Can I Use a Humidifier to Combat Winter Allergies? | Air Experts

Can I Use a Humidifier to Combat Winter Allergies?

Most of us will do almost anything to try and beat the awful winter sniffles and chest congestion from allergies. You’ve probably thought about using a vaporizer or steam to clear congestion, but have you thought about using a humidifier for allergy relief in your home? 

We’re going to explain why moist air is good for colds, allergies, etc., rather than dry air! 

First off, we want to mention that dry air may make you sick, but the science here is conflicting. Dry air dries up the mucus in your nose that is supposed to catch bacteria and viruses, and since it dries up the mucus, then dry indoor air possibly makes you more likely to get sick. 

There are a couple more reasons why you’d want more humid air vs. dry air. First of all, if the air in your home is too dry, it irritates your sinuses, throat, and chest, which creates symptoms that mimic allergies. This is called rhinitis. It’s not caused by allergies, though, and so you may find yourself reaching for the Claritin, Zyrtec, or Benadryl and being upset when they don’t help! 

Nope, your allergy-like symptoms are caused by dry indoor air. 

What’s more, if you have an allergic skin condition, dry indoor air can cause your symptoms to flare up because they dry out your skin and make you even itchier.  

Last but not least, since dry air leads to chest congestion and coughing, moist air can alleviate these symptoms. How?  

Well, it may sound a little gross, but since dryness makes mucus harder to blow out of your nose or cough, humidity makes it easier to do so. Nature’s cure, or at least it soothes symptoms! 

So if a cool-mist humidifier can soothe those symptoms, a whole-home humidifier is even more effective! This is because it’s positioned in the middle of your supply and return ducts, so moisture is circulated throughout your home. Whole-home humidifiers can guard you against allergies wherever you are, and also don’t make the whirring and bubbling noises that portable humidifiers do. What’s more, here at Air Experts, we service humidifiers that aren’t working! 

Add some moisture to the dry New Jersey air this winter! We care about improving your comfort and your family’s comfort. Give us a call at
(732) 759-0934 or contact us online! 

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