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Clean Air

by Apr 13, 2018

A few weeks ago, my husband and I made a huge investment in our health by getting an air purifier. An air purifier can help people with many conditions, such as allergies, asthma, sinusitis, sleep apnea, snoring, immune health, and multiple chemical sensitivities. For quite some time we had been considering it, but we didn’t know what kind to get. We felt overwhelmed by options, and we had to save up for the purchase. 

I started researching and reading information written by naturopathic doctors who specialize in environmental medicine, and the consensus was that there are two which are the best—IQAir and Austin Air. My husband and chose the latter, and it arrived a few weeks ago.

2018-04-13_forest

The first night that we had the air purifier, we left it in the living room, and our bedroom door was closed. The next morning when I opened our bedroom door, it smelled like I was walking into a forest. The second night, we moved the air purifier into our bedroom, and the next morning when I came into the living room, the air felt heavy and contaminated. I can’t think of any other way to describe it. Naturally, I was hoping that I would notice some difference after having spent $600, and I was blown away with the difference that it made! 

Indoor air pollution can be caused by the off-gassing of building materials, paint, furniture, flooring, carpets, and more. According to the National Park Service, these are the main sources of outdoor air pollution:

  • Mobile sources – Cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains
  • Stationary sources – Power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories
  • Area sources – Agricultural areas, cities, and wood burning fireplaces
  • Natural sources – Wind-blown dust, wildfires, and volcanoes

Farm Graphic

Image source: nps.gov

The first one listed is the most prevalent in Chicagoland. There are hundreds of thousands (if not more) cars on the road daily and idling is common with bad traffic. Another source that will be arriving shortly with spring is pollen! I fully expect the purifier will help reduce misery and allow us to sleep well, even with allergens in the air. 

This is my last blog for the spring trimester. My next post will be in May. If you have questions, comments, or ideas for future blog posts, let me know at [email protected]!

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About the Author

Mary Simon

Mary Simon

I'm a naturopathic medical student at NUHS. I started the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Program in January 2014. I was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a beautiful town on Lake Michigan. My experiences interpreting (Spanish to English) in nearly all medical specialties solidified my decision to study naturopathic medicine, as I saw a deep need for treating the body as a whole, getting to the root causes of symptoms, and using minimally invasive low-cost therapies to restore health.

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