People living in dry locations will get some serious advantage of using a humidifier at home. The device helps in battling against sinus problems, removes dryness from skins, and slows down the spreading capacity of flu viruses. It also has a few other health benefits.
Thus, we will discuss the top benefits of humidifiers in today’s article. However, it’s not free of risks either. For instance, overusing the humidifier will boost the humidity level at home, which will grow mold and mildew to damage the properties. Henceforth, we will also showcase the top disadvantages and risks associated with the humidifier.
Finally, we will suggest safe ways to use a humidifier correctly to boost indoor air condition and live healthily and happily.
What Is A Humidifier and How It Works?
Humidifiers are devices that homeowners use to increase the humidity and moisture level in the room or home. Humidifiers can be of the following two types depending on their operational capacity and range.
- Single room humidifier
- Whole-house humidifier
As their name suggests, this classification of the humidifier is based on how much area they can cover. Usually, the device has a fan to draw the dry air from the indoor environment. Once it draws the air, it passes through the device, and inside it, there’s a water tank reservoir.
As the air passes through the device, it adds water with the dry air and releases it back to the interior. Consequently, the added water improves moisture and humidity level in the indoor air.
On the contrary, other humidifiers will directly release the water mist in the air to increase the humidity level. Mostly, a steam humidifier will work in this way. These humidifiers are known as warm mist humidifiers.
What’s more, humidifiers can be of different types, depending on their working procedure. The list includes:
- A steam humidifier is also known as a vaporizer humidifier. As we mentioned in the previous segment, it releases the boiled water in the air in mist form. The warm steam or mist water slowly releases into the room air and enhances humidity. As it works simply, it is also the cheapest humidifier.
- Impeller humidifiers have a rotating disc. It works like a diffuser to break down the water droplets into finer mists. Then, the water droplet will release into the air as cool mist forms. Thus, it is referred to as a cool-mist humidifier. Also, cool mist devices are the best humidifier types for nosebleeds as they slowly release cool mist humidity in the air. You will get rid of bleeding due to dryness in the air.
- Then there’s the ultrasonic humidifier. It has a metal diaphragm. The metal diaphragm will vibrate following a specific ultrasonic frequency. It breaks down the water into finer droplets, and then the droplets are released into the air to eliminate the dryness.
The humidifier benefits will vary slightly depending on the type of humidifier you have in your room or home. So, let’s discuss it.
Nonetheless, if you are interested in learning the humidifier’s using procedure better, you can watch the following YouTube video.
Top Benefits of Humidifier
As we all know, a humidifier is used to remove the dryness from the interior air and increase the moisture. It is important during the cold days and in dry regions where humidity level in the air often drops below 40% and cause skin irritation, nosebleed, and even sinus problems.
Helps in Moisturizing Your Skin
When your indoor air is too dry, it will cause skin irritation. Also, living too long in dry air will hurt your skin health. The forced-air heating systems or cold weather will often force the humidity level to drop below 40%. As the moisture in the air shrinks, dryness in the air increases, resulting in drier skin.
Your body’s lips and hands take the maximum toll of loss of moisture in the air due to the lack of oil glands and their tenderness. Consequently, you will experience skin irritation. At the worst, your skin will chap and look harsh.
Although you can temporarily use chapstick and moisturizing lotions to get rid of skin irritation and dryness, installing a humidifier will be the best solution. With the device, you can regulate the humidity level anywhere between 40% to 60% for moisturizing your skin and lips. It also helps maintain the tenderness of your skin to give you an ageless appearance.
Helps Fight Sinus Problem
When you live in a too dry condition for an extended period, it will dry your nasal and sinus passages. Also, it dries up the mucus inside your sinus. As a result, you will face sinus problems and headaches due to sinusitis.
As the discomfort increases, you may even face nosebleed. None of these scenarios are pleasant, and you would get rid of the sinus problem by all means. Thankfully, a humidifier will help you remove dryness from the sinus passage with the increased humidity level.
When the air has enough moisture, it regularly helps the mucus in the nasal and sinus passage flow. Thus, you don’t just get rid of sinus issues but also stuffy noses. It will be a great relief for those suffering from sinus problems for so long.
Stops Nosebleed
As CDC and NCBI reports suggest, around 60% of Americans experience some sort of nosebleed at some point in their life. Although it is not a fatal disease, 10% of people need to visit their physician due to intensive bleeding in their nose.
While there’s no medical remedy to the nosebleed problem, living in good humidity will help reduce the problem. As you install a humidifier in your room and regulate the moisture level above 40%, it will keep the nasal passage wet. Also, mucus will flow regularly through the passage. Since the humidifier helps keep the nasal passage wet, you won’t face any nosebleeds. It will also remove discomfort due to dryness in the nasal passage.
Protects Your Vocal Cord and Throat
When your throat and vocal cord are exposed to dry air for too long, it will irritate you. Thus, it becomes scratchy to cause you discomfort. As you remain in the dry air for too long, your throat will start soring, and your voice becomes hoarse.
