u/PinataofPathology

Top of mind is US and Canada but I know there are air quality issues elsewhere as well. I'm white knuckling it over here and I've learned entirely too much about air purification completely against my will.

How's everyone holding up?

May I brain dump? If you're looking at an air purifier this might save you some time and energy.

How to identify an air purifier that actually works:

Know your square footage. Measure your room first. (length x width = square footage.) Higher ceilings will require a more powerful unit.

Get the right CADR--clean air delivery rate. This is the most important thing. Evaluate every option against the CADR vs your square footage.

For wildfires, shop by smoke CADR NOT “covers up to 3,000 ft" claims. CADR means how much filtered air the machine delivers each minute.

The CADR should be at least ⅔ (75%) of the room’s square footage. However, for wildfire smoke, asthma or greater protection, aim for a CADR roughly equal to the room’s square footage. Example: a 375 sq. ft. room should have at least 250 CADR and preferably around 375.

If a unit doesn't share a CADR rate, the only correct response is immediate bombastic side eye. There's a lot of marketing that doesn't mention CADR. They're hiding their low clean air delivery rate.

Look for independent verification and certification. An unverified CADR is just a manufacturer claim.

Avoid units that produce ozone. Mechanical units are the better choice for respiratory issues. Ionizers and electronic/electrostatic cleaners may produce ozone which is a respiratory irritant. FYI certification allows electronic purifiers to produce 50 ppb of ozone. (I inadvertently got a unit that is electrostatic and produces some ozone and I don't like it. It works but I can tell something is off with it. My lungs no likey.)

Washable filter” usually means only the outer prefilter. The HEPA and carbon filter will require replacement. Check replacement price and availability before buying.

You can DIY an air purifier with a box fan and MERV 13 filters. DIY can perform as well as expensive purifiers at removing particulates, but it won't remove VOCs or odors. (There might be a way to beef It up if you add carbon filters and do a lot of elaborate design, but that's beyond my pay grade and skills, not to mention the costs add up to the point where it's probably about the same cost as buying a unit.)

You can also use more than one purifier in a room to increase the CADR. So if you find a deal with a unit that has a lower CADR than you need, buy two.

HSA/FSA funds can be used to purchase in the US but you may have to go through a site that'll write a prescription for you. I'm testing just buying direct from Amazon with my HSA card and it's going through so far.

You should be able to get a good unit at 250-290 CADR for $200-300. There are cheaper units with lower CADR for smaller rooms as well.

In summary, ignore the marketing, look for the substance. Match the verified smoke CADR to the actual room, avoid ozone-producing technology if you have respiratory issues, and make sure replacement filters are affordable and available.

I'm not an expert, just educating myself. I had to do math for this...😫 Say safe everyone!

Has anyone posted about the books they read this season? I'd love to hear more about the book club. 📚🐛

(So far enjoying the season. I think they did a nice job finding a fresh story to tell about the way things are changing bc of the show and social media.)

I've been recovering from acute dystonia since a February ER visit. I'm finally off meds day to day and down to just some random symptoms here and there.

However I still can't handle riding in a car for long distances and am still not driving. Being a passenger will cause the symptoms to come back although I've had some luck blunting that with meds.

I was having neuro issues in a similar vein to AD going into the ER and there seems to be an underlying neuroinflammatory factor (and Ive been having a recurrent low grade fever since Feb with an associated gene variant that immunology is working on treating).

Anyway, I'm in PT trying to work through whatever the problem is on the motor side but I was wondering if anyone has dealt with trouble driving and if there's any specific thing known to help? My vision tracking is off and I start losing the sense of where my body is in space and it's all downhill from there.

With pt Ive discovered that I don't always know where my body is in subtle ways. Like I need to tap my heel to the floor but can't gauge where the floor is correctly. Didn't know that was a problem. It seems like I can train my way to mostly correcting these as I find them. I just don't know where all the gaps are still.

So I thought Id check here and see if there was anything more I could do. I'm doing as much pt (including vestibular rehab) as I can and balance work at home. Thanks!

This is cool and also Reddit has AI suggesting it as a post here. Huh.

There are a lot of issues with AI but there are also opportunities. I suspect AI is going to be the main lever that finally mainstreams rare disease diagnosis and treatment.

The UDNF has several advocacy initiatives patients can participate in. It sounds to me like anyone rare would be welcome but their focus is more the diagnostic odyssey.

"Community Councils are groups of volunteers making an impact across the UDNF mission – support, engagement, action, fundraising, and innovation. All are welcome to join these councils to add their time, insights, and talents to the UDNF mission. Through the Community Councils, the UDNF will ensure that the organization’s priorities are directly reflective of changing needs in the rare and undiagnosed community and these talented volunteers will enable us to accomplish more together. "

More info and sign up here:

https://udnf.org/about-udnf/community-councils/