Pros and Cons of Using a Humidifier

Allergies are basically your immune system’s reaction to harmless elements like plant pollen, dust mites, molds, insect stings, certain types of edibles, etc. When such allergens try to enter your body, the immune system uses antibodies like immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to restrain the allergic substances hence leading to a condition called allergies. To treat or essentially avoid such a situation, various drug therapies are recommended with the major motive to not let your body react to allergens in the way it does. The other way is to avoid getting in contact with allergens and one of the best ways of doing that is by using Humidifiers.

How does a humidifier help?

Humidifiers are devices which can help in regulating the atmospheric moisture leading to higher relative humidity levels, eventually creating an unsuitable environment for allergens like pollens to travel easily. Pollens tend to travel easily in warm and dry air hence affecting your allergies. But with humidifiers, the effects of dry air can be reduced and your body’s contact with allergens can be diminished to a great extent.

Advantages of using a Humidifier:

1. Adds moisture to the atmosphere: Humidifiers are designed to increase the humidity levels in the atmosphere.

2. Prevent dryness: By maintaining the moisture level in the atmosphere, Humidifiers prevents the effects of dry air like itching, rashes, dry skin, etc. from affecting your body.

3. Improved sleeping: Humidifiers help with sleep apnea by maintaining a moist atmosphere in your room further humidifying your dry throat and sinuses leading to snoring. Warm mist humidifiers also help in maintaining a warmer atmosphere for a comfortable sleep.

4. Good for allergies: Using a humidifier is good for allergies as it maintains the humidity levels of the room atmosphere eventually keeping your nasal passage and throat moist and reducing symptoms of cold and cough.

5. Good for your furniture: Dry air can lead to cracking and splitting of your wooden furniture by absorbing all the moisture. So, to avoid such a situation, you can use humidifiers to protect and maintain your furnishings for years.

6. Less consumption of electricity: Using a Cool Mist humidifier in summers can help greatly in reducing your bill by maintaining the room temperature to optimum level hence reducing the overall utilization of Air conditioners. Similarly using a Warm mist humidifier in winters can help in maintaining a warmer room temperature eventually reducing the need to use Convectors.

Disadvantages of using a Humidifier:

1. Risk of burns to kids: Warm mist humidifiers use an internal heating element to boil the water and then spray that generated steam to humidify the atmosphere. This process leads to a risk of burning when in direct contact with the steam that is sprayed.

2. Growth of mold: If the humidity levels are more than 30 to 60%, then it may create a suitable environment for the growth of mold on the walls, ceiling and upholstery.

3. Dispersing bacteria: If the water tank of the humidifier is not cleaned very frequently and the water used is not distilled then the Humidifier may disperse bacteria and other water-borne micro-organisms in the atmosphere.