What Is The Best Type Of Humidifier For Asthmatics
A humidifier for an asthma sufferer should only disperse water into the air by evaporation. You may think that all humidifiers use evaporation to get water into the air. However, this is not the case please see the diagram below and this article for further details.
If using a portable humidifier, asthmatics should not use an ultrasonic humidifier or cool mist humidifier. This is because these humidifiers can transmit water droplets directly into the atmosphere . The same also applies to an impeller humidifier. Also in the room temperature water of these humidifiers, bacteria and fungi can grow. If these humidifiers have bacteria and fungi growing in the water, these will be breathed in by the asthmatic person and potentially irritate or even infect the airways. So a dirty humidifier is a potential threat to an asthmatic.
Both a warm mist humidifier and an evaporative humidifier use evaporation alone to get moisture into the air .
Other impurities in the water in the humidifier can also be a problem. Using distilled water in the humidifier can lessen this risk, but it is safest to use a warm mist humidifier or an evaporative humidifier.
So in general the best type of humidifier for an asthmatic is a warm mist humidifier. However, if you have children or pets, then to avoid injury to them from steam or boiling water, it would be best to opt for an evaporative humidifier.
How Viable Is Your Humidifier Of Choice
Cool mist humidifiers are ideal for use in a bigger area. Steam humidifiers, on the other hand, are ideal for use in smaller spaces. If you suffer from asthma you need to read through the gadgets packaging details.
This way, you will figure out what each model offers. You can opt to install a humidifier on your central furnace. This can be an effective and easy way of adding moisture to the dry air as it leaves the furnaces exhaust. This cuts down the need to purchase and maintain different units in your home.
How To Choose A Humidifier
Finding a solution;that matches your budget is often the biggest obstacle to overcome. If this is your main concern, start by purchasing a single-room humidifier. This option is portable and perfect for people who live in a smaller space, like an apartment.
For larger homes, consider a central humidifier. These systems can be installed easily and are sure to improve your homes air quality.
Maintenance requirements are another crucial factor when choosing a humidifier. Central systems are more convenient than standalone machines because they require very little maintenance on your part. Portable machines, on the other hand, need to be cleaned, refilled, and rinsed every few days to prevent bacteria buildup and remain effective.
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Its All About Getting The Right Humidity Level
Like with most things, the humidity level in your home needs to be balanced. According to Mayoclinic, your homes humidity should be between 30% and 50%. When humidity is below 30%, your air will be too dry and when its over 50% the air is too humid, helping mold and mildew to grow.
So, yes humidifiers can help asthma sufferers! But only if they have strict control over the indoor humidity level.
With a portable or room humidifier, you must check the humidity level regularly using a hygrometer to make sure you are not introducing too much moisture into your home.
Lifestyle Tips For Asthma
Keeping your homes air at an appropriate humidity level may help, but its not enough to control asthma completely.
If you have asthma, your doctor has probably prescribed controller and rescue medications for you. Its important that you follow your doctors directions and continue to use any asthma prevention medications you are prescribed, even when your symptoms are under control.
In addition to taking your prescriptions, these tips may help you to better manage asthma:
- Identify and avoid asthma triggers, such as pollen, animal dander, and dust mites.
- Do not smoke or vape.
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Buying Guide: Choosing Humidifiers For Asthma
Humidifier Type vs. Coverage Area
The first step in buying a new humidifier for asthma treatment is considering the size of the space. Every humidifier comes with a recommended coverage area, which is measured in square feet.; You should be able to find a humidifier for you, no matter if youre looking for 400 square feet of coverage or 4,000.
In terms of type, youll need to decide on a cool or hot humidifier for asthma. A cool machine releases cool mist, which is an excellent choice for a childs room since you wont have to worry about hot water accidents. However, a warm mist humidifier is more effective at killing waterborne bacteria and mold spores.
Filtering Properties
Compared to an air purifier, a humidifier isnt nearly as effective at filtering out contaminants and allergens from the air. However, many humidifiers come with filters that trap allergens, dirt, dust, and other particles. In most cases, these filters are washable but check into this to ensure that you wont be spending a fortune on filter replacements in the future.
Diffusion Functionality
Some humidifiers come with a function that allows you to diffuse essential oils while also adding moisture to the air, like lavender or eucalyptus .
