Do Air Purifiers Help COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Seeing as smokers are a constant in many people's lives, proactive approaches should be taken to combat common smoke-related diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), for anyone inhaling first or second-hand smoke. But, before we get into the ways we can counteract COPD and explain how to get breathing back on track, lets look at why the smoke-centric disease happens in the first place.
Health Effects of Smoking & COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is typically a direct product of inhaling smoke and can result in emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis. Whether the smoke being breathed in is first-hand smoke or second-hand, these respiratory illnesses essentially make the body’s internal airways inflamed and less elastic, leaving the lungs clogged with mucus and struggling to function properly.
Common tell-tale symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath and mucus build-ups. To make matters worse, COPD is considered a progressive disease, meaning the effects only get worse over time.
More so, smoke isn’t the only trigger of COPD. People around consistent air pollution or chemical inhalants may also become susceptible. For example, working in a plastics factory and breathing in CFC fumes or inhaling dust all day on a construction site are the type of consistent impediments that can lead to long-term COPD symptoms.
No matter how the disease is developed, COPD is often diagnosed in middle-aged and older adults, making it the third leading cause of death in the US. However, there are numerous lifestyle changes to consider that can help prevent COPD from completely settling.
Fighting Back Against Smoking & COPD
Ideally, anyone who wants to avoid COPD should avoid second-hand smoke altogether. Anyone who actually smokes and wants to avoid COPD should stop smoking. However, we understand those solutions aren’t always feasible options. Instead of taking drastic measures to dispel the suffocating disease, try these three easily-implemented preventative tactics.
1) Exercise: One such tactic that can alleviate COPD symptoms is implementing a workout routine. Although facilitating a full exercise plan can be extremely effective in healthy lung function and counteracting damage done by smoke inhalation, adding a minimal routine such as daily walking will help most people maintain above average breathing performance.
2) Respirators: If breathing problems are caused by surroundings in a workplace, one way to counteract them is by wearing a respirator. Built specifically to block out air pollutants like smoke and allergens, these masks are regularly used by painters to avoid contact with paint fumes and lead, as well as contractors who regularly work in dust. Anyone working the line in a factory or facility where COPD triggers are prominent in the indoor air should strongly consider wearing a mask for long-term preventative care.
3) Air Purifiers: We understand not everyone is going to jump at the chance to wear a respirator at work every day or add daily trips to the gym on their schedule. For anyone looking to implement an immediate solution to help breathe better and a long-term accomplice in the fight against COPD, consider an air purifier. An air purifier will fight air pollution and keep your indoor air clean.
These state of the art air purifier filters out more than 99% of air pollutants, before they can damage lung function. The Oransi Mod+ is one of the most effective units on the market for battling COPD. If smoke affecting your indoor air quality is your main concern an Oransi air purifier that has an activated carbon filter will remove the gases associated with tobacco smoke.
To learn more about how an Oransi air purifier can help fight back against tobacco smoke, air pollution, and other potentially damaging inhalants, read the specifics on our highly-effective, COPD air purifiers today.