What Type Of Humidifier Is The Best For Allergies
A good humidifier will significantly reduce the growth of allergens. It creates an environment in which all bacteria and allergens are unable to thrive. Now you understand how a humidifier for allergies can help you. So, its time to learn more about the different types of humidifiers and their benefits.
Humidifier With Steam Vapor Technology
Steam vapor humidifiers release the humidity into the air as a steam vapor after heating the water to a high temperature. Numerous humidifiers heat the water to a temperature where irritating substances like bacteria, algae, and mold can be eliminated. Compared to other humidifiers, this decreases the likelihood of allergens being discharged into the air.
Humidifiers are a great way to keep your house comfortable for the winter months. But, not taking proper care of your humidifier can cause it to become less effective, which can cause mold and bacteria to grow, making your home a less comfortable place to be. Here are a few tips to help you take care of your humidifier and keep it working properly.
What Does A Humidifier Do For Allergies
Did you know that more than 50 million people in the United States experience various types of allergies each year? According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America , allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S.
Allergies occur when ones immune system reacts to a foreign substance. These substances are known as allergens. Allergies can stem from:
- a specific food
The most common from the list above occurs through indoor and outdoor inhalation of allergy triggers such as trees, grass and weed pollen, mold, dust, and animal dander.
Allergy symptoms can range vastly from a scratchy throat, itchy eyes and sinus swelling to hives, asthma attacks, and low blood pressure depending on the case. Many people with allergies often have more than just one type. Even though there are many known causes for allergies, medical professionals have no cure. However, allergies can be managed with the right treatment and preventative measures.
Prevention of allergies depends on the type of allergy you have. For those with indoor and outdoor allergies, you should aim to stay inside with the windows closed. However, indoor air can be dry, causing your nasal passages to dry up, which is why many recommend the regular use of a humidifier to avoid triggering an allergic reaction, sinus infections, colds, and even the flu.
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Alleviate Dry Sinus Symptoms
The ideal home humidity level for people with allergies is between 40% and 50%. Maintaining an optimal indoor humidity ensures that the moisture you receive from your humidifier can soothe dry sinus passages that allergy sufferers often fall victim to. It is important to make sure that you purchase a humidifier that provides clean, filtered moisture and also mitigates dust and mold.
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How To Use Humidifiers The Right Way
Humidifiers arent something that you can just use and forget about, at least not if you want them to operate efficiently and get as many years of use out of them as possible. Make sure that you keep your humidifier clean so that it remains free of bacteria. Its also best that you keep vaporizer humidifiers out of the reach of children since the hot steam may cause burns.
Even if your humidifier has a hygrometer, its best that you still keep an eye on them to see that the moisture level in your home is always between 30% and 50%. Any water that you use in your humidifier should be as clean as possible.
If the water has been sitting in the reservoir of the humidifier for a while, it can start to grow fungi and bacteria. The next time you turn your humidifier on, all of those allergens will be pumped into the air and into your lungs if you breathe it in. Its best that you change the water in your humidifier every day and completely empty the reservoir before you fill it up again.
Before you put your humidifier away in storage, youll first want to completely drain it and clean it. Its also recommended that you throw away all filters, cassettes, and cartridges. Youll want to clean it again once you take it out of storage to get rid of any dust, bacteria, and fungi that might have gotten onto it.
If you suffer from allergies, or if you just want to improve your indoor quality of air, consider purchasing a high-quality humidifier for your home.
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Can Humidity Cause Sinus Problems
Temperature and humidity changes trigger the membranes inside your nose and sinuses. Due to this, your sinuses do not get drained as well as they should.
The congestion caused can often lead to pain and other sinusitis-related problems.
Maintaining proper humidity at home helps a lot in relieving the sinuses and symptoms such as headache, sore throat, ear pain, etc.
However, the thing to remember is that too little or too much humidity can cause further problems for you by aggravating the symptoms.
Hence it is recommended to monitor the quality of air inside and check the humidity level by installing a good humidifier that can track and maintain the proper humidity levels automatically.
Does Sleeping With A Humidifier Help Allergies
Are you still wondering how does sleeping with humidifier help allergies? Basically, what a humidifier does is add more water vapor to the air. When this water vapor is inhaled through the nose, it settles down on the tissues of the nasal mucosa.
Thus, it provides comfort from the problems of inflammation, dryness, nasal irritation and makes room for effortless breathing. Especially for people with allergies, it is very important to have an undisturbed sleep during the night.
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Is An Air Purifier Or Humidifier Better For Allergies
There is some debate over whether a humidifier or air purifier is better for allergies, but neither is better because both serve a different function. Air purifiers capture the particles that generally cause allergies such as dust, mold, animal hair, and pollen. In doing so, these devices reduce allergen levels, making the air easier to breathe.
