Dirty humidifiers can especially cause problems for people with asthma and allergies. But even in healthy people, dirty humidifiers have the potential to trigger flu-like symptoms or even lung infections when the contaminated mist or steam is released into the air.
While using a humidifier can help with dry sinuses, it can also cause harm. Dust mite and mold growth is promoted more in humid environments, so if people are allergic to dust and mold, or if they have asthma, using a humidifier could aggravate these conditions.
The short answer is yes: it is healthy to sleep with a humidifier in your room. Sleeping with a humidifier can have several health benefits, even if you don't have asthma.
If you're monitoring the humidity levels in your home, it's relatively safe to run your humidifier around the clock. You should take special care not to leave anything running while you're out of the house. However, just because it's safe doesn't mean that it's necessary.
Yes, a humidifier will make your home too damp
Instead of balancing humidity around the 50–60% level, the system will push the humidity level higher, leading to the problems associated with muggy, moist air: water damage, mold and mildew growth, and warm temperatures feeling even warmer.
The best place for a humidifier in your bedroom is the center. Preferably, it should be 3 feet away from your bed. You can also use a hygrometer to measure the humidity levels in different spots in your room and then place it where the numbers are quite low.
While a humidifier can add moisture to the air, it is not designed to remove pollutants or allergens. If you want to improve the air quality in your home or office, an air purifier is a better choice.
Increased humidity may ease breathing in children and adults who have asthma or allergies, especially during a respiratory infection such as a cold. But mist from a dirty humidifier or increased growth of allergens caused by high humidity can trigger or worsen asthma and allergy symptoms.
Many people automatically use tap water in a humidifier as it is easy and accessible but this does not come recommended by manufacturers. This is because tap water contains many invisible minerals, including magnesium, which can create buildup in your humidifier, resulting in limescale and mould.
Specifically, we recommend that you keep your humidifier at a distance of around 3 feet from your bed – although there's no inherent harm in placing it closer, if you're restricted on room. This distance is recommended for a variety of reasons.
The duration to run a humidifier varies, but typically, it's beneficial to run it for about 12 hours daily, usually overnight. Factors such as room size, current humidity levels, and personal health needs can influence the duration. Ensure the room's humidity stays between 30% and 50% to maintain a healthy environment.
A humidifier is a necessity during the winter because the heated air from a furnace is dry. That dry air has a low humidity level that will absorb moisture from you and everything inside your home.
Static in your hair or the sparks that fly when you touch someone or something in winter are sure signs the air in your house is too dry. Setting up a humidifier is your best bet for improving indoor air quality and your breathing, says pulmonologist Kathrin Nicolacakis, MD.
While it may seem counterintuitive, it is actually helpful to open the windows and remove the stale, dry air from your house. Open windows during the daytime to let the fresh air in. It will help you breathe easy, and your skin won't feel that dry and itchy. Plus, it will also improve your home air quality.
Using a hygrometer is the easiest way to measure the humidity in your home. The device measures humidity and temperature and is easy to use as a simple thermometer.
The type you choose is ultimately up to you, but in general, cool mist humidifiers are the safest option (especially if you have children or pets around), according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Warm mist humidifiers, meanwhile, run hot and have the potential to cause burns if you get too close.
Increased moisture in your indoor air soaks the airborne dust particles, making them heavier and unable to stay suspended. While humidifiers don't get rid of dust, they do reduce the amount that remains airborne in your home.
You can absolutely use both an air purifier and a humidifier simultaneously. While the air purifier cleans the air of indoor allergens, the humidifier will replace dry air with moisture. For those with respiratory issues, this provides the ultimate comfort for easier breathing.
Depending on current indoor humidity levels, it may take a few days to achieve the desired settings once you turn on your humidifier for the season. Your humidifier run time is typically about 10 to 15 minutes, which is the average length of a heating cycle.
Leaving your humidifier running at night time has numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being. You'll have much better sleep, less infection risk, and moisturized skin. A better sleep experience: When your humidifier is switched on while you sleep at night, it maintains the room humidity.
Air-conditioned air can dry out your sinuses, nasal passages, and throat when you sleep, leading to inflammation and swelling in these sensitive tissues. Using a humidifier while you sleep in the summer helps alleviate these symptoms of dry air, as well as seasonal allergies.