An air humidifier can be a useful addition to your household if you have dry air in your home. These devices work in such a way that they vaporize the water in order to humidify the dry air in your house. Dry sinuses, cracked lips, and bloody noses will be no more. But what about asthma? Can humidifiers help you control and minimize the symptoms of asthma?
It is clear that buying a humidifier requires you to consider the additional time you would need to spend on maintenance. Besides, if you want a quality humidifier, be prepared to spend a bit more on it. If humidifiers aren’t maintained properly, they can make you sick and cause mold, and various harmful bacteria might start to develop.
The ideal levels of humidity in all seasons of the year should be between 30 and 50%. Humidifiers can help you achieve that humidity, and are especially useful for the dry areas of this world. In this article, we will take a look at whether humidifiers help with asthma, or do they worsen the condition?
Are Humidifiers Bad for Asthma?
The reports about humidifiers and asthma are quite different. In fact, there isn’t much research yet in this field, and there are contrasting reports about the effectiveness of humidifiers for asthmatics.
Many humidifier companies promise asthmatics an improvement of their condition by opening and loosening the dry mucus and by humidifying the dry membranes within their noses. That would make their breathing easier, or so they claim.
But the reality is that some studies are still showing that humidifiers are not good for asthmatics. To avoid confusion and possible unwanted consequences, it is still better to consult a doctor before you buy a humidifier. There are also many case-specific details that only your doctor knows, so consulting them should be the first course of action.
According to this study, some asthmatics have reported a relative success of air humidifiers for relieving their asthma symptoms, but only in combination with other devices. Similarly, dehumidifiers are also a bit hit-and-miss, with varying reports from both camps of the debate.
Perhaps you have the wrong settings on your humidifier, and the air is too wet due to it, which can exacerbate the asthma symptoms. You should keep track of the humidity in the air in your home, and you should try to keep it at ideal levels (30-50%.)
Another reason why humidifiers might be bad for asthmatics is that they might not maintain the humidifiers regularly, leading to mold and bacteria developing in the filter. That can cause further problems, and those bacteria will be emitted into the air, which the asthmatic will then breathe. It can significantly worsen the problems in that case.
The majority of the scientific studies tend to lean towards the positive side of humidifiers, especially if they are used in combination with other air filtering devices.
Humidifiers on their own might not be the best for asthma, especially if they are not maintained properly. But in combination with an air purifier, for example, and at optimal humidity levels, humidifiers can be an effective way of minimizing the asthma symptoms.
How Humidifiers Can Help with Asthma?
More recent studies have shown that humidifiers, in combination with other air filtering devices (air purifiers), can be very effective for softening the symptoms of asthma. According to this NCBI study, a combination of air purifiers and humidifiers, or dehumidifiers, can work wonders for asthma. They recommend placing several of these devices into various rooms of your home for the best results.
So how exactly can humidifiers help with asthma?
- Humidifiers will make your air more humid, which will help you alleviate the dryness in your respiratory system, while also opening up the whole respiratory system.
- Asthma is caused by involuntary constriction of breathing muscles, and due to dryness in the respiratory system. Both of these symptoms can be controlled via a humidifier. If the air is too dry, then your respiratory system will not be able to take in the air, which will only make the problems worse.
Another study has been conducted, and this one tells us the importance of having a clean humidifier in order for it to be effective. In dirty humidifier tanks and filters, bacteria and fungi will inevitably start to grow, and once they enter the air, they will cause severe problems, especially for asthmatics and other allergy sufferers.
A crusty white deposit may also start to form in the interiors of your humidifier, which consists of some minerals that can make your breathing worse. These minerals will then be emitted into the air with the humidifier, and once they do, the asthma problems will start to rise again. We can prevent this with constant checks on the humidifier and with proper maintenance and cleaning of the humidifier.
Although humidifiers alone might not be sufficient for controlling asthma completely. There might still be some other particles left in the air that can mess with your respiratory system, for which an air purifier can be very effective.
What is the Best Air Humidifier for Asthma?
The best way to combat asthma with filtering devices is to use a combination of purifying and humidifying, which scientific studies also support. So your best bet is probably buying an air purifier humidifier combo.
In this way, you will get the best of both worlds. Many of these devices have a very good air filtrating system, which will get rid of the harmful particles in the air. Then, after the air is filtered, the humidifier will do its magic and make the air more humid. That is possibly the best combination for asthmatics.
As for recommendations of which device to pick, we think that this one might be worth a try.
This is perhaps one of the best air purifiers humidifiers on the market. Make sure that you pick the option “with humidifier” so that you don’t miss out on it. This filter can destroy and contain most of the harmful particles from the air, and this particular version is best used in large rooms. It will eliminate dust, smoke, pollen, mold, and various bacteria so that the air is as clean as possible.
The purifier utilizes the true HEPA filter, which lasts for much longer than regular HEPA filters, and are also more powerful. It removes more than 95% of all the harmful particles from the air, leaving you with the purest possible air. You will have to change the filter every 2-5 years.
Once the air is purified, the humidifier will step in and do its magic. You will be able to set the humidity levels, and the performance of the device is top-notch. It uses the FZ-C100MFU humidifying filter, which is certainly one of the best out there. Regular cleaning of the filter is recommended, and you will also need to replace it from time to time.
Other Benefits of Using a Humidifier
A good humidifier will help you get rid of multiple problems at the same time. And we can see why an air purifier humidifier combo is so good: the purifier will clean the air and eliminate the harmful bits from it, and the humidifier will help you with the dry air.
Besides controlling the humidity levels, what are some other benefits of air humidifiers? (some are linked to higher humidity levels)
It helps you prevent the spread of airborne viruses
Increasing the indoor humidity levels can have a massive effect on the bacteria. In fact, according to a study, about 85% percent of the bacteria will get destroyed once the humidity is raised to 40% or higher. If you use an air purifier humidifier combo, that might not be necessary. But if you intend to use a humidifier alone, that is definitely a plus.
It prevents dry skin
Dry skin is a problem, especially during the winter. For asthmatics, it is important to help us make our respiratory system wetter, but the skin must also be humidified. If the air is too dry, the skin will get irritated, as well as your eyes.
Helps prevent snoring
That’s right. If you are looking for a good solution for your snoring problem (or your partner’s), a good humidifier could be the answer. You see, more moisture in the air will soothe the tissues at the back of your throat, enabling you to sleep more comfortably. That’s great news for you and your family!
It makes your home feel warmer
Surprising or not, slightly more humid air might make your home more friendly, and it might make it warmer (physically.) You might see a reduced heating bill.
Conclusion
Humidifiers can be effective for asthmatics. While there are some studies that tell us humidifiers can worsen an asthmatic’s condition, there are also more studies that support the idea of humidifiers making the symptoms milder.
The consensus seems to be that humidifiers are effective for controlling the symptoms of asthma, especially in combination with other air filtering devices.
