How Asthma and Bad Air Quality Are Connected
Grace Olivia Parry
Living with asthma can be challenging to adjust to. With attacks to control, triggers to manage, and the full condition to understand, it can feel overwhelming, But what happens when we start to consider the connection between asthma and bad air quality?
Could this one influential factor be something to be harnessed in order to both minimize symptoms and address acute attacks? Let’s explore.
Asthma: The Low Down
More than 25 million Americans are living with asthma. As hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations take place each year in the USA, we have to ask ourselves—is there anything we can do to improve this?
Science continues to prove that air quality is a big factor in determining how bad asthma can get. That’s why so many use an air purifier like the Airmega, with a True HEPA filter that can capture 99.999% of pollutants¹.
Asthma and Bad Air Quality
Contaminants in the air have long been linked to health issues. Young children with asthma, while their lungs are still developing, are especially vulnerable to exposure to air pollution.
More research needs to be done, but a study of young campers with moderate to severe asthma showed they were 40 percent more likely to have acute asthma episodes on high-pollution summer days than on days with average pollution levels. Another showed that older adults were more likely to visit the emergency room for breathing problems during the same season.
So it’s safe to say that purifying the air to remove irritants might just alleviate the number of attacks suffered.
Breathing Easier
A new study published in Nature Energy shows a direct correlation between coal-fired power plants and asthmatic attacks. When researchers saw a 55% drop in coal-related emissions in Kentucky’s Jefferson County, it resulted in about 400 fewer hospitalizations and ER visits for the year. The study also associated a 17% drop in average rescue inhaler use during that time.
Science states it, so the connection between asthma and bad air quality certainly exists. But is it just the summer season and the seemingly ever-increasing environmental pollution causing chaos?
The Seasonality Effect
Amid pollen and pollution, we have another factor that can’t be forgotten: the common cold. During the winter months or when a cold front sets in, asthma symptoms can be kicked up a notch.
You may (or may not) be surprised to discover that this season can be the worst of all for respiratory issues. As the cold air irritates the airways and more time is often spent indoors, it’s more essential than ever to reduce indoor triggers with the right air purifier.
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
The air we breathe most often is inside our homes. That air can be full of contaminants from outside, but also heating, cooking, cleaning, and other home activities (who knew!).
Beyond asthma, contaminants can affect our immune system, sleep quality, and overall health. Using a smart air purifier, like the Airmega 400, can help eliminate these harmful particles, including those found in highly polluted areas.
As much as managing asthma can feel like a full-time job, with the right approach to the air you breathe, symptoms, attacks, and your overall respiratory health levels can improve by breathing cleaner air.
So the only question left to ask is–which purifier will it be for you? Discover the full range of air purifiers here.
More information about Coway Airmega air purifiers
Unfiltered air is more prone to carrying dangerous contaminants. Coway Airmega True HEPA air purifiers are designed to ensure your indoor air is cleaner, with fewer harmful particulates and unpleasant odors. With multi-stage filtration and a patented network of capture technologies, Airmega is able to filter out and remove up to 99.999%¹ of nano-sized particles down to 0.01 micrometers in size – that’s smaller than most allergens, bacteria, mold and viruses! For comparison, an average grain of pollen is 10–70 microns in diameter.
Airmega is perfect for improving air quality in living rooms, bedrooms, classrooms, studios and small offices. Coway’s HyperCaptive™ filtration system with Green True HEPA™ filter wraps any space in clean air, 24 hours a day. Learn more about Airmega at cowaymega.com.
¹Coway air purifiers have been proven to trap dust, pollen, dander, viruses and bacteria in the air based on KCL(Korea Conformity Laboratories) testing. They have been tested in a 30㎥ size chamber according to the Korea Air Cleaning Association standard (SPS-KACA 002-132:2018 Modified) to measure the 0.01㎛ size of particle removal rate. It was tested on maximum fan speed in normal room temperature and humidity conditions. The performance may vary in the actual living environment of customers. → Tested with 150, 160, AP-1216L, AP-1512HH, AP-1512HHS, 200M, Icon, IconS, 230, 240, 250, 250S, 300, 300S, 400, 400S
Grace Olivia Parry is a London-based writer with a penchant for Paris, good food, and fitness. When she’s not writing about the finer things in life, she’s cooking, practicing pilates, or planning her next trip.
