The Importance of Clean Air...

Study after study has shown that clean air -- both outside and inside -- is a critical factor in good health. 

I often post photos on Facebook of the beautiful scenery right outside my living room window. The trees, birds, and beautiful cloud formations. 

And yes, it's a beautiful view, one of the things I really like about my apartment.

But what I don't usually show is the fact that there's a major four-lane thoroughfare about 100 feet from my apartment and a major highway about four blocks east.

Air pollution: Altered immune function, impaired cognitive function, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Of course some folks may not be affected by this pollution, but many can be, considering that many studies have shown how pollution can alter immune function. This is even more important if one has ME/CFS, which studies have found is characterized by an imbalanced or dysfunctional immune system. 

Traffic-related air pollution has also been implicated in impaired cognitive function in several studies;  here, here, here, and here. My ability to concentrate has definitely worsened in the last 4-5 years.

As noted elsewhere on this blog, the leading hypothesis from recent studies is that mitochondrial function is impaired in ME/CFS, resulting in problems with energy production in every cell of the body.

Pollution also damages the mitochondria and impacts mitochondrial function. There are quite a few studies backing this up, but here is one, and another.

A picture's worth a thousand words...

Back in 2014 I bought a cheap air ionizer. I wasn't sure if it was helping, but it did make the air close to it smell very clean, like the outdoors. I didn't realize the air coming in my apartment was so dirty until one day when I happened to brush up against a cloth wall hanging that was directly behind it.

As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. Here's two...

I knew this area had higher levels of pollution, but still, I was stunned. Perhaps I shouldn't have been, considering how dirty the windows and window screens get after only a few months. Note the paper towel is that black from only one wipe of the window screen.





A year later I was given a medical-grade air purifier as a gift. I didn't realize how effective it was until I sold it about 2 years ago to help pay bills. I wasn't sure if it was helping. Now I know it was, as in hindsight, my sinuses have been really bad ever since.

(A 2003 study by Alexander C. Chester, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, found that "Sinus symptoms were nine times more common on average in patients with unexplained chronic fatigue than the control group.")

Of course I can't control the air quality outside, and can only clean it so much inside. 
But the unit I had -- the Austin Air Healthmate Jr. --  is a medical-grade unit that helps to remove a wide variety of particles, sub-micron particles, chemicals, gases, micro-organisms and odors -- including dust (which is also a real problem here thanks to wall to wall carpeting), mold, pollen, tobacco smoke, chemical vapors, viruses and bacteria.

Removing or reducing these compounds will help me tackle this chronic low-grade sinus infection and in doing so may even improve my overall ME/CFS at the same time! It should also help reduce my cognitive dysfunction ('brain fog') that has definitely worsened over the last 4-5 years.

Note: If you'd like to have your donation applied towards this air purifier, please let me know by filling out the 'Contact Form' on lower right-hand side of the blog.

Thank you!