A humidifier is an essential addition for your home. It is especially essential if you’re living in a cold place; you must have a good humidifier effective in your living area. This is because during winters or in places which are cold all year around, the air surrounding you is naturally dryer. Employment of heaters sucks out the moisture and aggravates dryness.
This can cause a lot of problems because dry air is a little difficult to deal with. For starters, it is tough on your respiratory system, and if you have a respiratory/lung related condition, it could worsen that. Dry air is also hard on the skin because exposure to it sucks out the moisture from your skin, which leaves it vulnerable to brittleness and cracking. Your hair tends to dry out when exposed to dry air, which could lead to scalp conditions such as dandruff. Furthermore, if the air inside your home is too dry, your throat will continuously feel parched and you might experience “cotton mouth”. Sleeping in dry air could cause coughing fits from continuously breathing dry air. If you have hardwood floors, dry air could cause shrinkage or cracking.
Investing in a good humidifier can make your living space healthier and more pleasant to be in. Higher humidity is recommended for good health. Therefore a humidifier can help by humidifying your home atmosphere and is an affordable way of ensuring good health for you and your family members from the harmful effects of cold, dry air. A humidifier is a small gadget that, when turned on, disperses small bursts of moisture into your air at regular intervals in the form of mists. This makes your air healthier and your interior more relaxed.
Air Humidifier: 21 Benefits for Your Family
Here are some reasons why you definitely need to invest in a good quality humidifier, today:
Avoid Colds and the Flu
We all know how extremely easy it is to catch the cold or flu from someone affected. Once a member of the family has it, it spreads throughout like wildfire. But studies have shown that increased humidity in the air could drastically reduce the possibility of cold and flu spreading through the air. In fact, increased dryness in the air is one of the top reasons why cold and influenza are so abundant during the winters: the dryness elevates the chances of the virus spreading.
Higher humidity levels hinder the progress and effect of the airborne flu virus. Studies have conclusive evidence that maintaining humidity levels of 40% or higher is effective for cold and flu prevention.
Prevent Allergies
Allergies and reactions tend to get suppressed in humid conditions and get aggravated in dry conditions. If you suffer from allergies, it is very essential that you should have a good humidifier working in your living space. Humidity prevents dust from settling and molds from forming in corner. For added precautions, try to invest in a humidifier equipped with a germ filter.
Prevent Dryness of skin
Dry skin is common in winter and cold habits, and it is especially harsh on exposed parts such as hands, lips, cheeks and feet. Dry skin can wrinkle early and cracks easily, which could be painful. Living in a dry space could further cause permanent skin conditions.
Lotions and body butters are useful, but constantly applying them could be a tedious task. Even so, the dryness will keep coming back if you continue living in a dry space. Therefore, you must buy a good humidifier for your skin in order to make it feel more comfortable and to promote the secretion of natural oils. Humidity in the air also delays skin ageing and improves the appearance of the skin.
Better Sleep
If you sleep in dry air, you’re very likely to wake up with a parched throat which is itchy to the point where it can get painful. You could also wake up coughing from inhaling dry air too long. It could also dry up your nose and cause congestion, or in extreme cases, bleeding. Keeping the air properly humidified can improve your quality of sleep and help you wake up refreshed and energized.
Faster Recovery
If you’re suffering from a fever, cold, the flu or a severe case of an allergic reaction, a humidified environment could help you heal faster. Humid air keeps pathogens from spreading while also promoting accelerated healing by facilitating a calm, soothing and refreshing atmosphere to rest and recover in.
Ease Congestion
Humid air reduces congestion of the nasal or throat passage. Dry air causes the mucus build up inside your body to become thick and dry, preventing it from flowing properly. The resultant is that your sinuses get clogged up and nasal passages get blocked. This can lead to many irritating conditions.
