Benefits of Using a Humidifier
Whether its due to the winter cold, or the heat of summer when the air conditioning is drying out your air, low humidity levels in your home can have multiple ramifications for your health. From coughs and allergies to nose and eye irritation, dry air can make you feel miserable and may exacerbate existing health issues.
Humidifiers are the ultimate solution to dry air problems. They release water vapour into the atmosphere in a controlled way. This in turn keeps the air moist at a level that is healthy and comfortable. They can improve the quality of indoor air that you breathe day in and day out.
Thus, there are many benefits to be had from investing in a humidifier – we take a look at some of the most important ones below.
1. Calms Allergies
If you or any of your loved ones suffer from allergies, then you’ll be well aware of the misery they can cause. Itchy eyes, sneezing, runny noses, and irritated skin are just some of the daily struggles with which allergy sufferers must deal. In severe cases, allergies can affect adversely one’s productivity and result in taking days off work that could otherwise be avoided.
Whilst many people turn to medication to manage these symptoms, the best humidifier for allergies can help to limit the discomfort caused by allergic reactions. The vapour released by a humidifier hydrates the nose and throat, thinning out mucus and allowing the little hairs in the nose move freely and easily. This helps the nasal passages to trap bacteria, dust, and other allergy causing particles before they enter your respiratory system thereby helping to prevent inflammation and reduce instances of allergies flaring up.
Furthermore, in a dry environment, pollen, dust and other allergens more easily become airborne. Moderate relative humidity levels of around 40% enable moisture to condense upon the particles, weighing them down so that they fall out of the air and are less likely to be inhaled.
2. Soothes Dry Skin
If you are meticulous about your skin care routine and spend hundreds of dollars every year keeping your skin healthy and hydrated, then a humidifier could help reduce your skin care costs.
A humidifier can help soothe dry and inflamed skin due to the way it restores moisture to the air. Dry air is known to exacerbate skin conditions: when your skin is dry, it can become rough and can crack easily. For people who suffer from conditions like eczema, this can be extremely painful. Dry skin is also known to be a common cause of acne, as pores become blocked by dead skin cells and get infected.
Dry air is known to exacerbate skin conditions: when your skin is dry, it can become rough and can crack easily
Drinking lots of water and moisturizing regularly is very important, but having sufficient humidity levels in the air can also help your skin to look and feel more hydrated and healthy. This also applies to scalp health: a humidifier can help keep the atmosphere sufficiently moist to help reduce instances of dry scalp and dandruff. One of the best times to let your skin benefit from a humidifier is while you sleep. If you keep it plugged in the bedroom, then it will help achieve the optimum humidity levels to let your skin replenish without any effort on your part.
3. Encourages Comfortable Sleep
There are multiple ways that a humidifier can help you sleep more comfortably. If you struggle with snoring, then a humidifier could be one investment that will help with this irritating problem. Snoring usually occurs due to air not being able to move freely through inflamed and congested respiratory passages, resulting in vibrations. A humidifier can help restore moisture to the nose and sinuses and thus help open the airways to prevent snoring and the discomfort caused by a dry throat. This will result in more comfortable sleep for you as well as your partner.
humidifier can help restore moisture to the nose and sinuses and thus help open the airways to prevent snoring
Humidifiers can also help children sleep better. Their nasal passages are more sensitive than in adults and so anything out of the ordinary can cause discomfort and thus prevent them from sleeping easily. Dry air causes often results in irritation and nighttime coughing which can frequently wake up young children. A humidifier can create a healthier and more comfortable sleeping environment for them, which allows them to breath easily and sleep better. Less tossing and turning and night wakings for children usually results in more comfortable sleep for everybody.
4. Reduces Nose and Sinus Pain
If you’re generally prone to conditions like sinusitis then a humidifier can help alleviate these symptoms. This is because dry air causes the mucus in your nose and sinuses to not flow as it should. This means the sinuses will not drain, which will lead to the congestion and inflammation which causes sinus pain. Increasing air humidity, though, can reduce instances of suffering from sinus and nasal pain.
