The household humidifier market is worth over $2.96 billion. Their popularity continues to increase as more and more people realize the importance of clean, healthy air.
Despite the increased usage, some may wonder, what do humidifiers do? They may not understand why the devices have become popular or the benefits they can provide once installed in the home.
Humidity, i.e. the level of moisture in the air, is an essential component of air quality that has a range of effects. It impacts the health and quality of every human and object in your home.
If you’re looking for reasons to get a humidifier, there are plenty to consider. These devices regulate the humidity level in your home and ensure it remains at the recommended levels of 30-50% humidity.
There are several health benefits of humidifiers, as they keep every part of your body moisturized and running effectively. Read on for 10 humidifier benefits you may not have expected.
- Treating Colds and Flus
There are 29,000-59,000 fatal cases of influenza every year. It’s a serious epidemic, but something as simple as installing a humidifier can help prevent it.
The common cold is another type of virus that thousands of patients suffer from each year. While it’s not as deadly, it has a wide range of debilitating symptoms.
Dry air creates an ideal environment for viruses to spread. The flu thrives in rooms with humidity levels of 40-50%. Anything less than 30% is considered extremely dry and allows all viruses to travel.
A humidifier is one of the best things you can do to stop the spread of viruses in your home. It slows their spread and prevents them from infecting you and/or any members of your family.
The flu and influenza aren’t the only conditions that humidifiers help you avoid. For more information, check out https://www.everlastingcomfort.net/blogs/comfy-reads/can-a-humidifier-help-with-the-flu.
- Managing Allergies
Over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year. They cause a variety of debilitating symptoms including irritated eyes, a dry throat, and more.
Humidifiers are a long-term solution and can serve as an alternative to allergy medication. They prevent allergens from reaching your body and help you manage them better if they do.
Humidity levels of about 40% condense allergens and make them fall to the floor before you ever inhale them. This reduces the number of allergens you and your family will be susceptible to.
Humidifiers thin out mucus and allow the hairs in your nose to trap allergens before they cause irritation. This means you won’t have to deal with all the dreaded symptoms.
No matter how serious your allergic reactions are, it’s best to use a humidifier to manage them. They can also help any family members who suffer from them more than you do.
- Less Eye Irritation
The eye drop and lubricant market is worth $15,587 million. The organs require careful moisture regulation to avoid any conditions or symptoms.
If either of your eyes is even somewhat dry, they can become irritated and red. This is more than an annoyance because it encourages rubbing the eyes, a behavior that can spread infections.
Humidifiers keep your entire body moisturized, including your eyes. This reduces irritation and keeps you from touching your face. Both are major health benefits that make it easier to live a more natural life with fewer infections.
- Fewer Nose Bleeds
1 out of every 7 US citizens will have a nosebleed at some point, whether they’re a child, an adult, or a senior citizen. They’re an aggravating, frightening, and dangerous medical issue.
Humidifiers help every system of your body run smoothly, especially the respiratory system. This includes the lungs, throat, and nose.
The nose is one of the most important parts of the respiratory system, as it’s where air enters into the body. That’s why you must work to maintain its health.
Humidifiers help keep the nose moist and help the hairs in your nose move properly. They prevent blockages or infections that can lead to frustrating nosebleeds.
Nosebleeds are more than an annoyance because they can be serious. Those with conditions that make them susceptible to blood clots or other issues caused by even slight bleeding can be put at serious risk from them.
Reducing nose bleeds is only one of the ways that humidifiers help keep your nasal passages clear, but it is one of the most unexpected. Not everyone realizes how common nosebleeds are and how debilitating they can be.
- Keeping Your Voice Healthy
You may have seen characters in films or movies or television shows using a humidifier before a major vocal performance. There’s a reason for this; they realize the major impact it can have on their vocal cords.
The voicebox is a sensitive body part that requires the right level of moisture to operate at its best. A humidifier can ensure that you maintain the right levels.
Your voice won’t be able to do what you ask it to if you don’t keep the voicebox moisturized. You won’t be able to reach the right pitch when you sing and may have difficulty speaking.
If you notice changes such as raspiness or a dry throat, consult a doctor and ask if a humidifier could help with the symptoms. Even if you’re not having symptoms yet, these helpful devices can prevent them and keep your voice pristine.
- Reduced Snoring
Conditions that affect the airway impact sleep, but so does the level of moisture in the air. Your nostrils can’t get lubricated without the right surrounding humidity levels in the rooms.
One of the most surprising humidifier benefits is a reduction in snoring. It allows the airways to flow naturally, reducing any blockages that cause the sound.
To create the most comfortable sleeping environment possible, it’s important to choose the best type of humidifier. The two main types are cool and warm mist.
The benefits of cool mist humidifiers and warm mist humidifiers differ. It may be best to choose a warm mist option for a bedroom to reduce storing. This is especially important for children to reduce accidents.