Healthy for Pets
When we’re talking about the health benefits of air humidifiers, you must understand that it not only benefits you, it benefits your pets as well. Humid air provides the same health benefits to your pets as it does to you. If your cat or dog is prone to allergies, it is a good idea to invest in a humidifier with a microbial filter. This will reduce the chances of occurrence of allergies and save you veterinary bills.
Save money on electricity bills
This option is exclusively applicable to those living in cold areas, for which a thermostat is a must. More humidity in the air means more warmth. Therefore, if you run your thermostat or heater at a lower setting while using your humidifier, you can make your atmosphere moist as well as warmer whilst saving electricity consumption. This is bound to have a positive effect on your electricity bills.
Keeps indoor plants healthy
Indoor plants are a great way to decorate your home. During winters, however, the leaves and stems of plants tend to dry out due to exposure to cold air, just like exposed skin. Plants need moisture from the air just as much as they need water from the soil. It is therefore beneficial for the health of your indoor plants if you get a humidifier for your room.
Protect Wooden Furniture
Dryness is the mortal enemy of anything that’s made of wood. Dry air can cause wood to crack and split, it can cause mold infestations and shrinkage of wooden fittings. Setting up a good humidifier can prevent all this from happening. Humidity can protect your pricey wooden mantle, heavy doors, banisters and hardwood floor safe and in good condition.
Reduce Static Electricity
Static electricity is caused when the air is too dry, causing particles to charge up when they rub against each other. Static electricity build up in textiles, especially woolens and synthetic fabrics is a real issue that comes with dryness of air. You might experience jolts of shock walking on your carpets or while putting on your favourite sweater. Hydrated air reduces the possibility of this occurring, significantly.
Protect Your Hair and Scalp
Hair is made of keratin and collagen, and these need ample moisture to remain flexible. Dry air results in roughness, dullness and brittleness of hair, leaving it prone to breakage and damage. Dryness of the air also causes the skin of your scalp of come off in flakes and cause irritation. Keeping the air around you hydrated reduces the possibility of hair damage due to dryness and can aid you in maintaining healthy hair and scalp.
Reduce Snoring
More moisture in air and hydrated air results in proper moisturisation of the respiratory system and loudness of snoring is reduced as a result of it.
Reduces severity of skin conditions
Skin conditions and rashes such as eczema or dry and flaky skin can be reduced and controlled if the air is hydrated, and the severity of these conditions can also be reduced in intensity.
Frizz Control
Dry air causes dryness of hair which can be quite unattractive to look at, and it can make the hair unmanageable. Humidity in the air keeps frizz at bay.
Reduced maintenance on walls
Arid air causes cracks in paints and causes the glue behind wallpapers to dry up, resulting in peeling wallpapers. Invest in a good air humidifier to prevent these things from happening.
Reduce the risk of infection
A humidifier greatly improves the overall air quality. It essentially turns dry air into moist air, and reduces the probability of pathogens and virus spreading any kind of airborne infection.
Clear your voice
Humidifiers help to clear sinuses and the throat and nasal passages, thus enabling you to produce a clear, clarified voice. If you leave your humidifier overnight, you won’t feel your voice thickening to a growl the next morning.
Cures sore throat
A sore throat is caused when the upper respiratory tract becomes dry, and prevents smooth passage of air or voice through it. Dry air is one of the top causes of a sore throat. Using a humidifier eliminates dryness of air, thus reducing the possibility of you having a sore throat.
Cure coughing
Coughing is caused due to many reasons, but dryness of air is one the reasons, too. Arid air causes the muscles in the upper respiratory tract to contract, thus causing cough. Humidifying your air prevents coughing from occurring due to dry air.
Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Fresh and moist air calms the nerves and muscles, leaving you relaxed and feeling rested. Moist air also promotes better quality of sleep and can relive sore muscles or tensed up muscles. It calms your nerves, which in turn soothes the brain and thus helps in increasing the overall quality of living.
References:
10 Ways a Humidifier Improves Your Health, Skin, and Household This Winter