Runtime & Water Tank Capacity
Ease of Use, Setup & Maintenance
Noise Level
Extra Features
Price & Warranty
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Humidifier
You need to keep tabs on yourhumidifier to ensure its clean and in proper working order, Dr. Nicolacakissays. Try following these three simple steps:
Consider purchasing ahygrometer that will keep a constant measure of your homes humidity, she says.
Humidifiers are a preventivemeasure. Without proper humidity, the air is uncomfortable, Dr. Nicolacakissays. This is about maintaining your health.
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Asthma And Its Effects In The Breathing System
Asthma affects different parts of the breathing system. This explains why suffering rapid flare-up can be life-threatening. When this happens, there will be a narrowing of the breathing muscles. Further, the suddenly congested airways, as well as a high percentage of thick phlegm, can cause breathing difficulties in asthmatic patients.
Do you experience frequent asthmatic attacks? Are you considering a humidifier? Ensure that the gadget you choose is not only maintained properly, but it should also be well maintained to minimize the number of asthma attacks in the home.
Once you relieve the discomfort inside your dry throat, mouth, and nose with humidity, you give asthmatic patients peace of mind. They also forget about the frequent flare-ups. Humidifiers, however, may not be appropriate for you is you suffer from severe breathing problems.
Maintenance Is The Key For Controlling Asthma Symptoms
The only way that a humidifier can benefit an asthmatic individual is if it is properly maintained. Humidifiers that are not properly cared for can become a breeding ground for mold, viruses, and other bacteria; and for those already susceptible to breathing problems like the asthmatic, these things can become downright dangerous. Here are some;important guidelines for asthma suffering individuals to remember.
Filed Under: Healthy HomeTagged With: asthma, howto, Humidifiers, tips
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Is It Safe To Use A Humidifier Around Kids
This depends on your perspective and to some, how old your kids are. Keeping a humidifier around the house with kids who suffer from asthma and allergies can be enormously helpful for their physical wellbeing and even their mental health. Its easy to become run-down in mood when your physical health is low.
However, if you have a warm-mist humidifier, keeping hot water around or a humidifier that lets off a hot steam could be dangerous as they can cause burns if spilled. If your children are rambunctious, clumsy, or simply small, it might be wise to use one that doesnt heat the water too much before release.
In case you’re looking for baby-friendly humidifiers here’s our list with top-rated picks.
Using A Humidifier For Asthma: Does It Help Symptoms
This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 2,377 times.Learn more…
If you live in an arid climate, using a humidifier to add extra moisture to the air in your home could help relieve symptoms of asthma. A humidifier isnt a replacement for medication or other asthma treatments, but using one may help you breathe a bit easier. Be wary of increasing the humidity too much, though, as that could actually make asthma worse. There are lots of different options, from cool-mist humidifiers to steam vaporizers, but dont let that deter youits easy to find the best humidifier for your needs.
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How To Maintain Your Humidifier Clean
If you didnt own a humidifier until now, you might not know how to maintain it properly. Typically, you should consider the instructions outlined in the user manual. Besides that, wed like to enumerate a bunch of useful guidelines:
- Change the water on a daily basis, unless specified otherwise. At the same time, in case youve purchased a humidifier that is created to run for several days , then you should replace the water as often as it is needed.
- You should clean the tank two times a week or even more often than that, in the case in which youre dealing with a flare-up. In regards to the cleansers you should use, you should be careful if you choose chemical cleansers. Make sure you rinse the tank accordingly to prevent inhaling the harmful substances afterward. We would advise you to use a combination of vinegar and water as it is just as efficient, and you dont have to worry about chemicals.
- Even if the manufacturer doesnt specify this, you should use only distilled water. This will prevent the creation and release of white dust in the air.
- If the unit is equipped with filters, make sure you clean them properly as often as the manufacturer recommends that.
- Before storing the humidifier, when not in use, make sure you dont leave any water inside the tank. Additionally, clean it thoroughly and dry it accordingly to prevent the spread of mold and bacteria.
Tips To Decrease House Humidity
Much of the humidity in the house results from our own lifestyle habits. There are a number of things we can do to decrease humidity in the house.
While doctors used to recommend that patients move to warm dry climates that you find in places like Arizona and New Mexico, but air conditioning and dehumidifiers have largely made these recommendations a thing of the past. You can now control your microenvironment in the home at a relatively low cost. However, you do not want to make the air too dry.
