We all experience dry air caused by hot weather conditions or indoor heating during winter. So what does a humidifier do for your wellbeing? A humidifier is a machine that disperses water into the environment consequently moisturizing dry air. The mist may be cool or warm depending on the type of humidifier.
The humidifier is useful as long as it is used to raise the humidity to the right levels whether in summer or winter.
So what is right humidity level? Get a hygrometer to measure the moisture level and keep it between 30% and 50% (Source). Should your reading be lower than 30%, get the humidifier to moisturize the air. If the humidity level is above 50, switch off the humidifier.
It’s good to note that if the humidity is too high, you are likely to create a favorable environment to grow disease causing germs fungi, mold, dust mites. When the hygrometer reading is higher than recommended, it’s time to switch on the dehumidifier to soak in the excess moisture..
What does a humidifier do for colds and flu
Colds are caused by viruses. A virus survives and circulates faster in a dry environment. The virus then wreaks havoc on your lungs, nose and throat. Maintain the right humidity and reduce the incidence or the severity of cold or flu.
According to a 2013 study by Public Library of Service (source), one hour after releasing viral particles in the air with a relative humidity of 23% or less, 70-77% of viral particles retained their infectious capacity, but when humidity was increased to about 43%, only 14% of the virus particles were infectious.
And, the inactivation occurred within the first fifteen minutes of the viral particles being released in the high humidity condition. From the study findings, when you maintain humidity levels greater than 40%, infection capacity decreases.
You can find a humidifier to relieve the cold or flu here.
What does a humidifier do for sinuses
Do you know the importance of sinuses in your respiratory system? Well, they produce the mucus that moisturizes the inside of your nose. They also trap harmful particles that would otherwise irritate the respiratory system When the sinuses get inflamed, your nasal passages get congested.
Get a humidifier to assist moisturize the air you breathe in and ultimately the nasal passages. Find out how to choose the best humidifier for sinuses here
What does a humidifier do for bronchitis?
Dry air inflames the bronchial tube linings deep in the lungs. The airways swells, thickens and produce excess mucus. As a result, the airways decrease and a phlegmy cough develops.
One of the ways to manage this condition is to keep the air moistened. Switch on your humidify and maintain the humidity level between 30-50%. Humidity is said to be good for lung health. (source)
Benefits of a humidifier for a cough
Dry air may worsen a cough. When you breathe in moist air, the mucus which is causing congestion is thinned out which makes it easy to expel.
When you get the humidifier running, the moist air moistens the dry throat. As a result, the cough severity is reduced.
Does a humidifier help with nosebleeds?
You may sleep and wake up to find some drops of blood on your pillow? The dry air may be the culprit as a dry nose may cause the skin to dry up resulting in a nosebleed. Crank up the humidifier, moisturize the air and airways and reduce the incidence of nose bleeding
What does a humidifier do for asthma?
If you are asthmatic, dry air may trigger an attack. The dry air may worsen an attack as the dry airways become irritated, swollen and tighten making it difficult to breathe. Get a humidifier to moisturize the air and thus keep the airways moist.
Sleeping with humidifier benefits
One of the things that disturb sleep is snoring. The condition is caused by dry air passages and sinuses. Keep the bedroom environment moist and reduce the intensity of the snoring sounds or eliminate it altogether.
What does a humidifier do for houseplants
Don’t we love plants in the living spaces? They not only add beauty but also help remove toxins out of the environment. But, what happens when we move these plants from their humid natural environments into the dry home? Some of the plants thrive in the 80% humidity levels and our homes could be at the 20% levels especially during winter.
When the humidity in the home is low, the plants loose moisture at a higher rate than they are absorbing. As the plant tries to protect the remaining moisture, it closes the pores and soon the leaves wither. Get a humidifier running to raise humidity in the home and thus keep your plants healthy.
Benefits of a humidifier for skin
Get the right humidifier running and get on the way to a glowing, radiant look every day.
For a softer more radiant skin, run a humidifier. The dry air in your environment steals moisture from your skin resulting in reddish, rough, gray or ashy, itchy, flaking, scaling or peeling skin. You may even note lines, wrinkles or deep cracks on the skin.
Prevent static electric shocks with a humidifier
Dry air in the home contributes to static electricity experienced as static shock, some garments sticking together or hair standing up even after brushing. The shocks may even push you across the room when you pet the cat.
What does a humidifier do for wooden furniture, furnishings, walls etc.
Wood can gain or lose moisture depending on the surrounding environmental conditions. Have you that when the environment is dry, wood loses moisture, contracts and you notice peeling, cracks or splits on your wooden furniture/fixtures/ musical instrument/ fine art?
You may also have noted the creaking and cracking sounds. That’s the effect of dry air. Contrary, when the humidity level is high, the wood holds more moisture in the cells which then pushes the fibers apart and volume increases.
Operating the humidifier to keep the right humidity levels ensures the right moisture content is maintained in the furniture/ furnishings and thus prolonging the durability.
Benefits of a humidifier for the voice
Dry air does not spare your vocal cords. They get clogged and you wake up with a growl. Run a humidifier overnight and wake up to your normal voice.
What does a humidifier do to a healing process-Faster Healing Times
When recuperating from respiratory conditions, keep the humidifier running overnight to keep the airways moist. You are most likely to heal faster.
What is the effect of a humidifier on the heating Bill
It feels warmer in humid environments than it does in lower humidity level environments. This means that when you add moisture in the environment, the air will feel warmer. You can then reduce the room heater reading and thus save on electricity bills.
What does a humidifier do for babies?
Running a humidifier has an additional benefit for babies. The white noise the humidifier produces resonates with the whooshing sounds the baby heard in the womb and thus acting as a lullaby. The noise also drowns out household noises from the TV, dogs barking or children playing. Get the best baby humidifier and let your baby sleep comfortably.
CONCLUSION
From the aforementioned, it is quite clear that the humidifier is a useful appliance when preventing or managing several health or environmental conditions. While using the humidifier, keep a tab at the hygrometer readings to ensure you maintain the humidity level between 30-50%.
Happy misting!
