If you've ever woken up with a bloody nose, cracked lips, or dry skin, then you know the unfortunate effects of dry air. Thankfully, humidifiers can help soothe these familiar problems.
Humidifiers add moisture to your space by releasing steam or water vapor into the air to increase humidity and help prevent dryness that can cause irritation.
When used correctly, high-quality humidifiers can significantly impact your health. Read on for the top 10 health benefits of portable humidifiers.
What Are Home Humidifers (+The 5 Types)
Humidifiers are devices that add moisture to the air, helping to combat dryness and improve indoor air quality. They work by emitting water vapor or steam into the air, increasing the relative humidity in a room or throughout a home. Humid air can be nice for your sinuses and overall health.
Low humidity levels can cause excessive dryness, leaving your eyes, skin, and respiratory system at greater risk of discomfort, illness, and other health problems.
When it comes to humidity levels in your home, there is a sweet spot.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping humidity in the home between 30 and 50 percent.
Types of Humidifiers
There are five common types of home humidifiers and they each work a bit differently.
Central Humidifiers
Central humidifiers are built directly into a home's central heating and central air conditioning system, providing humidity control for the entire house. They are typically the most expensive option but offer whole-home coverage without the need for portable units.
Evaporators
Evaporative humidifiers use a fan to blow air through a moistened filter or wick. This process naturally evaporates water into the air, increasing humidity levels. They are generally affordable and effective for single rooms.
Impeller Humidifiers
Impeller humidifiers, or a cool mist humidifier, create a cool mist by using a high-speed rotating disk to fling water at a diffuser, which breaks the water into fine droplets. These units are often child-friendly due to their cool mist output and lack of heating elements.
Steam Vaporizers
Also known as warm mist humidifiers, steam vaporizers heat water to create steam, which is then cooled slightly before being released into the air. They are typically inexpensive and portable but can pose a burn risk due to the heating element.
Ultrasonic Humidifiers
Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency sound vibrations to produce a fine mist. They are available in both cool and warm mist versions and are known for their quiet operation. These units often don't require filters, reducing maintenance costs.
10 Health Benefits of Humidifiers
Dry indoor air can negatively impact your health and well-being.
Acting as a natural moisturizing agent, humidifiers have several important health benefits. Here are the top ten.
1. Prevents Colds and Flus
As the seasons change, so does the risk of common airborne illnesses like the common cold and flu. Humidified air can decrease the risk of this sickness making its way through your home.
In fact, one study found that increasing the humidity level of air to 43 percent or more can decrease the activity of certain airborne viruses, such as influenza.
If indoor humidity levels are less than 23%, influenza's infectivity rate—also known as its ability to infect others via respiratory air droplets—is between 70% and 77%. If indoor humidity is kept above 43%, the infectivity rate is much lower, between 14% and 22%.
By strategically running console humidifiers in your home, you can prevent the further spread of the flu and colds.
2. Improves Skin
Dryness is generally bad for your skin. It pulls moisture from it, making it itchy and irritated. This reduced moisture can make your skin feel dry, dull, and cracked.
Humidifiers can counter this effect. Increasing moisture in the air makes your skin feel more smooth and glowy. In a hospital setting, simply increasing humidity from 32% to 43% with a humidifier in the winter has been shown to relieve dry and itchy skin symptoms among staff.
3. Helps With Sinus and Congestion
Humidifiers can also help loosen congestion and clear the vocal cords by moistening the nasal passage. When you get sick, the cells lining your respiratory tract generate more mucus. When the mucus dries, it can become sticky, making it hard to blow or cough. Increasing air moisture can make it easier to expel the mucus when coughing or blowing your nose by preventing it from drying.
Additionally, if you frequently experience sinusitis or any problem related to your sinuses due to dry air, a humidifier can help reduce symptoms.
4. Soothes a Sore Throat
A sore throat is a common problem in the upper respiratory tract, and dry air is the main culprit. If the cold winter air makes your throat painful and scratchy, rehydrating the mucous membrane with a humidifier can help. Setting a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep to moisten the air can be an effective way to get rid of sore throats.
5. Relieves Coughing
Dryness often triggers upper respiratory tract contraction, which causes a cough. Using a humidifier will not only reduce the ability of airborne disease infection but also help relieve your cough by soothing your upper respiratory muscles.
