In the winter months, the air in the home is often drier, so a humidifier can help. With dry air you can suffer from all kinds of ailments like coughing, dry eyes or dry skin. But how correct is it actually to use such a moisturizer?
Do you suffer from asthma? Then such a device can actually make your complaint worse.
What does a humidifier do?
As the name implies, a humidifier is a device that provides good humidification of the air in the home. A good humidity level should be between 40 and 60 percent, but with the heating turned on, this can drop below 40 percent. This can cause you to suffer from conditions such as dry mucous membranes that make you cough and dry eyes, and bacteria and viruses can spread more quickly.
How healthy is a humidifier?
So it seems like a good solution to have a humidifier at home, but there are some hurdles. By using a humidifier, you also risk developing microorganisms that can be harmful to your health. This can happen if you do not use and maintain the device properly. For example, standing water is a gathering point for bacteria and fungi. If you don’t refresh the water enough or don’t clean the appliance well on a regular basis and then turn it on anyway, you will spread germs into your home.
Read also: Dry air in the house? Do not put a pot of water on the heating
tap water steam
In addition, some humidifiers work with steam technology. If you use tap water that is high in minerals and fine particles, such as lime, this will spread through the air. You can recognize this as white dust particles on the floor and furniture. In most cases, an appliance filter will stop these particles, but if you do not adequately clean or replace the filter, it will not function optimally.
worsening of asthma symptoms
While a humidifier is supposed to be healthy for your airway, in some cases it can also worsen asthma or lung disease. In this case, it depends a lot on how you interact with the air in your home, and how well or not the humidifier is working. With an ordinary cold, such a device can reduce complaints.
Tips for using a humidifier properly
If you don’t have lung disease or asthma, a humidifier can help prevent dry air. Provided you use it well. Keep in mind the following points:
- Use the device for short periods.
- Clean the device well on a regular basis (preferably daily) following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Change the water every day and after each use.
- Check in the user manual for the appropriate water for the humidifier.
- Do you see moisture around the device? Then move the device or reduce its intensity.
source | Gezondheid.beAnd cool blue
picture | Getty Images
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