When I was growing up, it was the sound of my male parent filling the humidifier downwards the hall that woke me each morning time. The cascading whoosh equally the bucket of h2o tilted into the tank was a comforting abiding. My parents believed in the humidifier. "Information technology'south why yous don't become colds," my mother would say with confidence. Yet experts say that while humidifiers offer sure health benefits, they tin can also crusade bug, specially for people with asthma and other animate disorders.

A humidifier's chore is straightforward: to boost the water content of air. Different types practise this job in dissimilar means: Ultrasonic and impeller (also known every bit cool mist) humidifiers shoot a plume of tiny water aerosol into the air. Evaporative models blow air through a moistened wick, filter, or chugalug. Steam vaporizers release steam. And warm-mist humidifiers, a variation on steam models, absurd the steam somewhat before releasing it.

Equally it turns out, there'south no testify that humidifiers help prevent colds or other respiratory infections. (It was probably my parents' insistence on paw washing that kept me relatively sniffle-free.) If you do get a respiratory infection, however, a humidifier tin ease your symptoms past keeping mucus moist so you tin miscarry it more easily, says Stanley Goldstein, Medico, a Rockville Heart, NY, allergist and a spokesman for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Using one can likewise help keep your olfactory organ, throat, and lips from feeling dry out and uncomfortable.By the same token, a humidifier can keep your pare from drying out and itching, says Jerome Litt, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University. Wet can be very soothing if y'all have psoriasis and the accompanying thick, scaly patches. And while it won't foreclose wrinkles--alas, too much to ask--a humidifier can make your peel look younger if you lot besides use a moisturizer.

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The downside: With overly enthusiastic use, humidity can ascent besides high, promoting the growth of mold and dust mites, both common allergens, says Norman Edelman, MD, consultant to the American Lung Clan. If yous have asthma, excessive humidity tin can irritate your breathing passages, as can the hot or warm mist from evaporative and steam humidifiers.[pagebreak]Slipshod humidifier maintenance causes the nigh trouble. If y'all don't clean your humidifier properly, leaner and mold tin proliferate in the h2o. This can be especially chancy with ultrasonic and impeller models--the types that shoot a mist of water into the air--because the mist will disperse that bacteria and mold. If you exhale them in, you tin develop respiratory troubles ranging from flulike symptoms to a chronic pneumonia-like status dubbed "humidifier lung." Smokers and those with respiratory disorders are virtually vulnerable.

Here are the keys to finding happiness with a humidifier.

Buy the Right 1

Consider these 3 factors:

Type If someone in your household has asthma, cull something other than a steam humidifier. Ditto if you accept small children, since this blazon of humidifier tin can cause serious burns.Size and stylePortable humidifiers are small-scale and tin usually humidify just a single room. Console humidifiers are enclosed in cabinets and may cover multiple rooms or a whole firm.

Central humidifiers are built in to a home's heating and ac system and are designed to humidify the entire identify. Console and central varieties are e'er evaporative.

CostPlug-in portables start at around $45. Consoles get for virtually $120 and up. A central humidifier volition cost considerably more than depending on the size of your home and where you live. Look to pay a few chiliad dollars.

Run It Right

Here's what that means:

Employ It SparinglyTurn it on only when your skin, nose, lips, or throat are dry out, or when you demand relief from a common cold or related symptoms, says Edelman.

MonitorIf your humidifier has a born "humidistat," gear up it at thirty to 50 percent to prevent an overdose of moisture. If information technology doesn't, buy a device called a hygrometer (about $xx at hardware stores). If the dial edges beyond l percent, pass up the humidifier's output volume, or use it less ofttimes.

Clean Often and Thoroughly If You Accept...

A portable humidifier:Dump out one-time water, and fill with fresh daily. Clean the humidifier at least weekly, post-obit the manufacturer's instructions. Call up to scrub away any crusty mineral buildup, called scale, which is a convenance ground for bacteria. (Using distilled h2o can assist reduce scale buildup, and some humidifiers come up with filters designed to do the same.)

A console or central humidifier:Because these are evaporative types, leaner and mold are less of a problem. However, you still need to follow cleaning instructions advisedly.

Other Options

Uncomfortable with a winter common cold, and don't want to bother with a humidifier? Try these solutions:

Saline Nasal SprayPurchase it at the drugstore, and spritz some into each nostril, following bundle directions, to assistance keep fungus moist.

A Steamy RoomStride into the bath, close the door, and run a hot shower for ten minutes. Don't go into the shower; rather, stand nearby and exhale deeply.

The Cheapest and Simplest Put a pan of water in each room, and allow the h2o to evaporate. Change water daily, and wash the pan weekly.