Cough is a common problem for many people that, if left untreated, can lead to other health problems. Humidifiers are devices that increase the humidity in the air. Over the years, the proper use of humidifiers has proven effective in solving health issues like colds and allergies.
Can a Humidifier Make a Cough Worse?
Many people may also wonder whether a humidifier relieves or aggravates a cough. This is the purpose of this article. We will discuss the effects of a humidifier on coughing. Does it make the cough worse or not? Before delving deeper, we need to know what causes a dry cough.
What causes a dry cough?
The winter period is characterized by numerous diseases. This is not surprising, because the cold puts a strain on the body and the immune system. This leads to tension and makes the body vulnerable to infections and the flu.
We also tend to resort to artificial heating when the temperature gets too cold. We need it to keep the ambient temperature at a reasonable level. The result is a dry heat, which leads to further health risks in the home. This also explains why coughing is quite common in winter.
Breathing dry air damages the lungs. There are lung fluids that protect our nasal passages and airways. Keeps the channel moist so you can breathe efficiently. When you breathe in dry air, this liquid evaporates faster.Dry airways develop, which can become swollen and irritated. As a result, a dry cough develops.
Does a humidifier help with a cough?
Many people are interested in the effect of humidifiers on a dry cough. Many people wonder if a humidifier can make a cough worse. According to doctors, a humidifier does not make a cough worse. On the other hand, it can help relieve a chronic cough.
A warm or cold mist humidifier will provide you with optimal relief when you start coughing. Even if a humidifier doesn’t relieve a cough, ideally it doesn’t cause pain. Although results may vary for many people, it is important to exercise caution.
The experience of using a humidifier for cough relief depends on many factors. It matters how long your cough lasts and how you use it. The following section explains how a humidifier works and how it relieves coughs.
How a Humidifier Helps a Cough
One of the main causes of colds, coughs, and sore throats is a dry nose. The reason is simple: the moisture you need to lubricate your nasal passages comes from the air you breathe. In dry air with low humidity, your nasal passage does not get enough moisture.
Here are some ways a humidifier can help relieve a cough.
- The humidifier brings moisture into the air. This lubricates and moistens the nasal passage, making it easier to breathe.
- The Humidifier reduces inflammation while making breathing easier.
- The Humidifier reduces swelling in the nasal passages.
- Also reduces congestion in the sinuses.
The use of a warm mist humidifier is recommended for people who want to relieve coughs. In the next section, you will learn more about the types of humidifiers recommended for cough relief. You can get relief by using a warm mist humidifier, which kills microorganisms and germs that can cause coughing and nausea.
Drugs and other addictive substances like Vicks can also be used in a warm mist humidifier. This allows the drug to enter the nasal airways through the diffuser. We will discuss this in more detail in the following sections.
Is a whole-house humidifier good for a cough?
There are many types of humidifiers, and the whole house is the common type. Regulates the relative humidity throughout the room in the house. That means you have clean air in every room of your home. This means that not everyone has to be in the same room to enjoy the effect of the humidifier.
A whole-house humidifier works very differently than a spot humidifier. The device is connected to the oven; can work with a thermostat. This eliminates the need for the whole family to gather in the room or carry the humidifier from room to room.
It is also silent as it uses the stove fan to spray a moisturizing mist into different rooms.
Recommended Humidifier Type for Cough Relief
Thanks to advances in science and technology, different types of humidifiers are available. As such, users may not be sure which humidifiers are best for cough relief.
Different types of humidifiers are in the next section.
Warm Mist Humidifier
The humidifier heats stored water and turns it into steam. Steam is introduced into the room, which cleans the nasal compress, making it easier to breathe. Therefore, it relieves cough without noise.
Cool Mist
Unlike the steam-heated water used in a hot mist humidifier, the Cool Mist traps contaminants with a filter. As a result, the air entering the room is free of microorganisms.
We recommend this humidifier for people living in warmer climates as it helps cool the room. A slight drop in temperature makes it easier to breathe and relieves the cough of patients.
Whole House Humidifiers
These are large humidifiers that supply the whole house. It differs from the two previous humidifiers in size and functionality. Every room in your home can benefit from humidity when you use whole-home humidifiers. These devices work best with distilled water and regular maintenance. Also, remember to change the filters regularly.
Ultrasonic Humidifier
This is the latest version of the humidifier that uses modern technology to offer moisture to the users. Disperses moisture using a combination of a metal diaphragm and ultrasonic vibrations.
The different types of humidifiers described above have unique advantages and disadvantages, but the best choice comes down to personal preference. However, a warm or cool mist humidifier is the best way to relieve a cough. The next section brings more light into the darkness.
Warm Mist Humidifier for Cough If you want to buy a humidifier for health reasons, we recommend a warm mist humidifier. This is due to their way of working, in which they heat the moisture (mist) before releasing it into the surrounding air. This will kill bacteria and other microorganisms that could harm you or make your cough worse.
This is how you breathe high-quality air free of pathogens and germs. The fewer microorganisms in the air, the better your chances of fighting illness, including relieving a cough.
Precautions when using a humidifier as a cough Relief
We believe that a humidifier helps relieve coughs. However, there are some things you need to be aware of. For example, diseases and illnesses are common. In addition, do not expect that the disease will disappear immediately after turning on the device. You will feel fine, but the cough will not go away overnight.
A clean humidifier is a healthy humidifier. In other words, to be healthy, humidifier maintenance is vital. Be sure to follow all recommended maintenance instructions when using the humidifier. Change the water daily and only use distilled water. Do not use aggressive cleaning agents for cleaning.
Advanced humidifiers have additional features and may require more maintenance than regular humidifiers. Using a humidifier without proper care, cleaning, and maintenance is problematic because it can make the cough worse rather than relieve it.
There are a few categories of humidifiers (mainly ultrasonic humidifiers) that emit white powder into the air. However, this depends on the type of water used. You can avoid this problem by using distilled water instead of tap water in your humidifier.
Conclusions
Cough is quite common in humans and is common in winter. As we’ve seen, a CLEAN moisturizer can naturally help relieve symptoms. Humidifiers add moisture to the air, which provides mucus and fluids that cushion the nasal passage, making it easier to breathe and cough.
The aim of the humidifier design is to create a comfortable and livable indoor space for human beings. It does this by increasing the moisture content of the air. This improves the overall air quality, allowing people to breathe normally.
Keep in mind that a humidifier will not immediately relieve cough symptoms. In addition, a dirty and mishandled humidifier can make symptoms worse. Therefore, you must follow all maintenance procedures recommended in the manual.
Finally, there are humidifiers that are specifically designed to relieve cough symptoms. You should consider these models if your main purpose in purchasing a humidifier is to relieve cough symptoms.