6. Reduces Allergies
Breathing humidified air is one way to relieve the discomfort and symptoms of indoor allergies. Symptoms of allergies include nasal congestion (like a stuffy nose), irritation, and inflammation of the nasal cavity. Reducing inflammation of these tissues can provide quick relief for allergy sufferers. With increased humidity, moistened nasal tissues can blow out irritants and allergens from your nasal cavity, reducing allergy symptoms.
However, too much humidity can cause dust mites and mold to spread. Therefore, people with these indoor allergies should clean their humidifiers regularly and monitor humidity levels so they don't exceed 50%.
7. Prevents Asthma
Asthma is a condition that occurs due to the contraction of smooth muscle in the upper respiratory tract due to allergens such as dirt, dust, pollen, spores, and more. A humidifier will adsorb these asthmatic triggers and relieve the upper respiratory tract, which reduces asthma. Humidifiers also help to relieve asthma by soothing the tissues in the nose and throat and relieving dry and itchy throat, runny nose, coughing, nose bleeds, and sinus congestion.
8. Improves Sleep Quality
Dry conditions can make sleeping uncomfortable, causing some people to experience insomnia or sleep deprivation. A humidifier can help.
In fact, humidifiers are often added to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure treatment) machines used on sleep apnea patients. Because CPAP machines blow dry air up your nose, increasing congestion, using heated humidification on sleep apnea patients helped reduce symptoms of a stuffy nose and improve sleep quality.
9. Beneficial for House Plants
Humidifier benefits are not only useful for humans; moist air can also be good for your houseplants. Plants need water from their soil and the air to survive and thrive. When the space gets too dry, the plants can shrivel up. That's where a humidifier can make a big difference.
Plus, it pays to keep your houseplants happy. Indoor plants contribute to good air quality because they produce more oxygen for us. The more oxygen you breathe in, the better for your body.
10. Improves Air Quality
Humidifiers play a significant role in improving indoor air quality by adding moisture to the air, which can have several beneficial effects. By increasing humidity levels, these devices help reduce the risk of contracting airborne illnesses and provide relief from dry skin, chapped lips, and irritated nasal passages.
Proper humidity levels can also alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and persistent coughs, making breathing easier for those with respiratory ailments.
Additionally, humidifiers can indirectly improve air quality by weighing down dust particles, causing them to fall out of the air and making them easier to clean from surfaces.
However, it's important to note that while humidifiers don't directly clean the air like air purifiers, they can create a more comfortable indoor environment and support the body's natural defenses against bacteria and viruses by moistening nasal passages.
Humidifiers can also increase the efficiency of furnaces in the winter because moist air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature.
Remember, too high humidity levels can also cause problems, such as mold growth. The key is to maintain moderate humidity levels with the help of a humidifier, which will vary based on your climate.
Enhancing Indoor Air Quality with Humidifiers and Air Purifiers
Using a humidifier is quite helpful in alleviating uncomfortable dryness and aiding your overall health and wellbeing.
But they often work best when complemented by an air purifier. This combination improves air quality and enhances comfort and health.
Imagine stepping into a room where the air feels fresh and clean, yet also gentle on your skin and respiratory system. This is achievable by pairing an air purifier with a humidifier. The purifier ensures that the air is free from harmful particles, while the humidifier maintains optimal moisture levels, typically between 30% and 50%. This balance is crucial for alleviating symptoms of colds, flus, and allergies, such as sore throats and congestion.
Dry air, often prevalent during colder months or in air-conditioned spaces, can exacerbate respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis. By adding moisture to the air, humidifiers help moisturize airways, making breathing easier. Meanwhile, air purifiers remove irritants that can trigger these conditions, creating a healthier environment for everyone.
In practical terms, using both devices together can be efficient. However, it's important to place the humidifier far enough from the air purifier to prevent moisture from affecting its filters. Regular maintenance is also key to ensuring both devices perform optimally and preventing issues like mold growth in portable humidifiers.
By integrating an air purifier with a humidifier, you can create a more balanced indoor environment that supports both cleanliness and comfort, ultimately enhancing overall health and well-being.
Humidifiers and air purifiers make an excellent duo—check out our air purifiers to create cleaner, more comfortable space.