The discomfort increases, particularly when you recover from the flu or fever. In these cases, you can use a small humidifier in your workplace or room to control humidity. As the moisture level is optimal, you won’t face soreness or scratches in your vocal cord and throat. Thus, you will enjoy an improved moisture level to get rid of throat sores.
Reduces Spreading Rate of Germs
Multiple studies show that germs can spread faster in drier air than moisture air. It shows that using a humidifier can help slow down the speed of germs spreading. A recent article in the National Academy of Sciences suggested a strong correlation between flu virus spreading rate and dryness in the air.
Also, in drier air, the flu virus can survive for an extended period, increasing the chance of infecting more people. So, you should eliminate the dryness from the indoor air to halt the spread of flu germs. To do so, you need to install a humidifier.
The humidifier will increase the moisture in the air. And as the study suggests, when the humidity level rises close to 60%, the survival chance of the flu virus reduces drastically. It becomes even more crucial during the post-pandemic condition when Coronavirus is still rampaging our surroundings. So, you can install the humidifier and enjoy a flu-free environment to live healthily.
Helps in Easing Illness Symptoms
A humidifier reduces the spreading rate of the flu virus and helps you ease out the fever symptoms. When you use a humidifier and maintain the moisture level in optimal condition, it will remove stuffy nose, breathing difficulty, throat soring, and pain at bay.
It will be incredibly useful during your illness as you won’t face other health issues. As the moisture level in the air improves, you will be less likely to face any breathing problem. It is a great relief during flu and fever time when you want a healthier and livable environment.
Helps Reduce Snoring
According to John Hopkins Medical’s study, 45% of adults in America snore occasionally. What’s more alarming is around 25% of American adults snore almost regularly. It is huge!
Most people don’t know that living and sleeping in drier air increases the chance of snoring. If you have a snoring problem, drier will actually increase its severity. So, you can switch on your humidifier at night to increase the humidity level. With proper moisture in the air, you will face fewer breathing problems. Also, it won’t dry your nasal passage.
This, in turn, reduces the snoring problem. Moreover, moisture in the air eliminates nasal congestion and throat swelling, which are the primary causes of snoring. Thus, a humidifier will be useful if you face snoring problems to reduce its effect.
Good for Houseplants
Your indoor houseplant will thank you for installing a quality humidifier at home. Yes, houseplants can thrive better in an indoor environment with the additional humidity that the device adds to the air. Since these devices release the water in mist form in the air, it becomes easy for the houseplants to soak it.
Therefore, indoor plants will love the humidified air and will grow healthier. You will appreciate the thriving indoor garden for sure.
Good for Furniture and Floor
Wooden floors and furniture may get damaged due to fluctuation in the indoor humidity level. Thus, it’s not good for them. Thankfully, you can easily maintain the interior moisture level at 40% to 60% with the humidifier at home.
As the moisture remains optimal, wooden items will remain in a good state. Plus, direr air can soak the sap from the wood, which, in turn, will dry up the furniture from its inside. As a result, wooden items may crack or split due to drier air. With the humidifier, you can easily solve it. Nonetheless, too must moisture is also harmful to furniture. If the humidity level goes over 60%, mold and mildew will grow quickly in the wooden items to destroy their look.
Risks Associated With Humidifier
As you read the benefits of a humidifier, you might be itching to get one for your home. Of course, getting the device will surely add multiple health benefits. But, you should be aware of its possible risks for a better application.
- Burns from the humidifier are pretty common, particularly if you have a warm mist or UV humidifier at home. Thus, you need to be careful about handling the device. Also, take special care of kids to safeguard them from burns. You should place the device out of your kids’ and pets’ reach to maximize their safety.
- You should never set the humidifier above 60% humidity level. If you run the device for too long and at a higher level, moisture will quickly condensate in the wall and furniture. It will result in mold and mildew growth which isn’t a pleasant scene by any means.
- If a humidifier becomes too dirty, germs can grow inside it. Thus, your interior space becomes a breeding ground for cold and flu viruses. A dirty dehumidifier will result in a bad and funny odor in the room. Therefore, we suggest you clean the humidifier timely. You should also empty the reservoir tank and clean it to stop odor and fungus development inside it.
- Often hard water used in the reservoir tank will clog it. Also, the minerals and microorganisms will grow as a by-product. It can create a cognitive environment for asthma and germs. Thus, we recommend you use distilled water in the tank. It will help you avoid these problems and considerably prolong the device’s lifespan.
- Finally, large humidifiers can be noisy. It will disturb your sleep. So, it is suggested that you choose the device with less than 30db sound. It will help you sleep peacefully.
Final Talks
The benefits of humidifiers are countless. If you want a moisturized indoor for better skin care, tender lips, and healthy living without sinus and snoring, investing in a good-quality humidifier will be one of the best decisions. What’s more, the device is useful in stopping nosebleeds and dryness in your throat.
On top of it, the indoor houseplant, floor, and furniture will also benefit from the added humidity in the air. Therefore, a humidifier will be a great relief during the cold winter days and for those who live in drier regions.
