Why You Should Use a Humidifier

WATER MAKES UP ABOUT 70% of the average adult’s total body weight. Water is critical for sustaining life because it helps keep a number of functions in the human body going, ranging from manufacturing hormones and forming saliva to helping rid the body of waste products.

When we think about water in terms of health, we usually think about drinking and hydration. But depending on where you live and the time of year, considering the amount of water in the air – humidity – may be important to maintaining overall good health too.

If you live at altitude or in an arid environment, the humidity in the air may be lower than what people who live at sea level or on the coast may experience. And in the wintertime, indoor heating systems and cold outdoor temperatures can really wring all the moisture out of the air.

The National Weather Service reports that warm air can hold more moisture or water vapor than cold air. As temperatures fall, the air loses its ability to retain that moisture, making for dry, cold air that can cause problems for your health.

Breathing in air that’s very dry can dehydrate the moist mucus membranes that line the respiratory tract including the nose, throat and lungs. For some, this leads to minor irritations or nuisance symptoms, such as dry, itchy skin. But for others, dry conditions can have more serious repercussions, especially if there’s an underlying medical condition present.

Dry air can trigger symptoms or exacerbate several conditions including:

Wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath are all symptoms that may increase in the dry winter months and are also associated with these respiratory conditions.

Adding Moisture to the Air

If you tend to get colds frequently or experience frequent congestion during the winter months, using a humidifier might help alleviate some of those problems.

Adding moisture to the air can help alleviate certain symptoms of respiratory illness including:

If you have frequent colds in the wintertime, a humidifier might help. Especially for children, running a humidifier in the bedroom at night can help clear congestion and make for a better night’s sleep. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping the humidity level in your home between 30% and 50%.

While humidifiers can be a big help for some people, especially those who live in very dry climates, there can be some downsides.

“Humidifiers and filters that are dirty can quickly breed mold and bacteria, which can then be spread throughout your house on the water droplets generated by the humidifier,” Thompson says. Therefore, “it’s important to make sure your humidifier and filter are clean.” Change the water in your humidifier as directed by the manufacturer and be sure the change the filter at least as often as the instructions recommend.

Changing the water frequently and cleaning the device according to the manufacturer’s recommendations is critical to keeping the humidifier working well and preventing problems.

Thompson adds that using distilled water in your humidifier instead of tap water can also help keep it cleaner and reduce the chances of anything harmful growing in the reservoir.

A humidifier can soothe a lot of symptoms related to dry air, but Thompson notes that you should continue paying attention to your symptoms and seek medical advice if they worsen or don’t resolve within a few days. There could be something more serious at work than just some dry air if they don’t abate after a few nights of running a humidifier in the bedroom.