Household humidifiers are designed to quickly increase the level of humidity in dry rooms. These are compact devices that can be transported to any room. Classic models evaporate moisture naturally by passing air through a wet cartridge. Ultrasonic devices are quiet, some of them are able to maintain humidity up to 60%.
Steam models additionally clean the air of microorganisms. They infiltrate air with moisture most intensively. The equipment should be used only as needed, an excess of moisture leads to mold and walls covering the walls and furniture, as well as health problems.
Why humidify indoor air?
Dry air adversely affects wood flooring and furniture. Parquet and laminate floors begin to crack, cracks appear in the seams and creak of floorboards. Furniture is shaken, groove joints lose their strength. Interior items and doors wear out faster, crack. Plants lose a lot of moisture, so their growth slows down, the leaves begin to dry out, especially at the tips.
Heating appliances and air conditioners greatly change the microclimate in the house. When air masses are heated by climatic technology, their "capacity" increases. This leads to the fact that the relative humidity decreases, which provokes a deterioration in well-being. Relative humidity is understood as the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum volume that it can hold at a given temperature.
Important! Relative humidity depends not only on the volume of water in the air, but also on temperature. When heating the air masses, it decreases, while cooling - increases.
The right balance of humidity in the house is very important for young children. Traditional wet cleaning is not able to restore the lack of water in the air. The humidifier improves the indoor climate, but it is recommended to use the device as needed. It should be remembered that living rooms need fresh air, so replacing ventilation with humidification is unacceptable.
Humidifiers and their benefits for well-being and human health
Humidifiers allow you to quickly increase the humidity in the room, which reduces the risk of allergies, asthma and rhinitis at times. Optimum humidity prevents the skin from excessively losing moisture, its attractive appearance is preserved, and the likelihood of premature aging is reduced. Humidifiers have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system, increasing efficiency and attention.
What are the benefits of air humidifiers?
Dry air irritates the airways and larynx, it becomes difficult to breathe in such a room. In children, metabolic processes occur faster. Due to the dryness of the air masses, the baby's natural heat exchange is disrupted, it begins to sweat more. As a result of this, insufficient moisture remains in the body, which, combined with insufficient fluid intake, leads to dehydration. The skin becomes dry and flaky.
A large number of pathogens develop on the nasal mucosa, so a person is more often sick with respiratory and viral diseases, pneumonia, otitis media, tonsillitis.
The humidifier is able to improve the condition with dry eyes that occur in a dry climate. In such air, the nasal mucosa dries up, as a result of which crusts form on it, which can block breathing up to a complete stop. A nose with impaired moisture in the mucous membrane becomes sensitive to allergens, asthma may occur.
Humidification of air in combination with the correct temperature regime increases concentration and efficiency. Eyes get tired less, a person feels more comfortable.
Why should there be a humidifier in the nursery?
In dry air, pathogens freely enter the body, causing inflammation. The skin of the child dries up, so the baby combs it. There are irritations and allergic reactions. A humidifier in the children's room allows you to get rid of infections that settle on the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose.
Loss of moisture in the body leads to a thickening of the blood, resulting in thrombosis. Organs and systems begin to malfunction. With an optimal level of humidity, the child consumes less fluid, and an additional burden on the kidneys is not created. In a room with a balanced microclimate, the baby will be active and cheerful.
Harmful effects of humidifiers
Steam humidifiers when hot steam is released can cause burns in a person who is in close proximity to the appliance. The room temperature rises, with prolonged use of the device there is a steam bath effect. Such a microclimate adversely affects health. A steam appliance near a wall or furniture can spoil the interior of the steam.
Equipment for cold humidification with untimely cleaning accumulates bacteria and dangerous microorganisms on replaceable cartridges. The fan throws them into the air, then the germs enter the mucous membranes when inhaling. Ultrasonic models spray water with all the salts and impurities contained in the water. To avoid this, it is recommended to fill in only distilled water.
When can humidifiers cause harm?
Excessive use of any humidifier leads to wet walls and dampening of furniture. In a waterlogged room, mold and pathogenic fungi develop rapidly. Such a microclimate is harmful as well as dry. To prevent excess moisture, before using the device carry out a control measurement of humidity with a hygrometer. Proper operation of the equipment is not capable of causing harm.
The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky: is the danger of humidifiers real?
Dr. Komarovsky recommends maintaining the correct microclimate in the children's room. Humidity should be between 50-70%. He believes that frequent snot, turning into purulent rhinitis, is provoked by dry air. In this case, complications usually arise, a runny nose becomes bronchitis or pneumonia. During the period of influenza and viral diseases, it is humid air that contributes to faster healing without antibiotics.
Dr. Komarovsky argues that harm from exposure to the humidifier will only occur if the device is not used correctly. For example, if waterlogging a room is over 75-80%. Devices with hot steam must be installed away from the baby so that he cannot get it and get burned.
The doctor recommends when choosing a specific model to pay attention to the noise during operation. The remote control and additional functions are not always suitable for children's rooms. These options only increase the cost of the device. Dr. Komarovsky advises turning on the device periodically when the humidity drops to 45%. For babies, he offers to pick up a steam or ultrasound device. For older children, the safest, in his opinion, are ultrasonic humidifiers.
How to use a humidifier without harm to health?
Humidifiers are not recommended for use around the clock. They quickly saturate the air with moisture to the optimum level. It is impossible to get sick from the device, but use in a stuffy room can lead to poor health. Before turning on the device, it is recommended to ventilate the room for 10-15 minutes to ensure access of fresh air.
Important! It is advisable to measure the relative humidity indicator before each turn on of the device. If it is less than 50%, the operation of the humidifier will become appropriate. In this case, the temperature regime must be taken into account. Good health is guaranteed in the room at a temperature of 20-23 ° C and a humidity of 50-60%.
When using a humidifier with a built-in hygrometer, it must be remembered that the readings of the measuring device will distort the real state of the microclimate. Humidity near the apparatus is always higher than in remote areas of the room.
To avoid white coating on furniture, only distilled water is poured into ultrasonic and steam equipment. The use of purified liquid extends the life of the cartridges, and impurities contained in tap water will not get into the lungs of a person.
Conclusion
This device has both pros and cons, you should follow the advice of your doctors and everything will be fine!
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