Sylvane, Inc., who has been leading the way in offering innovative air quality solutions and products for both commercial and residential markets, is meeting the flu season head-on. The company has already reported higher than projected interest in their air purifier category, which they attribute, in part, to people's growing awareness of the benefits of air cleaners in their indoor environments. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that in addition to controlling the sources of indoor pollutants and properly ventilating, that using an air filter is an important part of maintaining healthy indoor air. Air filters are unobtrusive and easy-to-use. Additionally, these machines can be highly effective in reducing airborne germs, bacteria, allergens, and respiratory irritants.

The flu season, which can last until May, is the exact time to worry about your indoor air quality the most, as influenza can easily transfer from person-to-person simply through sharing the same air. The flu season is an annual publicized occurrence, but many people do not know the magnitude of its effects. Every year nearly 20,000 Americans are hospitalized due to complications from the flu, with approximately 100 children under the age of five-years-old dying. Vaccination is the first step for flu prevention, but there are other preparations that can ensure that your indoor environment is ready to stop influenza. The CDC outlines several simple solutions to minimize the transfer of the flu: proper hand washing, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding other people when you are sick. Hand washing and proper cold etiquette is easy enough to adhere to, but it is nearly impossible to avoid other people who live in your own home when you are sick. Therefore, having an air purifier in your home can help to minimize the germ interaction in the air and help prevent the flu from spreading.

Flu prevention is crucial, particularly for individuals who have weaker immune systems, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory issues such as asthma. For these groups of people, the flu season can be dangerous, if not deadly. For example, every flu season, thousands of people are rushed to the emergency room with asthma attacks brought on by the influenza virus. Because of the impact of flu symptoms, asthma issues are magnified by incredible proportions. Air purifiers are excellent for asthma and respiratory sufferers year round, so they are that much more important when serving a dual role in which they battle the flu germs as well.

Many people are only now hearing the news that air cleaners can directly and beneficially impact the lives of those with respiratory deficiencies. Steven Hong, President of Sylvane, stated, "It is paramount that when it comes to making an indoor environment as safe and healthy as it can be that there are resources out there to help people do just that. Sylvane prides itself on offering real world solutions to these needs. We sell air cleaners that have truly been life changers for asthma sufferers." As this flu season approaches, Sylvane is hoping that the news will spread of the benefits of air cleaners during the influenza season, and beyond, keeping more people healthy and breathing clean germ-free air.

Carrying almost all major air cleaner brands, Sylvane is well-positioned to see growth in the air cleaner product category. The company has recently expanded their air cleaner line with the Rabbit branded air purifiers. These systems have many unique features, such as customizable filters specialized at germ control for assistance with the flu, ultra-quiet motor technology, and money-saving, long-lasting filters (filters have between a 1.5 to 3 year life span). This is just one of the many brands of air cleaners that Sylvane offers.

Air purifiers come in a number of designs, price points, and configurations based around specific needs, from general air quality purification to asthma and allergy control. Some units use electrostatic plates to filter the air, while others use traditional filters to trap pollutants. They come with or without carbon filters and pre-filters. The frequency of filter changes also varies widely. So with all these variables, Douglas Zail, Director of Sales at Sylvane, noted that, "The variety of options and features can be overwhelming for a customer just learning about the category. Many customers are confused about how these units work, what makes them different from one another, how to properly size a unit, etc. We help customers to pick a solution that best meets their specific and individual needs."

He also went on to say, "If you are having allergy or asthma issues, then you would want an air purification solution that is at least true HEPA in performance. A true HEPA performance solution will take 99.97% of all physical contaminants out of the air down to 0.3 microns. These filters are able to trap even the tiniest of particles in the air, which is an excellent resource when it comes to germs and flu prevention."

For additional information on air purifiers or for assistance in selecting a solution for your situation, please visit Sylvane online at http://www.sylvane.com. As the flu season begins to show its ability to spread and affect thousands, Sylvane is offering healthful solutions to those who want the best defense around.