Humidifiers, on the other hand, dont actually reduce allergen levels. Instead, they are used to alleviate allergy symptoms caused by dry eyes and sinuses. They might be very helpful at neutralizing some allergens, but this isnt their main function.
How A Humidifier Can Help
How can a large bedroom humidifier help relieve your symptoms of allergic rhinitis? Put simply, it helps reduce the inflammation in your nose.
If your nasal passages are already inflamed due to allergies, dry indoor air can exacerbate the issue and make it much more uncomfortable. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for sores and blisters to develop inside or around your nose in response to these arid conditions. You can even get nosebleeds!
If you’re constantly blowing your nose or sniffling due to an allergic reaction, you don’t need to breathe in dry air. Not only could it damage your nose even more, but it can also turn your eyes red and make your skin itch.
Rather, you need to amplify the relative humidity levels in your home, and a humidifier can help you do so.
As you breathe in the water vapor that emits from the machine, you’ll find that you can breathe more easily. Anyone who’s ever lied awake at night due to a blocked nose knows the sheer relief this can bring!
This is because your nasal passages are finally able to relax. As they do so, mucus can flow more freely out of your body. You’ll find that your coughs are more productive, as are your nose-blowing efforts.
In time, this can help relieve your symptoms. You’ll also find that you’re able to sleep through the night more easily! Plug in your essential oil diffuser to turn your bedroom into an oasis and drift into dreamland.
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What Is Better For Allergies Humidifier Or Vaporizer
The AAAI recommend that people with indoor allergies speak with their doctor to determine if a humidifier is helpful for their specific allergies. A vaporizer is a better option for people that have indoor allergens because the device heats water to create a mist that usually has fewer contaminants than a humidifier.
What Types Of Humidifier Are There
There’s no shortage of humidifiers on the market, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Here are the main types and how they work to humidify the air.
- Evaporators: This style of humidifier sucks in air, passes it through a filter, and then fans the hydrated air back out.
- Steam vaporizers: This humidifier creates steam internally, cooling it to an appropriate temperature before pumping it into your living space.
- Ultrasonic humidifiers: Typically smaller and more high-tech, these humidifiers use vibrations to vaporize water and pump steam back into the air.
- Whole house: These humidifiers attach to your central air conditioning or heating system, eliminating the need to purchase small units for each room.
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Impact On Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of your nasal cavity that impacts about one in every five people. Symptoms include congestion, inflammation and irritation. One way to help reduce the inflammation is to breathe humid air, as the water vapor in the air can help moisten the nasal tissue
While the extra humidity may help reduce your allergy symptoms caused by inflammation, it can also create a breeding ground for dust mites, mold and mildew, three common causes of allergic rhinitis.
Experts estimate that you should try to keep the humidity level in your home between 40-50%, to both keep allergens at bay and to help moisten your nasal passage. A hygrometer can help you monitor the humidity levels in your home.
Warm Mist Vs Cool Mist Humidifiers
Youll first want to choose between warm mist and cool mist humidifiers. Warm mist humidifiers release warm mist or steam vapors into the air. You can see and feel the mist. They tend to be a little quieter than other types of humidifiers and may be best at soothing sinuses and thinning out mucus secretions. They are better for smaller areas, like a bedroom. Because they release very hot mist, they should be kept away from children.
Cool mist humidifiers are quiet and usually easy to clean, but they do need more frequent cleaning. They work better in larger environments, and some people believe cool mist is more comfortable to breathe. These are often used in warmer climates.
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Can A Humidifier Help Alleviate My Allergies
Living in a dry climate comes with its own set of challenges. Youre less likely to worry about mold and termites. But, the winter months can be brutal for your respiratory system. Running a heater or wood stove might combat the chill, but it also makes your already dry living environment even drier. What if they air were less dry? Can a humidifier help with allergies?
The result probably sounds familiar. Chapped lips, dry skin, bloody noses, and increased allergy symptoms all come with the territory. However, you might not know why your indoor allergy symptoms seem to get so much worse during the winter. This also comes down to humidity.
The natural defense mechanisms you have in place in your oral and nasal passages rely on moisture. In a dry environment, it is more difficult for your body to catch and efficiently get out unwanted allergens and germs. Fortunately, a humidifier may be able to provide you with some relief.
Does Dry Air Affect Your Allergy
Breathing in dry air is bad for everyone. Of course, you may ask why it is so bad for allergy sufferers in particular. We put together some of the ways dry air can harm those with allergies.
- It dries out your mucous membranes in your nose and throat. What do these mucous membranes do? They catch and filter out items entering your body when you breathe. Mucus membranes help prevent these items from entering the rest of the respiratory system. They catch viruses, bacteria, dust, pollen, mold, and other items that can trigger your allergies. They are not as effective as when fully moisturized. So what can happen if they are too dry to catch these items? Bacteria, dust, mold can enter the respiratory system and trigger your allergic response.
