Humidifier is a device that has ability to increase the room moisture and turn dry air into humid one. Humidifier is one thing that we should consider to keep normal air humidity inside home during dry season, winter, summer or hot climate. Even the weather is cold during winter, the winter air can be dry or too moist. Many homes in four season and tropical countries usually use the humidifier to control humid air which that use to breath. As we know that air is the most important substance that human need. Without air or oxygen, human surely cant survive. Dry or too moist air can cause several problem. Not only for your health but also for your home furniture. To know more about humidifier just keep read explanation below.
Types of Humidifiers
Modern humidifier was early manufactured by Devilbiss factory from Ohio, United States in 1964. Nowadays , there are some types and brand of humidifiers that we can found on market. They are :
- Portable humidifiers. There are some types of portable humidifiers. They are
- Console humidifiers that look like a part of your home furniture. This humidifier is just like a fan that blow up moist air to get rid the dry air
- Furnace-mounted central humidifiers that usually installed in the ducts of a forced-air furnace. The humidifiers will spread the moist air to whole room when the furnace is on
- Ultrasonic humidifiers. This humidifier use high-frequency vibrations to humidify the air.
- Impeller humidifiers. They are the cheapest humidifier type to buy and easiest to operate but they are least effective too.
- Steam vaporizers. These humidifiers require more electricity.
- Warm-mist humidifiers . these humidifiers will mix the cool air with steam to reduce the scalding risks. They also use most electricity..
Health Benefits of Humidifiers for human life must be concern to keep your family healthy.
1. Reduce the risk of infection
Humidifier can improve humidity level of air and turn dry air into moist one. Cool and moist air can reduce the risk of any bacteria and virus infection that can cause air borne disease
2. Prevent cold and flu
According to a study which conducted in 2013 reported that humidifier can increase the humidity level of air to 43 percent or more. This level of humidity can decrease the ability of certain airborne viruses which can cause infection such as influenza. By setting humidifier in your home, it can prevent your family from cold and flu.
3. Improve skin health
Dry air is really bad for your skin. It can also reduce your skin moisture, make it dry, dull and cracking. By increasing the humidity of air in your home you can help the skin to get moisturize, feel smooth and glowing.
4. Maintain healthy sinus
If you often experience sinusitis or any problem with your sinus due to dry air , it is better to try using humidifier. Dry air can absorb moist and make your sinus feel uncomfortable. By getting rid the dry air, you will get healthier sinus and it can make you fell comfortable even during winter.
5. Fasten healing process
If you suffering some disease which is caused by dry air such as sinusitis, cold, influenza and cough, humidifier will make your body heal faster. It loosen up your sinus and upper respiratory tract and make it function well.
6. Clear the voice
We used to see the singer which use humidifier when they are practicing. Yes, humidifier can help to clarify the sinus and throat which can make your voice clearer. If you use humidifier overnight during your sleep, you won’t experience growling voice in the morning. This growling voice is caused by disturbed vocal cord and make you sound like a bear.
7. Cure sore throat
Health Benefits of Humidifier could be best solutions for sore throat curing. Sore throat is common problem which occur in the upper respiratory tract. Dry air is one of main factor that can cause sore throat. By setting humidifier in your room, you can set the moisture of the air and it will be effective to get rid your sore throat and heal faster.
8. Improve sleep quality
Dry air is really make us uncomfortable to sleep and sometime people can suffer from insomnia or sleep deprivation due to lack of moist air. Improving humidity level by humidifier will let you sleep well and it increase your sleep quality during sleep.
9. Alleviate snoring
It is mentioned before that dry air can cause problem in throat and cause people snoring loudly. If you or your room mate having problem in snoring, just simply use humidifier to get rid of dry air and reduce the intensity of snoring voice which can be so annoying.
10. Treat nose bleeding
If your nose is easily to bleed, try to use humidifier. It can help to moist your nasal passage and lubricated it. Nose bleeding occur due to infection on nose that trigger the blood vessel damage in nose. By increasing the humidity level of the air, it can prevent your nose from infection and you will free from nose bleeding.
11. Relieve cough
Having cough can be very annoying and disturb your activity. Cough can occur by several cause. One of the cause of cough is dry air. Dry air will trigger upper respiratory tract contaction and causing cough. Using humidifier is not only reduce the ability of air-borne disease infection but also can help you to relieve cough. It can sooth your upper repiratory muscle and make it confortable.
12. Moisturize lips
Crack lips will decrease your confidence. It can cause lips bleeding and irritation. The increasing of humid air in your room will make your skin and lips moist and prevent it from cracked.
13. Prevent asthma
Asthma is one condition which occur by the contraction of smooth muscle in upper respiratory tract due to the effect of allergen such as dirt, dust, pollen, spores and etc. Humidifier can absorb those asthma triggering factors and relieve the contraction which occur in upper respiratory tract especially asthma.
14. Cure allergy
Allergy is a complex reaction which occur in the body such as itchy skin, sneezing, skin redness and etc. Allergy happen due to the presence of allergen ( substance that causing allegry ). Humidifier is not only increase the humidity of the air but also absorb the allergen that is contained in the dry air. It also can make you heal the allergy faster.
15. Improve air quality
Humidifier benefits is not only useful for human. It also can improve the health of indoor plant. Indoor plants are plants which are grown inside home and they are contribute good quality air also produce more oxygen for us. The more oxygen you get, the healthier body you gain.
16. Prevent electricity shock
Short electricity shock usually happen on winter especially when lightening occur outside home. No one like to get such shock and humidifier can be used to prevent those electric shock.
17. Relieve stress and anxiety
Fresh and moist air can calming the nerve and muscle. It will also make you sleep better and relieve stress as well as anxiety. Stress and anxiety are common problem which experienced by people nowadays that have tight and busy lifestyle.
18. Prevent Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is one of disease which occur on respiratory tract due to the infection of Micobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is an air borne disease that causing bleeding cough and hard breath. Humidifier can reduce the ability of any bacteria in air to infect the respiratory passage including tuberculosis.
Health Risk of Humidifier
Make sure that you don’t use humidifier excessively and it is better to not humidify the air too much. Excessive condensation which come from a humidifier can cause several problem such as wood rot, mold growth and peeling paint. Humidifier is also place which fungi and other microorganism can live well. So always clean your humidifier by following the manual or handbook of direction
Tips for Purchase a Humidifier
When you gonna purchase a humidifier on store its better you pay attention on some features. Good humidifier will have features that mentioned below :
- Adjustable humidistat button to control the humidity level
- The automatic shut down which will turn of the humidifier when it run of the water
- The speed control of humidifier
- Anti-bacterial and anti-microorganism feature
- Dust filter
- Anti-scalding safety latches
How to Use Humidifier
After you purchase the humidifier better check these tips to operate it :
- Follow the manual handbook on how to operate it and how to keep it clean.
- Set the humidifier on 40-50 % level of humidity. It is best humidity level for air.
- Turn down the humidifier when it show excessive condensation sign
- Its better to use distillate or demineraled water to prevent the growth of bacteria in humidifier and make you easily to clean
- Clean the humidifier at least once in a week. Don’t be lazy to clean it because it can help to maintain you and your family health.
- Change the filters regularly based on manual direction of humidifier device manufacturer.
Humidifier can be a part of your healthy life by providing you better air quality. If have high concern to your health, you can try to use it at your home and get the benefits.