Do HEPA Air Cleaners Help?
The treatment of pet allergies can be a difficult problem and may even drive some people to give up their beloved pet. This is certainly not the ideal situation. What are the causes of pet allergies? Pet allergies are usually caused by the immune system overreacting to proteins that are secreted by glands on an animal’s skin surface. These proteins can become airborne when the animal is brushed or petted which can further exacerbate the problem. Allergies to cats seem to be more common than dog allergies and some animal breeds are more likely to illicit an allergic response than others. There’s no dog or cat breed that’s completely “hypoallergenic”. One treatment of pet allergies that’s often recommended is the use of HEPA air cleaners. Although HEPA air cleaners are frequently purchased by people who have pets, they may not be as effective as previously thought. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine in 1998 looked at the effects of HEPA air cl
