What a Humidifier Does: When Sick or Sleeping

Humidifiers increase the moisture of indoor air. The difference between a humidifier and a vaporizer is that a humidifier puts out cool mist, while a vaporizer releases hot steam.

This article explains the types, advantages, and disadvantages of humidifiers, including using one when you are sick or for your sleeping environment.

Purpose of a Humidifier

Some signs you may need a humidifier include congestion or throat irritation due to dry air, allergies, or an infection.

Humidifiers are beneficial because they increase the moisture in your home, helping eliminate dry air that can exacerbate symptoms like a stuffy nose.

For the Air

Since humidifiers put moisture into the air, the direct purpose of a humidifier is to improve air quality. Some signs of dry air quality include:

• Noticing static electricity: Static charge buildup is greater when air is dry.
• Constantly feeling thirsty: People working in drier rooms have more indications of dehydration.
• You get nosebleeds: Dry air can lead to nosebleeds by drying out nasal passages and making their blood vessels more fragile.
• Your throat is sore, dry, or you have a tickle in your throat: Studies have found that higher indoor humidity levels had lower odds of people reporting throat dryness or irritation.
• You have dry skin or lips: Studies have found that low humidity contributes to reduced skin barrier function (the skin barrier protects the body from invaders and losing moisture) and increased risk of mechanical stress.
• You feel stressed: A 2020 study found that workers in offices with adequate humidity levels experienced 25% less stress than those who worked in drier offices.
• Your asthma symptoms are worse: Dry air can trigger airway narrowing.

If you notice these symptoms, it could be because your indoor air is dry.

When You’re Sick

When you are sick—especially with an upper respiratory infection like the flu, COVID-19, or a cold—a humidifier can help increase air moisture so that the associated symptoms are lessened.

Further, studies have found that reduced humidity levels are associated with flu outbreaks in temperate climates and that humidifier use reduced flu-positive samples compared to control rooms. Therefore, humidifiers may also potentially reduce the chance of infection.

For Sleep

When you sleep, you go for long periods without drinking water and may sleep with your mouth open, leading to a dried-out throat. When the air in your bedroom is too dry, you may have trouble sleeping.

If you use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea, your machine may likely contain a humidifier integrated into the device. Using heated humidity in a CPAP may reduce nose and throat dryness while using the machine.

General Humidifier Refill Instructions

Since the moist environment of humidifiers can harbor mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms, you need to keep the humidifier clean. That means when you refill the humidifier, take steps to reduce the likelihood that the machine will put these contaminants into the air.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends the following steps for cleaning and refilling humidifiers:

1. Unplug the unit from the electrical outlet.
2. Empty the tank.
3. Wipe all surfaces dry.
4. Refill daily to reduce the growth of microorganisms.
5. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for care and cleaning.

In addition, use distilled water to reduce scaling and mineral build-up in the machine. But how long do you leave a humidifier on? To prolong the machine's life and reduce the chances of mold overgrowth and too much humidity, you should turn the device off when you are not actively using it and dry it out between uses.

Comparing Humidifier Types

There are several types of humidifiers. These include:

• Cool mist: These emit room-temperature moisture into the air. These require regular, careful cleaning to avoid mineral and bacterial buildup.
• Vaporizer (warm mist): Warm mist vaporizers heat water and disperse steam into the air. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vaporizers can cause nasal passages to swell and make breathing difficult. They also pose a risk of burns, so avoid using them with kids.
• Humidifier/air purifier combo: These devices combine air purifier technology with humidifier technology. They may be especially useful for those with allergies and asthma.
• Whole-house humidifier: While most humidifiers are portable units that you can move from room to room, some devices can be installed with your heating and cooling (HVAC) system to disperse humidity throughout your home.

Humidifier Downsides: When Are They Unsafe?

As long as humidifiers are appropriately cared for, they usually do not pose a problem. However, in some circumstances, humidifiers can make you sick or cause injuries.

Watch out for the following situations:

• Illness from breathing in dirty mist: Flu-like symptoms and serious infection may occur. This risk is higher for sensitive people, like those with asthma or allergies.
• Toxic chemicals: If you use cleaning agents on the machine, you might breathe in toxic vapors when they get into the air.
• Steam burns: Injury is possible when using warm mist humidifiers because they use heated water.

To avoid these risks, clean your humidifier often, use distilled water, don't use chemicals to clean the device, and use cool-mist varieties.

Summary

Humidifiers may help people breathe easier when they have dry indoor air, have allergies or asthma, or are sick. However, humidifiers can pose a health risk when not properly cared for. Cleaning your humidifier regularly and avoiding warm-mist varieties can help you avoid humidifier-related risks.