COPD can make it challenging to fill your lungs with enough air. This can cause fatigue, nagging pain, shortness of breath, and the feeling that you are mentally “out of it.”
Thankfully, people living with COPD have lots of treatment options to help make it easier to breathe. You can also do a few things at home to boost the effectiveness of COPD treatments. One effective tool is a good air purifier. It can improve indoor air quality, ease COPD symptoms and even prevent flare-ups.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Air quality is a measurement of pollutants in a certain air volume. Indoor air pollutants include dust, smoke, soot, pollen, spores and other floating particles. They also include gasses such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
Good air quality means the air contains only small amounts of pollutants. Poor air quality indicates high levels of pollutants, which can sometimes present a major health risk.
Many substances commonly found in indoor air can worsen chronic lung diseases such as COPD. Some sources of indoor air pollution that can affect respiratory health include:
- Airborne germs. Bacteria and viruses cause respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, the flu and whooping cough.
- Carbon monoxide. This colorless, odorless and tasteless gas is produced when we burn fuel. Breathing carbon monoxide is dangerous because it takes the place of oxygen in your blood, depriving every cell in your body of oxygen needed to function correctly.
- Dust. The dust in your home might seem harmless but actually contains a surprising number of potential irritants. In addition to dead skin cells, hair, fabric fibers, dirt particles and insect debris, dust also contains chemicals and pollen that have been tracked in from outdoors.
- Dust mites. These microscopic creatures live in household dust. The waste products and body parts of these tiny, insect-like pests can trigger allergies and make breathing hard for some people.
- Mold. This fungus grows in damp places, and then airborne mold particles can cause breathing problems and trigger allergies.
- Pet dander. Microscopic bits of dead skin cells shed by furry domestic animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters can cause an allergic reaction.
- Tobacco smoke. Smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke makes it harder for your body to use oxygen and interferes with your immune response to infections.
- Volatile organic compounds. Gasses caused by everyday home products can irritate your breathing. They include paints, adhesives, flooring materials, carpet, furniture, cleaners and disinfectants, air fresheners, pesticides and even personal care products such as cosmetics and deodorants.
The Effect of Air Quality on COPD
When people with COPD used portable high-efficiency air cleaners to filter particulate matter from indoor air, researchers found a significant reduction in breathlessness, coughing and the need for rescue medications. The more time the study participants spent indoors, the greater the benefit of an air cleaner.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, air purifiers work best as part of a three-pronged approach to keeping the air in the home as clean as possible. The three elements of a complete air-cleaning plan include:
- Source control, which involves reducing or eliminating where gasses and particles in the home come from.
- Ventilation, which ensures that adequate fresh outdoor air enters the home by operating exhaust, attic, booster or window fans, mechanical ventilation systems with ducts that control the exchange of indoor and outdoor air, or simply opening windows and doors.
- Air filtration, which improves indoor air quality by reducing levels of pollutants. Methods of air filtration include:
- Portable air cleaners, also called air purifiers, which are designed to filter the air in one room. This type of air cleaner will be rated by a number called a clean air delivery rate. The higher the number, the larger the area it can cover, and the greater its ability to filter air.
- Central furnace/HVAC filters, which are designed to remove airborne pollutants from the entire home. Heating, ventilation and air conditioner (HVAC) filters are classified by Minimum Efficiency Rating Value, or MERV. The higher the MERV rating, the greater the ability to filter contaminants. An HVAC contractor can advise on the correct size and type of filter needed to remove pollutants while maintaining proper airflow.
Types of Air Filters
Air filters vary in how they filter pollutants from indoor air, depending on their construction and materials. All air filters must be cleaned or replaced regularly to maintain maximum efficiency.
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are one of the most efficient filter types and provide the most significant protection from harmful airborne particles. HEPA filters can be used in both residential HVAC systems and portable air cleaners.
HEPA filters can remove airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in size. This includes particles such as dust, pet dander, bacteria, viruses, mold spores and pollen. HEPA filters work by routing air through a series of tightly packed fibers, trapping particles of various sizes and then releasing cleaned air back into the room.
Not all HEPA filters are the same quality or efficiency. The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) defines standards for HEPA filters based on performance. Filters labeled “True HEPA” are the highest efficiency and conform best to the DOE standard. Other, less-efficient filters may be labeled HEPA type, HEPA like or HEPA style.
Carbon filters are used to remove gasses from household air. These filters route air through a bed of activated charcoal, which traps gasses, and then return cleaned air to the room.
Which Air Purifier Is Best for COPD?
If you or someone in your household is living with COPD, it is a good idea to talk to your primary care provider or pulmonologist before deciding on an air purifier. The best approach to improving indoor air quality may depend on your individual needs, preferences, and health situation.
If you do decide that an air purifier would help you, keep in mind that:
- Air purifiers do not reduce oxygen levels in the air—an important point for people receiving oxygen therapy for COPD.
- Air purifiers may cost money to maintain beyond the initial purchase.
- No air purifier can remove all indoor air pollutants.
Regardless of which type of air purifier you select, for best results:
- Allow the unit to run 24 hours a day.
- Close windows while the air purifier is operating.
- If you purchase just one portable air purifier, place it in the bedroom.
- Match the CADR capacity of a portable air purifier to the size of the room.
Say No to Ozone
People with respiratory problems should not use an ozone generator, also known as ion generators or ionizers. These devices are sometimes advertised as air purifiers, but they actually generate a gas called ozone to help mask odors. They do not remove particles or gasses from the air.
Breathing ozone can irritate the lungs and worsen symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. It can also raise the risk of respiratory infections.
More to Read
- The 6 Most Common Triggers for COPD
- Build an Action Plan for COPD Flare-Ups
- The Facts About COPD and Preventing Lung Infections
- COPD and Allergies
Medically reviewed by Jason Heavner, MD
