In-home air conditioning makes summertime more comfortable, but for those who suffer from asthma, air conditioning provides much more than comfort. Countless studies have shown that running an air conditioner drastically reduces the likelihood of an asthma attack. In the process of cooling, air conditioners literally "condition" the air by trapping dust and allergens as they take in air from the room and pump out cool clean air. If you or someone in your home suffers from asthma, portable air conditioning units may mean the difference between an extremely uncomfortable existence and one where he or she can live and breathe easily.

In many areas of the country, especially coastal areas such as Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, homes with central air are not the majority. According to a 2005 survey by the California Utilities Company, only 2% of homes in San Francisco County and 3% of home in Santa Cruz County have some form of air conditioning. While oscillating and ceiling fans may keep rooms cool enough in these area, they don't solve the air pollutant problem like portable air conditioning units.

When many think of portable air conditioners , the image of a bulky window unit often comes to mind. However, portable units have evolved quite a bit since the window unit was introduced in the 1930's. Today's portable air conditioning units are truly portable and can be easily rolled to different areas of the home. During the waking hours, portable air conditioning units can be place in the living area and rolled into the bedroom at night.

Even on a low setting, portable air conditioners can do wonders for removing excess moisture from the air, along with air particles such as pet dander, dust mites, mold, and pollen that cause those with asthma to suffer. If you've seen the visible particles that your vacuum cleaner picks up, just imagine the smaller particles that are present. While ceiling and oscillating fans are helpful for cooling, they only agitate those particles and stir them about the home which is often terribly uncomfortable for asthma sufferers. Portable air conditioning units on the other hand trap those particles in a filter as they enter the unit and while clean, fresh air is emitted.

For this reason, it's critical to constantly check and replace filters on portable air conditioning units. Even in the seemingly cleanest of homes, it doesn't take long before the filter on a portable air conditioning unit resembles the inside of your vacuum cleaner bag. And for every particle that you can see in the portable air condition unit's filter, you can bet that there are just as many that you can't see such as cigarette smoke particles, smog, and bacteria.

In cooler areas of the country with mildly hot summers, it may not make financial sense to install central air conditioning in your home. However, that doesn't mean that those with asthma need to suffer with congested air. Portable air conditioners can be extremely affordable, provide a great deal more relief than fans on days where the temperature does climb, and most importantly can make a remarkable difference in the life of someone who suffers from asthma.