Anti-viral/allergen nostril filters

First Defense Nasal Screens are tiny anti-pollen nostril-plugs you stick up your nose, made from "100 percent breathable non-latex, skin safe material." The manufacturer claims that lab tests show them to be "99 percent" effective against allergens and viruses. You can get seven sets for $10.

First Defense Nasal Screens (via Red Ferret)

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andygates

I’d have called “April fool!” were it not for the First Defense roster of snake-oil and gullible consumers. The “market exists for it” because there’s one born every minute.
Anonymous

I’m interested by this as I have rhinitis but honestly I’d prefer tubes that suck the mucus from the airwaves (not too much force you understand, just enough to not worry about a runny nose)
boomer0127

Unless these things are HEPA filters, they are unlikely to stop much but particulates floating in the air. Even a .2ÂµM filter doesn’t stop rhinoviruses (common cold) which are around 30nm in diameter. Methinks if this is a HEPA filter, it’s gonna clog up pretty fast with airborne crap and then you are going to breathe out of your mouth.

And really – 99%? That is nothing. 1 out of 100 when there are tens of thousands of viruses in a sneeze? I suppose dose does have some effect on whether or not the virus “takes”, but still. Even EPA has higher stringency than that.
Anonymous

A face mask has over 100 times as much surface area, and it still makes breaking labored, especially if you are doing anything aerobic. There is no way these would let you breathe worth a damn.
jphilby

Chlorpheniramine Maleate looks less dorky.
Anonymous

Boing Boing already posted a solution for this:
http://boingboing.net/2009/05/26/is-crohns-disease-on.html

These same organisms seem to be also effective against allergies:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/01iht-01prof.14122951.html
Anonymous

Asimov’s Spacers?
Stonewalker

99% effective? That’s a lot right?? I’ll take em!
Berk

What about the whole, mouth thing?
- Lobster
  
  If you block off your mouth too you’ll suffocate! :(
Grey Devil

Interesting, but i would rather see a consumer’s review of this than what seemingly seems like an advert for a product.
Alvis

But how effective are nose hairs and mucus at filtering air? I need a figure to compare these against.
Anonymous

Guy that invented this was on Shark Tank. He said stuff coming in the mouth didn’t cause you to get sick or something.
Kieran O’Neill

Erm, airborne viruses are also transmitted through contact with contaminated objects or individuals (e.g. you shake someone’s hand that they coughed on, then eat a sandwich).

And as I understand it, pollen can be similar – it’s on your skin, you swallow it in your food, breath it in through your mouth.

I’m sure that 99% effectiveness is the ability of the filter to stop particles in a perfect lab situation. I would wonder how effective they are overall at, say, reducing allergic response or transmission of infection.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Most colds are transmitted by touching your eye.
Julien Couvreur

The TV show “Shark Tank” just had a similar (or the same) product featured. It was Season 2 Week 1.

The investors were quite skeptical at first (who would want to wear this? is it unfashionable/uncool?), but there is surprising evidence that a market exists (some people already buying).
It was an interesting show.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/226365/shark-tank-week-1
Neon Tooth

“99 percent” effective

And probably 99 percent uncomfortable to have up your nose…
g0d5m15t4k3

I guess I could see using these if you worked in landscaping/construction/something that has fumes/smoke… but everyday people?? No. You’d look like a retard with bandages on their nose holes.
jimh

Watched the little video, where they kept repeating how these were “barely noticeable” and where I could clearly see them and they looked ridiculous.

Just wear a SARS mask and be done with it.
- Micah
  
  You mean like one of these?
  
  (apologies to our friends outside the US)
Brooke vs. Godzilla

Snot’s cheaper.
shannigans

Now they just need one for your mouth and eyeballs. That won’t look weird or anything.
Anonymous

(It seems that) Something like %40 of Japanese people are allergic to Japanese cedar trees and, before the war, the gov’t invested in planting them all over the country. Then, they started importing most of their lumber. That means that there are an endless amount of cedar trees and people are miserable for the majority of spring as they are pollinating. So, Japanese people, as usual, have adapted and use a slew of products to protect against the endlessly uncomfortable symptoms of pollen allergies. One is similar to the product feature above. Mostly, though, eye drops, face masks, and (strangely enough) clear glasses are used to subdue the effects of kafuun sho.
bcsizemo

If I’m having some heavy allergies I usually pop some generic zertec and put on a 3M N95 dust mask for a couple of hours.
Anonymous

Just use cotton!
tyger11

I prefer the cool-looking metal ones in Ultraviolet.
Anonymous

Now all I need is a pillow for my mouth.
Antinous / Moderator

When I’m having trouble breathing due to allergies, my first reaction is to stick something up my nose that restricts air flow.
Anonymous

When the company’s owner was on Shark Tank he mentioned having a multi-year, $8 million deal to provide them to a middle eastern government (the Saudis?). Perhaps they’re good if you’re dealing with a lot of dust blowing around…
Forkboy

Didn’t they have these in “The Running Man” (the book) to counter pollution ? I swear the world becomes more and more like a dystopian sci-fi story each day.
mappo

To get that extra 1% effectiveness, use corks instead.
simonbarsinister

What happens if you inhale quickly and with force through your nose? Can they get lodged up in your sinuses?

I refuse to be the first one the x-ray techs are laughing at in the E.R. for this one.
brent

I roll up a sheet of toilet paper and stick it up my nose to stop sneezing. These look more comfy.
DeWynken

They will go nicely with my fart filters. Do they come scented?