Why You Need a Humidifier This Winter
Along with the cold and snow, winter also brings dry air. To top it off, our heating systems and portable heaters can decrease indoor humidity to as low as 10%. This dry air can lead to a number of health issues like getting sick more often, asthma and allergy symptoms, and dry skin. Humidifiers release water vapor into the air, increasing the indoor humidity, which can help alleviate these winter-related problems.
Benefits of Humidifiers in the Winter
Prevent Spread of Viruses
According to research, increasing humidity levels in your home can help prevent the spread of viruses. The study found that maintaining an indoor relative humidity greater than 40% will significantly reduce the infectivity of viruses. When the humidity is higher, the viruses attach to water vapor droplets and fall out of the air instead of infecting you.
Relieve Asthma & Allergy Symptoms
Dry air is bad for asthma and allergies because it irritates nasal passages, which causes your body to produce more mucus. By adding more moisture to your indoor air, your body can keep your nasal passages clear of mucus which makes getting rid of the other allergens entering your nasal passages a lot easier.
Prevent Dry Skin
Dry air pulls moisture out of our skin which can lead to dry skin, lips and eyes. Common signs we start to notice first are dull skin, flaking lips and dry eyes. Adding moisture back to the air with a humidifier can help alleviate these symptoms and get you back to feeling your best!
Although adding moisture to your indoor air can be beneficial to your health, too much humidity is not healthy either. It is important to monitor your indoor humidity levels, and keep the humidity somewhere between 30-50%, per the EPA’s suggestion.
