Volvo Car Air Purifier Gets Certification for ‘Asthma and Allergy Prevention Performance’

Volvo Motors announced on the 18th that its advanced air purification technology has been verified by two international certification agencies, Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), and OFI, an independent research and testing agency in Austria.

The “Advanced Air Cleaning” function is a fully automatic system that prevents pollutants such as fine suspended particles and exhaust gases from entering the vehicle through cabin filters. It uses synthetic fiber-based filters and has an ionization function, removing up to 95% of ultrafine dust, the most harmful particles contained in indoor air.

First of all, in the ASL test, the “Advanced Air Cleaning” function was certified as a product that helps asthma and allergies by removing up to 99.9% of grass, wood, and weed pollen allergies in the outside air. ASL is an independent certification authority that helps consumers identify products suitable for use by asthma/allergic patients.

According to the World Health Organization and the World Allergy Organization, allergies, asthma, and air pollution are negatively affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world. As a result, Volvo Motors is actively helping people breathe cleaner air by applying state-of-the-art air purification functions that provide more improved in-vehicle air quality to the latest vehicles. Volvo Motors believes that clean air provides various benefits to individual health and safety, and plans to continue to improve these areas when developing vehicles in the future.

Volvo Cars XC90 Recharge PHEV. Photo = Volvo provided by Korea
Dr. Maria Bernander, an expert on passenger health effects at Volvo Cars, said, “We will help reduce the adverse health effects related to air pollution, allergies and fine dust by helping customers improve the air quality inside Volvo vehicles.”

In addition, the “Advanced Air Cleaning” function can remove more than 97% of viruses in the air flowing into the car and remove up to 95% of the existing virus concentration in the car. In a recent test conducted by OFI, an independent research and testing agency in Austria, Volvo filters and ionization functions have high virus filtration efficiency, which is very effective in blocking viruses in the air.

In the future, Volvo Motors will be the first car manufacturer in the world to provide real-time outdoor pollen levels to drivers through its own app. The actual outdoor pollen concentration and air quality in the car are displayed in real time on the vehicle center display, allowing drivers to determine whether indoor air purification is necessary.

Volvo Motors will increase its competitive edge by providing a more comfortable and healthy driving experience by regularly testing and developing vehicle air purification functions, said Anders Löbendal, an in-vehicle air quality technology expert and function manager at Volvo Motors.

Volvo’s latest air purification technology is equipped with the world’s first sensor released in 2020. Through this sensor, indoor air quality is measured up to PM 2.5 level, and customers can compare it to external air quality level.

PM 2.5, which represents the amount of fine particles in the air, is a widely used criterion for measuring air quality. In many urban areas around the world, PM 2.5 levels exceeding the WHO recommendation criteria are causing various problems, thus emphasizing the need to minimize their impact.

Meanwhile, Volvo Cha Korea is introducing an “Advanced Air Cleaning” function with PM 2.5 sensors and particulate filters that filter ultra-fine dust in its major models, XC90, V90CC, XC60, V60CC, and S60, starting with the Swedish luxury flagship sedan S90, which was released in Korea in September 2020.

Source: Daily Korea (daily.hankooki.com)

stopmyasthma.com

An Investigation of Allergic Diseases in Atopy and Asthma Relief School in Andong City

Andong City’s integrated care team will conduct an investigation into allergic diseases at atopic and asthma relief schools by the 27th.

Andong City conducts an investigation into allergic diseases atopy and asthma relief schools … Continued maintenance at school

The integrated care team of the Dementia Relief Center in Andong-si supports atopic and asthma relief schools so that students with allergic diseases can live and learn healthy.

A survey on allergic diseases that form basic atopy and asthma data will be conducted until May 27 for 34 daycare centers and kindergarten students selected for atopy and asthma relief schools, and first graders and transfer students.

If the patient is selected through the results of the allergy disease investigation and notified to the safe school, the health teacher will keep the patient’s individual specific information on the management card or life record, and if there is a drug prescribed by the patient, it will be used in the health room.

In addition, educational brochures in the form of fairy tales are distributed to each household along with questionnaires so that students and parents can easily learn atopy and asthma, and moisturizers are provided to safe schools so that patients can use moisturizers in health rooms.

An official from the integrated care team said, “We ask for your interest and participation in applying for and maintaining safe schools so that we can create safe school conditions from allergic diseases.”

Source: view.asiae.co.kr

Nasal pollen allergy, ‘Steroids sprayed in the nose’ are effective

Nasal-pollen-allergy

Allergy is a disease that occurs when our body mistakenly mistake a harmless foreign substance for a very dangerous substance.

For example, pollen mainly floats in the air during the changing seasons, but it is generally not harmful even if it enters the body for a short time. However, a person’s immune system enters an emergency state by considering pollen as a harmful and dangerous substance like parasites and bacteria.

Therefore, it over-defends and attacks pollen, causing inflammation, red, swollen nose, runny nose, irritation, and sneezing. This over-defense of the immune system is called allergy. If it occurs in the eyes, it is conjunctivitis, if it occurs in the bronchi in the lungs, it becomes asthma.

Allergies get worse in spring, and allergic rhinitis is a typical example. In spring, there is a lot of pollen from trees, which increases exposure. Birch pollen, especially in spring, is a strong allergy.

House dust mites also multiply in spring and increase in number, which can exacerbate allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis causes itching in the inner corner of the eye close to the nose, which further bothers the patient.

Asthma is often caused by hay fever, and especially in the changing seasons, when the temperature difference is large, it is easy to catch a cold, making both rhinitis and asthma worse.

If allergy symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing are left untreated, it will have a major impact on sleep. Snoring can also become severe and cause sleep apnea.

Chronic fatigue is caused by not being able to get a good night’s sleep even when sleeping. In fact, if you look at the EEG, the time when rhinitis patients wake up from a deep sleep and enter a state of fine arousal is 10 times higher. If rhinitis persists, it can worsen into sinusitis, which can cause a chronic cough.

There are two main types of nasal sprays. First of all, nasal vasoconstrictors are readily available at drugstores, and although they temporarily pierce the nose, it is not recommended to use them continuously for more than 5 days. Because of the many side effects, it should be used temporarily only when nasal congestion is very severe.

Instead, we recommend nasal spray steroids prescribed by hospitals. Although the effect does not appear immediately, it is more effective than other drugs if used continuously for more than a week. Unlike oral steroids, it is safe to use for a long time and is effective for all rhinitis symptoms and itchy eyes.

There are also studies showing that it is safe even for a two-year-old baby and that it is safe for the nose even if used daily for more than 30 years.

You cannot completely avoid pollen through your lifestyle. However, when driving a car, it is better not to leave the window open all the time and to ventilate the vehicle briefly. In addition, washing your body well after going out, washing or washing clothes frequently, and vacuuming with a good HEPA filter also helps to reduce pollen in the house.

Lastly, I would like to emphasize that the best prevention and treatment is the continuous use of nasal steroids.