You don’t have to work for the environmental protection agency to know that the air we breathe is getting dirtier and dirtier and an electrostatic air cleaner can be helpful. Not only do we have to worry about pollution, but we also have think about airborne allergens and irritants at both work and in the home. In fact, it is estimated that more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and that more that 55% test positive for at least one allergen.

The plain truth is that more and more people are coming down with either allergies or asthma and there is really only one way to explain that. As you might expect, the increase of synthetic chemicals in our air is causing our immune systems to be knocked out of balance, which in turn makes us more sensitive to certain allergens.

What are the most common allergens?

The most common allergens include: molds, pollens, dust mites, pet dander, penicillin as well as a number of common food allergens.

How do you treat allergies?

Contrary to popular belief, allergies can appear at any time in your life. Yes, most of the time you are born with certain sensitivities, but it is not at all uncommon for people to develop allergies later on in life. If you do find yourself experiencing allergies or allergy-like symptoms, you should visit your doctor for allergy testing.

The most common way to treat allergies is either with prescription or over-the-counter medications. But these medications can not only be quite expensive, but they also can cause a number of side-effects. On thing that has been quite successful for thousands of Americans who are suffering from allergies is to purchase an electrostatic air cleaner.

An electrostatic air cleaner is also known as an air purifier, and as you might expect it is the job of this machine to quickly and effectively reduce the number of airborne allergens and various irritants in the rooms in your home or office.

How do they work?

The electrostatic air cleaner works by adding a static electric charge to the dust particles in the air. The cleaner then sucks these particles from the air and collects them in the filter of the unit, which will have to be washed from time to time. According to most models, they will reduce dust and other impurities by up to 95 percent.

After using an electrostatic air cleaner, many people with mild allergies, especially to dust and pollen, find that they feel better almost instantly and that they no longer need to take their medicine. However, this does not mean that your allergies are cured, but simply that the air purifier has cleaned the air in your room enough so that you are not experiencing symptoms.

Another common misconception of owners of these machines is that they completely eliminate dust, which means that they will never have to clean again. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Dust and dirt in your home will continue to collect on the surfaces of things. Really, there is no electrostatic air cleaner that can completely eliminate dust. What these units are best at is removing allergens and other impurities to a level that may help reduce your allergy symptoms.