Allergy Consumer Review Issue #65
July, 2004 Dear Everyone,
This month I myself had to endure a 1950s rundown motel by the beach for three nights complete with pink tile, roaches and rusty brown water! I can tell you from firsthand experience that regular air cleaners while they may remove the particulates do not make a dent on musty, mildew odors. Only hepa air purifiers with carbon filters such as the Austin Air Healthmate Jr. or Blueair 402 with smoke filters would be configured to make a dent on this small, smelly hotel bedroom and of course a small dehumidifier would have been even better, but hard to squeeze in the trunk of my car along with the other important things like golf clubs! We are going to move our offices the end of this year, and my mold and mildew nose has eliminated several otherwise great-looking potential offices. Whenever we looked at office space below grade there was always a dampish odor. We have a great article this month by Bob Cobe, staff member at AllergyBuyersClub.com, on a "Guide to Everything You Wanted to Know about Dehumidifiers." He also addresses how to get rid of musty odors in a follow up piece. We are hard at work as usual this summer testing and sifting through new products for this fall so stayed tuned! By the way, we have a new summer products catalog and if you would like one, let us know by ordering here. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of this so-called summer.
Mercia Tapping Disclaimer: Product and solution information reflect information available at the time of publication, including prices, availability, and reviews. To get the latest information, contact us or join our newsletter. |
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If
you live in the Northeast, you are wondering
if summer is ever going to arrive; not
that I am grumbling as I am not a hot
and humid weather fan. The summer is time
for travel. Therefore, in order to be
comfortable, allergy sufferers need to
take extra precautions; there is some
excellent advice in this month’s
featured articles. 
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Member Specials
The Airscreen Air Conditioner & Furnace Filter is on sale at $119.95 – save $20! Unlike the cheap disposable filters on the market, this is a permanent, washable electrostatic filter with a lifetime warranty. Great for combating indoor air pollution! The Hamilton Beach Hepa air purifier in a black finish (exclusive to AllergyBuyersClub.com only) is now on sale for $179.95 – save $20! This great air cleaner features a unique three-stage filtration system, digital display and covers up to 350 square feet – ideal for the office or home. Be sure to tell your friends and family about us. All they have to do is sign up for our newsletter and they will be receive members-only specials. Also, take a look at the rest of our latest Special Offers and Clearance items to save some bucks on some really great air purifiers, dehumidifiers, hepa vacuums and more! New Product Round-Up
The Delonghi
50-pt low temperature dehumidifier with a built-in
pump is now available! Economically priced at $329.99,
this Energy star rated dehumidifier features a integral
condensate pump with a 16 ft. drainage hose, washable
air filter and side air discharge for convenient placement
against the wall. It operates down to 44 degrees F. |
Everything
You Wanted To Know About Dehumidifiers Q) What does a dehumidifier do?
Q) How much will my dehumidifier
be able to lower the humidity? This will enable you to further lower the humidity. There are other factors affecting how low you can bring the humidity level, such as the size of the area you are dehumidifying, construction of the room, and the area of the country where you live. Q) What do you mean by 30 pint,
50 pint, or 65 pint dehumidifiers? Q) What is a low temperature dehumidifier? Q) How do I know what the humidity
level is in the area I want to dehumidify? Q) At what humidity level should
I keep the room? Q) What happens if I try to keep
the room at 40% or 35%? Q) What is an adjustable humidistat? Q) What happens if I buy too small
a unit? Q) Won’t it still make the
room feel more comfortable? Q) Will I be wasting money if
I buy too large a dehumidifier? Q) How much will it cost to run? Q) Should I turn off the dehumidifier
in the winter? Q) How large is the water collection
bucket? Q) How often will I have to empty
the bucket? Q) Does that mean that if I have
a 65 pint unit with a 20 pint water bucket, that I will
have to empty it more than once a day? Q) Can the bucket overflow? Q) How will air conditioning affect
the dehumidifier? Q) Can I mount this in the wall
between 2 rooms? Q) Can I place the dehumidifier
in a cabinet? Q) How much heat do they produce? In a large room or basement might be 3 or 4 degrees, but in a small room or a closet it could raise the temperature by 3-8 degrees. Q) Won’t that heat make
my air conditioner work harder and longer? Q) Can I have windows open while
I dehumidify? Q) If I leave the cellar door
open will it dehumidify the upstairs? Q) Can I use an air purifier
at the same time I’m using the dehumidifier in
the room? Q) Does a dehumidifier cool the
room?