Choosing between a cool or warm mist humidifier depends on your own preferences and the type of family and home you have. Having more than one is rarely a poor choice and can provide the health benefits of both.
Whichever type of humidifier you choose, it should reduce snoring. You’ll breathe better overnight, allowing both you and your partner to get the most restful night’s sleep possible.
- Phlegm Removal
Phlegm may not seem like a health benefit, but it is. The body needs to produce and then remove this essential mucus because it contains a range of bacteria and infectious materials.
Phlegm may get stuck to your throat and not get released when you cough or sneeze if there’s not enough moisture in the air. Humidifiers prevent this by regulating humidity levels.
Once you’ve removed phlegm from your body, you’ve removed any bacteria or infectious materials it contained. This prevents you from getting any diseases you may have been susceptible to if it had remained in your throat.
If you don’t have a humidifier, you may be unable to remove the phlegm in your throat. This not only puts you at risk of infection but could cause other symptoms such as a sore throat or consistent coughing.
A humidifier may also increase phlegm production, but this is also a benefit rather than a negative consequence. It clears out your throat from anything that shouldn’t be in your body and helps you remove it.
- Fewer Infections
Any type of infection can quickly become a serious health issue, as it diminishes the body’s ability to function. One of the most common ways for bacteria and germs that cause these health concerns to enter the body is through the skin.
Dry skin is more than an aesthetic concern because it affects health as well. It diminishes our skin’s barrier, letting in germs and irritants. This puts us at the risk of symptoms like itching and burning from a range of skin infections.
If your skin becomes infected, you may itch and scratch it, reducing the barrier even more. This is why you should use a humidifier to prevent it before an infection begins.
Leaving the skin barrier open also leaves you at risk for a range of other types of infections. It could cause bacteria and germs to spread to the throat, lungs, or any other part of the body.
Humidifiers don’t just reduce infections by moisturizing your skin but also by moisturizing your skin. They also prevent you from spreading germs by touching irritated skin on your face, reduce allergens, remove phlegm, and more.
A humidifier reduces the number of infections you’ll get throughout your life. It keeps your skin barrier strong, reduces the number of bacteria and viruses you’re exposed to, and more.
- Hydrated Hair and Healthy Scalp
Washing your hair is the best way to keep it clean and hydrated, but it may not do enough. If you live in a dry climate, it may still end up brittle and breaking easily.
A humidifier helps solve this issue by providing extra moisture for your hair to soak up. It also makes up for the moments when you’re not showering or when all the water’s been absorbed into your scalp.
A humidifier also helps maintain the health of your scalp. It keeps the skin on the top of your head hydrated and prevents any bacteria from growing there.
The health of your hair and scalp is important for the rest of your body, as it’s an easy way for bacteria and infectious elements to enter. Humidifiers help prevent this while also keeping you looking your best.
The health benefits of humidifiers can also apply to other aspects of your life, including beauty. They keep your hair beautiful while keeping it healthy as well.
- Treating Dry Skin
Dry skin may seem like nothing more than an annoyance or an aesthetic complaint leading to unattractive issues like cracks and bumps. The truth is that it can be a major health concern that points to or causes more serious issues.
A range of conditions and products can cause dry skin, including eczema, psoriasis, thyroid conditions, acne medications, and cosmetics. If you have any of these conditions or use any of these products, consider getting a humidifier.
There are also certain signs to look out for that indicate you may be suffering from dry skin already. They’re another reason you may want to consider using a product to add more moisture into the air to combat it.
Humidifiers reduce dryness, itchiness, and other symptoms caused by dry skin. It’s able to moisturize all your exposed skin at once. This means you won’t have to use separate methods
Treating dry skin with humidifiers has aesthetic benefits as well. It reduces scars, wrinkles, blemishes, and other marks.
Dry skin also can’t maintain its natural barrier, which we’ve previously mentioned leaves you more open to infection and bacteria. That’s another important reason why it’s important to use the moisture in the air to prevent it.
Preventing dry skin is one of the most important health benefits of humidifiers. It’s especially important in dry climates and in the winter when the moisture in the air is already low.
Where Can I Learn More?
Humidifiers are now part of a major industry as individuals install them in their homes to obtain the various health benefits they provide. They add moisture to the air and help maintain a proper level of humidity.
Using a humidifier can help you manage allergies, viruses, and dry skin. It also reduces the number of nosebleeds, eye irritation, and infections you’ll suffer.
Humidifiers positively affect several parts of the human body. Their benefits to the nose and throat reduce snoring, encourage phlegm removal, and keep your voice healthy. They also maintain a healthy hair and scalp.
Use the proper tools to measure the humidity in your home to determine if you need a humidifier. It could improve the health of everyone living in it.
The more you know about air quality and the benefits humidifier can provide, the better you’ll be able to use them. Read the rest of our content and keep checking back for more information.
