Humidifiar and air freshener

[Steve S]

My son has horrible allergies and has troubles sleeping. Would purchasing and using an air freshener or a humidifiar help him? Which would work better?

[Ericman197]

Doctor isn't in right now, but I can tell you that filtering the air should definitely help. Here's what I do:

Regularly vacuum all carpets
Steam clean carpets regularly
Dust all surfaces frequently
Replace all a/c filters
Steam clean drapes, blinds, etc.

HEPA it up. Don't buy one of those cheap filters with the metal blades. They create ozone, which isn't particularly harmful in the long term, but can aggravate allergies/breathing in some people.

Basically you just want to eliminate as much pollen/spores/dust in the air as possible. That may not be enough. You may need the humidifier and/or medications. However I think having a super clean house is a good first step, especially if you have some of the equipment already... no reason not to vacuum.

Also check for mold growing in ducts and elsewhere. A little bit of mold can release a TON of spores.

[Pilgrim]

You should be asking your doctor, not messing about here.

Humidifier isn't likely to do much except make you less comfortable. You need AC and high-efficiency filters, AND you need to get your kid a battery of allergy tests and start him on allergy treatments if it's really as bad as you indicate. I also agree that reducing the amount of dust, hair, spores and other contaminants in the house will help.

[disenchant]

First, find out what he's allergic to.

Second, if he has a lot of trouble sleeping he may have a common dust mite allergy. To help with that, start with mattress casings which keep the dust mites in the bedding and away from your son. Dust mites live off of dead skin cells and some humans are allergic to their excrement. GROSS! You will also need pillow casings.

I wash all my bedding in De-Mite which kills all the dust mites. I also have a detergent that kills all allergins.

Aller-safe allergen spray on curtains and other cloth like the couch can help as well.

Get a good air cleaner with a HEPA filter and put it in his bedroom. A humidifier or an air freshener will only annoy his allergies. Keep his bedroom door closed.

The best solution is just take him to an allergist and find out what he's allergic to. The allergist will help you find the right solutions.

[gold_member_321]

I have horrible allergies and an Ionic breeze air purifier worked wonders along with everything else listed already.

[Ericman197]

Originally Posted by gold_member_321

I have horrible allergies and an Ionic breeze air purifier worked wonders along with everything else listed already.

I hesitate to recommend those because they put out ozone, and I don't think they're as effective. Does yours produce ozone? I've heard that on some of the newer/pricey models, the problem was corrected.