As massive wildfires become the norm, can air purifiers provide relief for indoor air quality?

Significant wildfires are becoming the new normal for residents of Southern California. And they're not alone.

The National Interagency Fire Center reports about 60 active large fires in 11 states across the country. This kind of smoke permeates into our homes and our lungs. Can an air purifier make a significant difference to your health?

Due to those wildfires, pockets of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles counties are experiencing air quality poor enough that it can be devastating to not only sensitive groups, but healthy individuals as well.

"There could be individuals where you're exposed to a little bit of that wildfire that contains particulate matter that have those gasses and next thing you know, you could have wheezing. You could have shortness of breath," said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonary and critical care physician with Huntington Health.

He says fine particulate matter can permeate homes and go deep into the lungs. The California Air Resources board says indoor air purifiers can reduce the effects of wildfire smoke by 50 to 90 percent depending on the device and room size.

"Air purifiers have definitely helped individuals breathe better and avoid going to the emergency department. I do recommend those for especially people with pre-existing lung disease, heart disease, the elderly and the young. It's a good investment," Dasgupta said.

Dasgupta suggests picking up new filters if you have central air conditioning. Switch to recycled air if you can.

HEPA air purifier devices can range from $50 to more than $1,000. Consumer advocates say purifiers designed for rooms larger than 350 square feet are much better at removing smoke than the smaller ones.

"Beyond just having a HEPA filter, some people put a carbon filter on top of that because carbons can be filtering out some of the gasses in there that a HEPA filter cannot," said Dasgupta.

And if you can't find or afford an air purifier, the EPA studied DIY air cleaners made by attaching a 4-inch filter or multiple ones to a box fan with tape, clamps or a bungee cord. Make sure there are no gaps. They found these homemade air filters can significantly improve indoor air quality in homes affected by wildfire smoke. And as long as the smoky conditions linger, people in affected areas need to avoid going outside.

"Staying indoors, unfortunately, is the way to go. I know it's tough. We spend a lot of our summer being indoors, but this is what you need to do at this time," he said.