While too humid air can lead to increases in dust mites and other triggers, a relative humidity of less than 15% can lead to a significant cough for asthmatics. Drying out the mucous membranes of your respiratory system may place you at increased risk for infections from viruses and bacteria due to decreasing natural defenses from the common cold virus or influenza. Dry mucous membranes also may aggravate allergy symptoms and make your asthma symptoms worse.
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What Type Of Humidifier Works Best For Asthma
If youre looking to buy a humidifier to help with asthma symptoms, youll need to know what type will work best.
There are two types of humidifiers for your consideration:
- Warm mist or steam humidifiers Also known as vaporizers, these are the humidifiers most recommended when it comes to asthma. Because the water inside reaches a boiling temperature, most microorganisms are eliminated in the process. However, its still advised that you regularly clean the humidifier regardless.
- Cool mist humidifier This type of humidifier uses a motor to agitate the water, which creates a mist that is then dispersed through the room via a fan or natural air currents. Because the water isnt heated, theres a greater chance for bacteria and mould spores to enter the air. Subsequently, this type of humidifier requires more frequent cleaning.
Cold Air And Unexpected Changes In Temperature And Humidity
People suffering from asthma are already used to noticing how their symptoms change with the weather. So, what is it about cold weather that makes it aggravate the severity of this widespread condition?
When the cold air enters the airways, this could make them go into spasms, triggering common asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, as well as tightness in the chest. At the same time, when the temperatures are lower, the incidence of flu and other sinus infections is much more widespread, which can further cause discomfort as we discussed above.
That isnt to say that a high humidity level could be beneficial for asthmatics. As a matter of fact, there are dangers if the humidity levels are higher than normal, as well. To be more specific, some people experience a worsening of their symptoms when the weather is too damp. This is why you should be careful, in this respect.
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Is Using A Humidifier Worth The Risks
If you think that a humidifier might help you to breathe better, it is important to talk to your doctor first to be sure that the benefits you get will outweigh the risks. ;If you get the go-ahead, here are some easy steps you can take to maintain your humidifier properly and keep your airways functioning at their best:100407
- Invest in a hygrometer to measure your home’s humidity level or the amount of moisture that exists in the air.
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Understand that between 30 and 50 percent humidity is ideal and be prepared to monitor your home regularly to be sure it stays in this healthy range.
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Choose a steam vaporizer instead of the cool mist variety to minimize allergens from being released into your air.
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Use distilled water instead of tap with your humidifier.
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Replace the water with each use to prevent any deposits to build up inside the reservoir.
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Deep clean the device at least a few times a week with bleach or hydrogen peroxide to remove any mineral deposits.
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Change filters regularly .
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Be on the lookout for signs of wetness near the humidifier, which can mean there is too much moisture in the air.
Humidifiers With Air Washers
Air washers purify the air of a room and remove all allergens, smoke and other pathogens from the air making it more healthy and comfortable. Nowadays some humidifiers have air washers for cleaning the air of the room. You donât have to buy a separate device for this purpose. So if you are buying a humidifier for asthma and allergies, it is better to buy one with the air purifier so that it also makes the air of room more clean and healthy.
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What Is The Best Type Of Humidifier For Asthma
First, you need to understand that there are fundamentally different types of humidifiers in terms of how they operate. But, they all serve the same purpose, and that is to add moisture to the air.
Four of the most common types include evaporate, steam vaporizers, ultrasonic and impeller-driven. The latter two produce a nice, cool mist, with the ultrasonic working silently thanks to the ultrasonic waves it uses to get the job done. As the name implies, steam vaporizers heat water with an electrical element to vaporize it, resulting in a warmer air. Last but not least, evaporative humidifiers use a fan. But all of these, can become breeding grounds for mold, mildew and dust mites without regular and very thorough cleaning.
Are Humidifiers Bad For Pets
Humidifiers are not bad for pets. They have health benefits like alleviating symptoms of dry skin and colds and adding moisture to the air during cold weather. However, your cat is at risk if you are using a warm-mist humidifier. It can scald and injure your cat if she tips it over.;
Consult your vet if you suspect that your cats symptoms, like dry skin and runny nose, are not just due to colds. It could be signs of more serious medical conditions like tumors, viruses, allergies, and others. Your vet will have to assess first if a humidifier is necessary to avoid further complications.;
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