- Dry air irritates the sinuses. Right, where many allergy sufferers feel their symptoms the most. Since you mostly breathe through your nose, your sinuses get hit hard by dry air.
- It also can dry out the things that trigger your allergies, such as dust mites and pollen. That is not good news. If they are dried out, they become lighter and better able to travel in the air and into your lungs.
- Many allergies cause skin reactions. When the air is dry, it will dry out the skin, making it more susceptible to reactions.
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Precautions To Take When Using Humidifiers For Allergy Relief
While incorporating a humidification regimen into your environmental control regimen during the cold, dry winter months goes a long way in easing many of the seasons discomforts, it is very important to keep two things in mind: humidification levels should remain within the 30%-50% range and your unit should be cleaned and maintained according to manufacturer specifications. Not taking these precautions can lead to more problems than you started out with.
Extremely high levels of humidity can create additional allergen problems in your home, specifically with dust mites, who thrive in humid environments, and mold and mildew, which grow easily in an unventilated home that has high humidity levels. Anymore, most humidifying units, such as the Air-O-Swiss 7135 Ultrasonic, U650 Ultrasonic, and the AOS 7142, come with built-in humidity gauges, which cause the unit to shut off when desired humidity levels are reached. Alternately, you can purchase the Acu-Rite Digital Humidity Gauge to monitor humidity levels in your home.
This winter, dont let dry indoor air contribute to allergy problems. From using home humidifiers for allergy relief and keeping your home comfortable by restoring proper moisture levels to preventing those bouts of colds or the flu and protecting wood flooring and furniture, humidifiers an extremely beneficial tool for just about everyone during the cooler fall and winter months.
Can Humidifiers Help In Relieving Cold
In winters, humidity levels can drop low, and the risk of catching a cold or infection goes up. Humidifiers are perfect for such occasions. Studies have shown that humidifiers help you feel warmer when the humidity level is alleviated. With more moisture in the air, the evaporation of sweat slows down, and you feel warmer. But this is not all!
However, the opinion on this is not the same amongst experts. There is truth to the capability of humidifiers to ease cod symptoms, but patients still need to take proper precautions to help stop transmission. It is not going to do magic. It is best to get a medical opinion before you start using it as a remedy for cold and flu.
Warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers are popular amongst users, for the steam treatment. With vaporizers, people usually have good results in terms of cold and flu. However, these can be unsafe sometimes, and you need to handle these carefully. Some warm mist humidifiers also have the option of diffusing liquid medication along with the warm vapors, along with the steam. It is a good idea, however, to first check with your physician for that as well. Warm mist humidifiers, add warm steam and also warm the space they inhabit. Theyre ideal in case of cold or flu, but humidifiers, in general, have, to a degree, a positive effect in case of cough or flu.
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How Can Humidifiers Help With Allergies
A humidifier is an electronic device that pumps moisture into the air. When the humidity in a room is too low or too high, it can trigger allergy symptoms, especially when you’re dealing with dust, pollen from open windows, or indoor pets. You can place a humidifier in any room or enclosed space of your home. Simply stated, humidifiers work by creating moisture and filtering dust, dander, and virus particles from the air.
Now that we’re spending a larger chunk of our time indoors, it’s more important than ever to create a safe environment to eat, sleep, work, and live in. And humidifiers help to do just that. Too little humidity causes inflamed, irritated nasal passages, rashes, and dry skin, and too much creates an environment ripe for bacteria, dust mites, and molds, all of which can affect your health. It can contribute towards something called sick building syndrome, which we deal with in our related investigation.
Pure Enrichment Mistaire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
This is Amazon’s top-rated humidifier, with over 36,000 five-star ratings, so you know it must be good. The quiet, ultrasonic cool air mist device holds 1.5 liters of water and adds 150 milliliters of moisture per hour to your space for up to 16 hours. Also nice: It safely turns off when the water level is low. With adjustable speed settings and optional night light, you can create the ideal experience for sleep. Place it on your nightstand or nearby dresser, and wake up breathing and feeling better. (
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Do Humidifiers Help With Colds And Allergies
When your house humidity dives down, it can throw the environment inside your home off the rails. That can bring a lot of changes to your space, belongings, and health, and not good ones. The smart thing to do is to face the problem head-on and bring the humidity levels inside your home back to normal. The ideal humidity level inside homes is between thirty to fifty percent.
The best solution for you to bring the humidity inside your home is to get the appropriate model, keeping the basic requirements in mind. There are a lot of factors involved in the process of procuring the humidifier. These factors are the size of your humidifier, the capacity, type of humidifier, price range, and so on.
Humidifiers make good on restoring the humidity to normal inside your house, but there are a few other concerns that you might have about these devices.
