During winters (or even during summers when you have your AC turned on) you may have felt the air in your house is quite dry. Just like extremely humid air can be bad for your health and skin, dry air too can cause eye and nose irritation and other health issues. If you already suffer from asthma or other respiratory problem then dry air may only make it worse. So, you need to make sure the humidity of your home remains within an optimal range. But how do you do so? Well, one of the best solutions would be to invest in a good quality humidifier.
What is a humidifier?
A humidifier is a small gadget that emits water vapor into the house and thus helps add humidity back in the air. The amount of water emitted depends on the environment’s relative humidity.
Humidity acts as a natural moisturizing agent and can help relieve dryness. This is why humidifiers are often used by people to enjoy relief from –
Dry throat
Dry skin
Headache/sinus congestion
Nose irritation
Cracked lips
Dry cough
Irritated vocal cords
Bleeding nose
Benefits of using a humidifier
Just like essential oil aromatherapy diffuser is found in almost every home to enjoy the many benefits that essential oil can provide to the skin and health, similarly, a humidifier too is used in almost every home to enjoy the many benefits it offers, some of which we shall learn about right away.
Helps Reduce Asthma and Cold Symptoms
If you already have a cold and are still breathing in dry, cold air, then this can have a huge impact on your respiratory system, which is already inflamed. As your system gets irritated by breathing in dry and cold air it can make the asthma attack episodes worse. However, if you use a humidifier, it will add moisture to the air, warm it up, which will then provide moisture to your respiratory tract, and this will control your asthma episodes. Certain humidifiers also have a medicine cup attached to it. You can use the medicine cup and add vaporizable medicine to the tank and then breathe the medicine and enjoy the other benefits of the humidifier at the same time.
Reduces Allergens
You perhaps always strive hard to make sure your home is squeaky clean, yet some contaminants stay unnoticed. These contaminants like mildew, mold, bacteria, pollen, and viruses can cause allergies, and if you already suffer from allergies they are likely to increase. Humidifiers can easily control the growth of such contaminants. As with the help of the device the relative humidity of your house can stay between 30 to 50 percent it will not be possible for bacteria, viruses, molds, and mildew to thrive in such conditions.
Can Prevent Dry Skin
If the air around is dry it can also dry out your skin. If your skin is dry then it can cause wrinkles soon and also your skin will look lifeless. With dry air around even chapsticks and lotions may not prove to be of much help. Instead, if you use a humidifier, there will be enough moisture in the air always, which your skin can absorb and stay healthy.
Can Help Loosen Congestion
Owing to the air around being dry, mucus too can become thick and dry, and this can clog your nasal passages. You are then likely to suffer from a stuffy nose, sinus pain, and sore throat. As humidifiers will add more moisture to the air this may break up phlegm in your chest and nose and provide you relief.
Can Keep Your Scalp and Hair Healthy
Your scalp too can become irritated and dry when there is not enough moisture present in the air, and this will make your scalp itchy and cause dandruff. Also, your hair can look lifeless, brittle and dry. As a humidifier offers the necessary humidity to the air, your hair and scalp will stay moisturized and look beautiful.
How to select the best humidifier
Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of using a humidifier and are eager to invest in one, you also need to know that just about using any device is not wise, and you only need to invest in the best. But how do you find the best humidifier? Well, continue reading and discover your answer.
Select by Type
There basically are two types of humidifiers – cool mist and warm mist. Though the process they use differs, both of them still add moisture to the surrounding air. A cool mist humidifier dispenses cool humid mist in the room and is ideal for areas that have a warm climate. On the other hand, a warm mist humidifier dispenses warm humid mist and is perfect for areas where the temperature is cold.
Select by Room Size
To figure out what size of humidifier you need you first have to find out the square footage of your room. Depending on the size you require you can shop from the many humidifier styles available. For areas that measure up to 25 sq. ft. a portable humidifier can be used. For rooms that measure 25 – 299 sq. ft. small-room humidifiers are good, for 300-499 sq. ft. medium-room humidifiers are ideal, and for rooms that are over 1,000 sq. ft. console humidifiers can be used.
Select the One That Is Easy To Clean
If you want your humidifier to work well always you need to keep it clean. Thus, you must look for something that is easy to maintain. Rinse and dry it every day, and every week get rid of any visible residue with the help of vinegar and follow other cleaning instructions that the device come with.
Consider the Level of Noise
Humidifiers are usually noisy, some more than the others, and all this basically depends on how sensitive you are to noise. You can look for one that does not produce too much noise, particularly if you have kids around and will not want to disturb their sleep.
To Conclude –
A humidifier will not only prove to be a great investment for your own house, it can also be a perfect holiday gift for anyone. Invest some time and find the best one for your house, and then enjoy better health, better skin, and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that the air you are breathing is free of contaminants and completely safe.
