Last Updated on October 9, 2020 by David
Allergies and asthma are like good friends: they are frequently seen together. It is because your allergic symptoms and your asthma symptoms may be triggered by the same substances. In fact, allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma. There are things called allergens which you breathe then cause symptoms that go along with allergic asthma. Nevertheless, If you have asthma, whether you are allergic or not, it may get worse after you breathe certain substances in the air.
There are many allergic and asthma triggers outside, but being inside does not always mean you are safe from such air pollutants that can cause you hard to breathe. There are toxins inside your houses or offices like formaldehyde which may result in occupational asthma. Some plants too, ones with flowers, can trigger allergic reactions from their pollen. However, some other indoor plants can help to improve the quality of the air inside your house or room and reduce or even eliminate your allergy or asthma symptoms. Here is the list of best indoor plants for asthma and also worst indoor plants for allergies.
Best Indoor Plants for Asthma
For people living with asthma, it is utterly important and beneficial to have fresh air in their space or home. However, indoor air is usually dusty and dry and may contain toxins such as formaldehyde that worsen asthma symptoms. Fortunately, by planting particular indoor plants, you can improve your air quality Here are some of those plants.
Golden Pothos
Also known as Devil’s Ivy, Golden Photos is one of best indoor plants for asthma because iit will fight off common household toxins such as formaldehyde and trichloroethylene (TCE) which can be dangerous if inhaled.
Snake Plant
Another plant which can absorb formaldehyde is the Snake Plant. This is an evergreen plant that will last for the whole year and is easy to maintain. Moreover, it also removes other airborne toxins such as nitrogen oxide and benzene, and it will help you to breathe cleaner air.
Peace Lily
Even though Peace Lily is a flowering plant, it has heavier and stickier pollen which are less likely to cause allergic reactions. However, air-purifying traits are more beneficial. It can eliminate benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, making it one of the best plants for asthma treatment.
Bamboo Palms
Bamboo Palm is able to grow really big in size, so it can filter large amounts of air pollutants in your house or office. This plant is also a natural humidifier. It helps to pump much-needed moisture into the dry atmospheres in the house.
Dracaena
The name comes from ancient greek which means female dragon. The name suits the plant well as it is so tough and able to survive a certain amount of neglect. This plant is used to treat asthma because it can actually reduce fatigue, sore throats, coughs, and a range of other illnesses related to cold. They achieve this by increasing the levels of humidity in a room and reducing dust.
Pineapple Plant
Pineapple plant is also one of the best indoor plants for asthma for its Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). CAM allows plants to be more active in photosynthesis at night. Thus, it will produce more oxygen when we sleep. This is why you should have a pineapple plant in your room when you’re allergic and have asthma.
Aloe Vera
Now almost everyone knows Aloe Vera for its healing capacity for skin. What you might not know is that this spikey plant also uses CAM. Plants that use CAM actively absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for their environment more actively at night rather than during the day. It allows Aloe Vera to be a good therapeutic plant for asthma sufferers.
Worst Indoor Plants for Asthma
Having plants inside your house certainly is a good therapy for your allergy and asthma, but not all of them are safe to be grown indoors. Generally, any house plant which grows flowers is likely to trigger allergy and asthma because of their pollen. Flowering plants like orchids, chrysanthemum, spider plants, and many others should be avoided. In addition, even though palms like Bamboo palms are good for improving the quality of the air in your house, you should get a female palm instead of a male one because male palms produce pollen too.
