4 Reasons to Use a Humidifier
Humidity levels within most homes should hover between 30% to 50%. If the levels are too high, inhabitants could experience issues with mold and mildew. If it’s too low, their health may suffer. Therefore, it’s pretty important to maintain a comfortable humidity level in your home year-round. Generally, indoor humidity is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. If you use one, an air conditioner lowers the humidity in the summer. Often to the ideal range, but it's worth it to find out. And in the winter? Use a humidifier! Let's look at why.
Low humidity levels can make a home uncomfortable, and it may cause inhabitants to experience dry skin, itchy eyes and more illnesses than they otherwise would. Installing a humidifier may well correct some or all of these issues, and may even improve the health of the people who live there.
Be More Comfortable
Humidity greatly affects how warm or cool we feel. The higher the humidity, the warmer we feel. This is why high humidity during the summer months can make us feel miserable, even when the temperature is reasonable. The opposite is also true. Low humidity can make the temperature inside a home feel cooler than it really is. The heater may be set on 68 degrees, but it can feel like 61 degrees if it's too dry. Increasing humidity can help make it feel much more comfortable.
The Moisturizing Effects of Humidity
Low humidity levels zap skin of vital moisture, leaving it feeling dry, irritated and itchy. It may even scale and crack. Eyes are especially affected by low humidity. The tear film responsible for protecting our eyes can evaporate, causing us to blink more, or for our eyes to feel dry and irritated. Some might develop issues with blurry vision or eye tiredness. The nasal passages may also dry out, as may the throat and bronchial passages. That lingering cough? It could be dry air. All of this can leave us feeling parched and peeved.
Humidity May Ease Illness Symptoms
Congestion, the common cold, the flu and sinus infections can all be treated with a humidifier. How? The moisture emitted from a humidifier moistens the skin and nasal passages, while thinning the mucus associated with many of these conditions. This makes it easier and more comfortable for sufferers to breathe. Humidity may even make those coughs more productive.
Humidity May Improve Health
A humidifier may well improve our health in numerous ways. It may reduce the likelihood of snoring and breathing problems and help prevent certain skin conditions such as dermatitis. Additionally, humidity may deactivate virus particles in the air, preventing or lowering the spread of communicable diseases.
If you just can’t get warmed up no matter how high you crank the thermostat; if your skin itches like you’ve been dipped in itching powder; or if you have a sore, scratchy throat that won’t stop, the humidity levels in your home may be too low. Bring levels up to a normal, comfortable range with a cool-mist humidifier and see if you notice a difference.
Related Keywords