In addition, having a cold or the flu often results in us wiping our noses more vigorously. This can cause dry skin which is uncomfortable and painful. A humidifier can help reduce this discomfort by clearing the airways naturally and reducing the need for regular wiping. It can also soothe dry skin due to the hydrating effect of the humidifier.
5. Soothes Cold & Flu Symptoms
Purchasing a humidifier could actually be considered preemptive measure since air that is not too dry is less likely to transfer airborne viruses. If you are already suffering with symptoms related to a cold or flu then a humidifier can also help in a number of ways. This is because dry air can cause mucus to become thick and more difficult to pass. This can in turn result in a cough that feels like it will never go away. Nasal passages that are dry and congested can cause stuffy noses.
Since flu and cold symptoms are easily alleviated with a humidifier, it will no doubt make recovery smoother and easier
A humidifier can help loosen impacted mucus which will aid recovery. The moistening of the air can also lubricate your nasal airways resulting in easier breathing. Since flu and cold symptoms are easily alleviated with a humidifier, it will no doubt make recovery smoother and easier.
6. Keeps Houseplants Healthy
Decorating your home with the lush green of real plants has been proven to improve wellbeing. For many plants, adequate humidity is essential because plants lose moisture through the pores in their leaves, and this happens more rapidly when the air around them is dry.
Water that is absorbed through the roots does not always replenish the moisture lost through the leaves quickly enough. Since humidifiers control the level of humidity within your home, it can be one of the ways in which to achieve the best conditions not only for you, but also for your houseplants to truly bloom and thrive.
7. Protects Wooden Furniture
Dry air can also have adverse effects on your wooden furniture because it can dry out wood which, in turn, causes it to shrink. This places inevitable pressure on the wood cells, leading to cracking. Over time, this shrinking and cracking may develop into other problems such as loose table and chair legs, gaps in door frames, gaps in floorboards and even widening of cabinet joints. This can all lead to an increase in home repair costs that could be avoided. One of the most effective ways of preventing your wooden furniture from becoming dehydrated and damaged is to maintain a healthy level of humidity in your home. Investing in a humidifier will thus help keep down furniture replacement and repair costs.
8. Prevents Static Shocks
Static shocks occur when there is an imbalance in the electrical charges between a given surface and the level of electrical resistance in the air. Most commonly this is caused by friction. Electrical resistance is directly linked to the level of moisture in the air: when humidity is low, static electrical charges start to build up very quickly. They are released by being brought into contact with another object, which ultimately results in a static shock.
Since winter is usually when the air is drier, this is the most common season for static shocks to happen. While they are not dangerous, they can be annoying, painful, and sometimes destructive to electrical devices. To prevent them from occurring, invest in a high-quality humidifier to keep the air moisture high enough for this to not happen.
9. Keep Heating Costs Down
Humidity is one of the little-known factors that determines how hot or cold you feel. Hot temperatures, for example, will feel even hotter with high humidity. This is why tropical environments may be more unbearable for some than the desert heat, even though the desert temperatures are effectively higher.
using a humidifier to improve humidity levels in your home can help to reduce your heating bills over winter
Accordingly, having the heating on while the air is dry can be counterproductive. Raising humidity to a healthy level, while using moderate heating will make you feel warmer much quicker. This is because the moisture in the air works to trap the heat. Therefore, using a humidifier to improve humidity levels in your home can help to reduce your heating bills over winter.
Final Thoughts
Using a humidifier has a wide array of benefits for your health and your home. It can help alleviate allergy symptoms by keeping nasal passages free and clear; prevent cold and flu symptoms; and also work to eliminate irritating conditions such congestion and sinusitis. They are also excellent for relieving the discomfort of dry skin and for helping your skin to feel smooth and soft without any additional effort on your part.
Moreover, a humidifier may help you to sleep comfortably. The moist vapour released into the air can help maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels required for getting a good night’s sleep. Adequate humidity levels can also support healthy houseplants and preserve the integrity of wooden furniture. All in all, we’re sure you’ll agree that investing in a humidifier will deliver multiple benefits in many aspects of your home life.