Q) Do I need to place the dehumidifier
in the center of the room? Q) Can I dehumidify more than
1 room? Q) Does the dehumidifier filter
help clean the air that I breathe? Q) How often should the filter
be cleaned? Q) How do I clean the filter? Q) What can happen if I don’t
wash the filter? Q) What is your “whole house”
Santa Fe dehumidifier? Q) How does your
Santa Fe basement dehumidifier work?
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Removing
Mold Odors
The best way to eliminate a mold or mildew odor is to bring the humidity below 50 with a dehumidifier that will put the mold into a "hibernation" state. This humidity level does not kill the mold, but it stops it from growing and "breathing" that gives off the mycotoxins that we smell. The mold can start to "breathe" again if the humidity level goes above 50 for more than about 72 hours, so constant dehumidifying is necessary. Even if mold has been stopped from "breathing" or is even killed, unless it is actually removed, the spores can still cause an allergic reaction and using an air purifier is advised. Use of an air purifier will help alleviate some of the symptoms of the mold by reducing the air born mold spores. Also, if it has an activated carbon gas filter it will adsorb some of the mycotoxins from the mold if it is toxic. Keep in mind, however, most carbon gas filters are going to be in the range of 70 to 90 percent efficient at removing the gases from the air. Therefore, as in the case of the mold spores, it will help alleviate some of the symptoms but is not a cure-all. You will need to eliminate the source of the mold by cleaning and removing it in order to reduce the mold spores and possible mycotoxins they are emitting. We recommend the use of an air cleaner to help reduce some of the symptoms until the source is removed by cleaning. Furthermore, it's use afterwards is warranted if the end user is allergic to mold and wants to maintain a low mold particle count. AllergyBuyersClub.com has an extensive range of residential and commercial dehumidifiers and air purifiers and a great deal of information about them all and we invite you to explore our site before calling our product experts at 1-888-236-7231. Also, check out our Mold Solution Buyers Guide to further help with mold problems. |
When
You Fly Avoid The Common Cold / Sinus Infection While Flying
Most airplanes today recirculate the air. There was a comparison of flights with filtered and unfiltered fresh air, which actually showed that there was little observable difference —both found about a 20% incidence of common colds among passengers who fly. This 20% is much too high to be an acceptable number. In fact, many of these colds are preventable. The primary reason for a cold is failure of the natural defense of the body Mucociliary Clearance system. This is the protective system that grabs the virus and bacteria, and moves it by cilia action to the stomach where the acids kill the bacteria or virus. Normally these cilia move at 15 pulses per second. They act as oars to move a blanket of thin mucus, where the virus is trapped, out of the nose to the stomach. This prevents the virus from entering the body through the nose. But the key here is thin mucus. On commercial flights the air is quite dry. This dries the nose. So, even if the cilia do their best, the mucus is still too thick to move. Because it is stagnant, bacteria and viruses can multiply and enter the body. Therefore it is vital to intake adequate fluids during flight. These fluids do not include alcohol and coffee. What is needed is warm water, preferably a green tea with mint — and lots of it! Lemon and honey are also good. Warm tea with or without caffeine helps move the cilia. Ice drinks slow the cilia. Since the key here is moisturizing the nose, saline nasal sprays (free of preservatives - see below) and a nasal moisturizing gel are helpful. Many ordinary medications may dry the nose. For my patients I find that certain types of nasal moisturizing gels are best. The reason the gels are best is that in order for the virus to enter the body it must attach to a nasal protein called ICAM-1. A gel with the appropriate formulation can help to prevent this attachment. The best gels have ingredients which allow the body's natural defense elements — lysozyme, good white blood cells, etc., to be able to travel to where they are needed to fight invading organisms in this way. Read the ingredients to see if your gel aids lysozyme action. For example, Breathe-ease XL Nasal Moisturizing Gel is a water soluble gel that can cover the nasal membranes and provide moisture to the area. Avoid getting chilled as that will lower your resistance. Avoid undue fatigue. For saline type sprays, use before boarding, and about every two hours during the flight. With gels, use before boarding and about every 3-4 hours during flight. In