MADISON, Wis. - Aprilaire has announced a new wellness-oriented program to educate homeowners on the benefits of whole-home air cleaning to reduce indoor airborne allergens. To support this consumer education initiative, the company is partnering with two medical professionals, an allergist and internist, to communicate the health benefits and importance of clean indoor air. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, over 40 million people throughout the country suffer from indoor allergies throughout the year. And, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental risks to public health, and indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside.

Clifford Bassett, M.D., FAAAAI, FACAAI, is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital, board-certified allergist and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York. Doron Schneider, M.D., is a practicing internist and deputy program director of the Internal Medicine Residency at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa., and former health reporter for WPVI-TV, the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.

“The two doctors will take part in a yearlong local and national quest for clean air titled ‘Breathe Easier,’ urging consumers to consider whole-home air cleaners as part of an integrated approach to respiratory wellness and allergy related issues,” said Nikki Krueger, spokesperson for Aprilaire. “As Aprilaire continues its tradition of leadership and innovation with this health strategy, the market for air cleaners continues to grow nationwide. In fact, while the HVAC industry saw significant declines in the installation of air conditioning and heating equipment in 2006, consumer demand increased the sales of high-efficiency electronic air cleaners almost 50 percent.”

Whole-home air cleaners are able to clean the air in every room of the home thoroughly while operating silently, stated Aprilaire, while portable air cleaners require a separate unit for every room. "My patients spend time in every nook of their homes, so a system that silently moves clean air throughout every room is ideal," said Dr. Schneider.

Aprilaire noted that a whole-home air cleaner installed on a central HVAC system can permanently trap the airborne contaminants that aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms. "Allergy symptoms like coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and itchy eyes can be exacerbated by invisible pollutants like indoor air allergens that lurk in all corners of the home," said Dr. Bassett.

For more information, visit www.aprilaire.com.

Publication date: 08/13/2007