Allergies and Air Filters
October 14, 2008 12:58 PM Subscribe
What is the best disposable 1 inch air filter for my son who has seasonal allergies and why?
My four year old son has been diagnosed with seasonal allergies. After a visit to his pediatrician, we have decided on a two part strategy. Zyrtec and changing the disposable air filter with regularity to reduce the dust mites in the house.
The question for me is what is the best disposable air filter? We've used both the more expensive (3M Filtrete) and the much less expensive American Air Filter. What is the best air filter and what factors should I look at to judge them?
My son is constantly congested and wakes up with a hacking cough, so I'm happy to spend whatever is necessary to help him. I just want to get the best product I can.
We live in L.A. and own a dog if that makes a difference. The air filter size is 14 x 30 x 1
Bonus points for any other suggestions that could help my son with his allergies.
My four year old son has been diagnosed with seasonal allergies. After a visit to his pediatrician, we have decided on a two part strategy. Zyrtec and changing the disposable air filter with regularity to reduce the dust mites in the house.
The question for me is what is the best disposable air filter? We've used both the more expensive (3M Filtrete) and the much less expensive American Air Filter. What is the best air filter and what factors should I look at to judge them?
My son is constantly congested and wakes up with a hacking cough, so I'm happy to spend whatever is necessary to help him. I just want to get the best product I can.
We live in L.A. and own a dog if that makes a difference. The air filter size is 14 x 30 x 1
Bonus points for any other suggestions that could help my son with his allergies.
Re: other suggestions
I found the air filter useless, as was the allergy cover for my mattress. What worked for me was shots, sinus rinses, Claritin, and topical steriods (Rhinocort and friends).
Everyone's different though so as long as your doctor is on top of things and willing to try new stuff, there's lots of hope for successful treatment. It's just gonna take some time.
Try the sinus rinse. Seriously.
posted by chairface at 2:18 PM on October 14, 2008
I found the air filter useless, as was the allergy cover for my mattress. What worked for me was shots, sinus rinses, Claritin, and topical steriods (Rhinocort and friends).
Everyone's different though so as long as your doctor is on top of things and willing to try new stuff, there's lots of hope for successful treatment. It's just gonna take some time.
Try the sinus rinse. Seriously.
posted by chairface at 2:18 PM on October 14, 2008
I dont think HVAC filters make a difference. You're probably better off buying a mini HEPA filter for his bedroom and running it all night. Something like this. Make sure the door is closed all night or it wont make a difference.
Ideally, you should be asking an allergist or a GP about this stuff.
posted by damn dirty ape at 4:40 PM on October 14, 2008
Ideally, you should be asking an allergist or a GP about this stuff.
posted by damn dirty ape at 4:40 PM on October 14, 2008
Not to poo poo your idea, but my experience with air filters was that they were pretty much useless. I did find that moving from a home with carpet to a home with hardwoods helped a bit, but what really, really helped was allergy shots. If it's seasonal allergies, then you probably can't keep your son from being exposed to the allergen. Shots address the problem directly by helping to eliminate the allergic response. Not everyone has a high opinion of allergy shots, but they changed my snotty life.
From WebMD - Allergy shots have resulted in symptoms of:
* Dust mite allergies being about 3 times better than before treatment.
* Pollen, mold, or animal dander allergies being about 4 times better than before treatment.
Are you sure you know the cause of the allergies? Testing can be a huge benefit to really understand what allergens you're up against.
posted by 26.2 at 12:10 AM on October 15, 2008
From WebMD - Allergy shots have resulted in symptoms of:
* Dust mite allergies being about 3 times better than before treatment.
* Pollen, mold, or animal dander allergies being about 4 times better than before treatment.
Are you sure you know the cause of the allergies? Testing can be a huge benefit to really understand what allergens you're up against.
posted by 26.2 at 12:10 AM on October 15, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brandman at 1:40 PM on October 14, 2008