particular, use twice a day after arrival as this will help fight any infection trying to get a foothold. Don't forget the liquid intake! Some doctors may prescribe an antibiotic ointment that similarly covers the nasal membranes, and as an antibiotic kills certain bacteria. The problem here is that they are expensive, and most require the use of fingers or a Q tip to get it positioned, and there is the risk of developing a sensitivity or resistance to the antibiotic. For example Breathe-ease XL nasal gel has an “in the nose” applicator and only contains natural products. Whatever gel or ointment is used it MUST be water soluble, only water soluble products should be used in the nose. Petroleum-based or other non-water soluble materials could end up in the lungs, where they could remain permanently. Although preventing a cold when you fly is important, preventing a blood clot is far more important to concern yourself with when flying. Frequent walking about, pushing against the bulkheads and straining the legs back and forth works well. In summary: To prevent getting a common
cold while flying:
Murray Grossan, MD Dr Grossan's Hydro-Pulse Nasal Irrigator for sinus sufferers is available at AllergyBuyersClub.com |
Traveling
with Allergies©
Travel is Back! Global travel is growing yet again and travelers are seeking more exotic and dynamic destinations. Some of these destinations have much to offer, including allergens and pollutants. The developing world, where 8 million Americans visit annually, is among the highest risk for this. Many developing nations have increasingly greater problems with air pollution as emission controls and growing economies contribute to pollutants and allergens being released into the air. Having an exacerbation of allergy or new onset allergies can greatly affect, even ruin, a journey. Preparing for the possibility has real physical and psychological benefits. If you already suffer from environmental allergies, be sure to take the medications that work for you on the trip. Get an extra prescription from your health caregiver and keep the spare set in your luggage when you check in, keeping the original set on you. This protects you in case of loss or theft. Please keep the medication in the original pharmacy labeled bottles so you don’t face hassles at the airport. Be wary of purchasing medications abroad; the World Health Organization believes that between 20-80% of product sold in developing nation pharmacies is fake, invalid or the wrong medicine. Some countries have specific and strict rules about bringing medications across their borders, even if legitimately prescribed elsewhere. For example, pseudephedrine (Sudafed®) is not permitted in Japan and if you are found to have it, expect it to be confiscated at the airport. It can be rather difficult to keep tabs on which medications are forbidden in various countries, so it would be wise to consult with a Travel Medicine specialist before departure. Travelers with serious allergies, such as to medications or foods should be wary. It is possible that you would not be told about the presence of certain compounds as you travel, often simply for language reasons alone. If you were to receive an prescription for medication but did not know it had a component of your allergen, for example penicillin, then you could develop a severe reaction, such as angioedema or anaphylaxis which can progress to shock. The same is true for foods; for example, many sauces in Thailand have peanut in them, and if you were unaware of this and were allergic to peanuts, trouble would be waiting in the wings. If this applies to you, be sure to travel with diphenhydramine, a prescription for steroids such as medrol and an EpiPen autoinjector in case a severe, life-threatening allergy develops. Your allergist will help you in choosing specific medication or therapy for your specific allergies. As much is possible, get the allergies under control before departure, to minimize exacerbation or simply suffering from them at all during your journey. Optimally, it is best to begin your health preparations for travel at least a month before departure. It may be that you don’t have that much time, but the more time you have, the more effectively you can prepare your body and mind to prevent illness during your journey. Consult with a Travel Medicine specialist to get the appropriate vaccinations and counseling on how to avoid destination-specific disease in addition to your allergy preparations. It makes much more sense to avoid trouble than trying to fix illness while you are on your trip. Many disease of travel can seriously affect your daily living and some are potentially fatal; yet with a proper orientation to prevention, you can readily remove nearly all these threats, giving you peace of body and peace of mind.
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