Humidifiers, Dry Air, and Allergies

Dry air can sometimes make living in your home uncomfortable, often leading to seasonal allergies or irritation. However, dry air has a remedy, which has commonly become known as a humidifier.

Understanding Dry Air and Allergies

When there is not a lot of humidity in the air, it dries the mucous membranes in your nose and throat. These areas are more likely to become inflamed and irritated when this occurs. As the mucous membranes dry out, you begin to sneeze, you experience more nasal congestion, and your throat is often scratchy. 

During the cooler months, homeowners need to ensure that the humidity levels inside the home are sufficiently high. The recommended level is 40% to 50%. Cool air brings drier air, which occurs inside the house as well as outside. 

Types of Humidifiers

The Ultrasonic Humidifier

An ultrasonic humidifier can either provide cool or warm mist. It is the device most appropriate for house or building rooms. You can place it anywhere because it is so quiet. That is because the sound waves these devices emit are at a frequency higher than humans can hear. They are also low-maintenance because they do not have filters or fans.  

The Evaporative Humidifier

An evaporative humidifier is a cool mist humidifier. It uses a fan that blows air through a moist wick. This cools the air and leads to evaporation, which increases the humidity in the location. The benefit of a cool mist humidifier is that if your nasal passages are inflamed, the humidifier will shrink this swelling. 

Steam Vaporizers

A steam vaporizer is a warm mist humidifier. This device uses electricity to boil water, which creates steam. It does not fill your rooms with warm air because the steam cools down before it leaves the device. A steam vaporizer may be a good choice if you have seasonal allergies because the steam does not have as many contaminants as the steam from other humidifiers. 

Best Practices for Using a Humidifier

After each use, empty the device’s tank and thoroughly dry the inside. Refill the tank before each use, and do not reuse any water. This will prevent microorganisms from growing. Every three days, you must clean your humidifier. Ensure you remove all the film or other deposits inside the tank. Wipe the interior dry when you are finished.  

You can place a humidifier in several rooms, including bedrooms, the living room, or your personal office. Place it above the ground on a table or other hard surface so that the mist can enter the air before it sinks to the ground. It should not be too high because the moisture will go toward the ceiling. 

Humidifiers and Allergy Relief

A humidifier has been found to be helpful in treating seasonal allergies. Many people have found that having a humidifier in their home alleviates their symptoms of irritated nasal passages, scrat, and stuffy noses. That is because the humidifier keeps nasal passages moist so that allergens cannot irritate them.

A humidifier increases the humidity in the air, relieving the discomfort many people experience during the cooler months. Contact us at Ardmore Fresh Air today to learn more about which device would be best for you.