5 House Plants For Asthmatics

While we’ve all learnt about plants and their ability to disburse oxygen in school, it’s something most of us take for granted. For asthmatics, it’s extremely important to be in an environment with clean air and having plants around at home can make a huge difference to their lifestyle. Here, we’ve listed 5 easy to find houseplants that can improve the quality of the air in your home a great deal.

Studies have shown that these potted wonders can ease congestion by efficiently removing airborne contaminants commonly found in all households. These include formaldehyde that can be found in carpets and adhesives, other Volatile Organic Compounds that are found in paints, petrochemicals from fragrances and trichloroethylene and benzene that are present in our fabric softeners.

1. Peace Lily (Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum)

The Peace Lilies are not only easy to grow, but can also add a little beauty to your home. They’re low-maintenance plants that don’t need too much sunlight or water to thrive thus making them easy to place around the house. Just keep one thing in mind, the plant is mildly toxic to pets and humans so you might want to discourage your kids or pets from playing around with them. But, the fact that they’re great air-purifiers, make them quite an important house-plant to have around, especially if anyone at home suffers from asthma.

2. English Ivy (Botanical Name: Hedera helix)

The English Ivy or European Ivy is a fantastic plant for indoor as well as outdoor locations. It is extremely adaptable and can be grown as a hanging plant, table plant or a climbing houseplant. The English Ivy is one of the best air-filtering houseplants with an added superpower – the ability to reduce mould in your home.

3. Snake Plant (Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata)

The Snake Plant, also known as Mother-in-law’s tongue, is similar to a cactus in more ways than one. Each leaf has a pointy tip and it is succulent in nature i.e. it retains water. NASA reports that this plant has an extremely high absorption rate of airborne toxins. It’s also easy to maintain, requiring minimum sunlight and water.

4. Dracaena (Botanical Name: Dracaena reflexa)

Dracaena is commonly known as Pleomele or Song of India. The pretty looking leaves depicting various shades of green can make quite a pretty statement hanging from a veranda or sitting on a high stool in the corner of a room to add some colour. Too much sunlight can have adverse effects on the leaves so, like some of the others on this list, placement at home is not a problem. You should ensure that it’s out of reach from kids and pets as ingestion of the leaves can lead to some minor health issues. There are more than 40 varieties of Dracaena plants so you won’t have trouble finding one that fits your home.

5. Aloe Vera

Last,  but definitely not the least, on our list is the beloved Aloe Vera. Another cactus like plant with prickly thorns and the capacity to retain liquid. Not only is Aloe Vera easy to maintain, but it offers a wide range of health benefits. The leaves contain a fluid which has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and wound-healing properties, all of that with the ability to purify the air around you, easily makes this a must-have for an asthmatic’s home.

It’s important to consider these houseplants to help improve the air quality at home. There’s nothing like going green while staying healthy and beautifying your surroundings.

Source: Allergy & Air