Thank you PERSON who wrote the ionizer thread last week - It might have saved my life!!!

[Bobbieo]

I read about how they create ozone which is very bad for people with asthma and I am an asthmatic.

I got mine when my neighbor sold her home, furnishings and moved away. She told me this was great for getting rid of household odors.

My health started going down hill about a year ago when I began to get sinus problems, headaches, coughing spells and difficulty with breathing. They seemed to be worse during the winter months when the doors and windows were closed. They got especially bad this winter and it seemed as if I was going down hill every day. I cleaned up the ionizer and was about to move it from the kitchen to my bedroom, hoping it would help my problems, when I read your ionizer article that night.

My sinus problems were so bad that my nose was running like a leaky faucet all day long. I was miserable and was going through a huge box of kleenex a week and the headaches were getting unbearable with the coughing spells increasing every day.

I read the article and responses and checked out the brand name on the Internet-Ionic Breeze and sure enough it was an ozone creator. I turned off the machine that night and gave it away the next day. Yes, I have been feeling better every day as the ozone is clearing out of the house. My nose has stopped running and the headaches are all but gone.

I shudder to think how bad things would have really gotten if I had not seen the thread and moved the ionizer to my bedroom.

Thank you very much, PERSON – You might be a lifesaver!!!!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. That's good.

Ozone makers are good for killing odors and mold if you are NOT in the room. It is a respiratory irritant as you have found out. Ionic Breeze machines are considered to be a fraud by Consumer Reports.

I have a large volume ozone machine to freshen rooms but I don't use it when I am in the room.

Negative ion generators are supposed to be good but I can't tell any great effect from them.

[troubleinwinter]

2. Ohmygosh, Bobbieo! You hafta take care in preparation for those virgin margaritas!!!

DU is just amazing.

My grandmother passed away a short while ago at 95, and left a painting that she had wanted to go to a verrrry, verry distant relative. I managed to find the person's city on the internet, but after days of trying, could NOT find a phone number or address... no way to contact her.

I finally posted my request for help in the Ancestry/Geneology Group, and had two offers of help within 20 minutes. In less than two hours, I had the relative's home address and phone number!!

Now this person has a magnificent painting done by her artist father 45 years ago on the way to her!

Sometimes we need a break from politics. I have learned sooo much (and have had fun) in the Cooking & Baking, Do-It-Yourself, Gardening, and Frugal Living Groups. Got a helping hand in the Computer Group.

The wealth of knowlege and generosity on DU is amazing.

Now I have learned from you. My dad has some breathing challenges and one of those damned machines!!! I'll call him in the morning and tell him to chuck it out!

Prepare for those virgin margaritas and maybe a little mariachi music!

(OK, ya probably won't be having mariachis, but let's pretend anyway.)

[Bobbieo]

3. Yeah Mel - D U is amazing !!! Think I would have been in BIG trouble if I would .

have moved that machine in my bedroom !!!

[TheMadMonk]

4. Lovely catch 22, ain't it?

Do the environmentally (not to mention personally/selfishly fiscally) responsible thing and eliminate all gross ventilation and take on board a whole host of personal health problems.

And doubly so if we try to eliminate/cover up the unpleasant side effects of sealing up all avenues of heat loss/gain in our homes.

As Perragrande mentioned, there are two types of "ion generators" -ve & +ve, the latter producing dangerous ozone.

-ve ion generators are supposed to be good for you, but given that commercial odour eliminators seem to churn out ozone, it would seem that they don't do as good a job of getting rid of the smellies.

So my suggestion is put on a singlet or spencer, turn off the heater and open a window or few, for at least a couple of hours of the day.

You'll also be venting a considerable amount of radiotoxic radon gas, which can easily build up in poorly ventilated spaces.