning soft furnishings, ventilating spaces, and so on. You'll also want to remove perfumes and colognes, and minimize the chemicals you use in your home.
Now you'll have a good base level, which an air purifier can help with. Pick the right air purifier for you. Ideally, this should be a HEPA filter purifier, which can trap those allergens for you. Use it regularly, and change out the filters as needed. You'll soon see what a difference it makes to your home.
Conclusion
A good air purifier can make all the difference to your allergy headache symptoms. It'll keep headaches down as there's less allergens in the air to cause them, being as they're caught in the purifier's air filter.
Get an air purifier today, and you'll see what a difference they make to you and your headaches.