- Knowledgebase: Cough, Congestion, and Ears
- Questions about the managment of coughs and congestion, as well as ear infections.
- 3. Our home is very dry; should we use a humidifier? - Top
- Q: Our home is very dry; should we use a humidifier in our daughter's room?
A: In the winter tine especially because outside humidity is low and we are using heating systems! our homes can he very dry. Homes in our area using wood heat are the driest (a wood heater as the exclusive heat source in a house may remove 20 gallons of water a day). This dry air can be irritating to our skin and especially our respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). One way of moisturizing our body is to drink more fluids, especially water. Another is the use of a humidifier to humidify the air around us. I recommend cool mist because of the risk of burns associated with steam humidifiers.
One reminder with any wet system is that they may harbor and distribute bacteria if not cleaned regularly. These wet system bacteria are commonly not killed by just soap and water, therefore, should be cleansed with bleach or vinegar at least twice a week.
- Updated: March 24, 2001
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