What Does A Humidifier Do For A Cough?

in home •  5 years ago 

Nothing is more important than your health, so you should be aware that if you develop a cough it could be an indication of a medical problem. As we’ll discuss, there are environmental factors that might be causing your cough or making it worse. Thankfully, there a simple humidifier can help you remove these factors and make your environment healthier. Let’s take a closer look at how it does this.

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Causes of Cough

First, though, let’s briefly look at what type of factors could be responsible for causing your cough. Coughing allows your body to protect itself from potential infection. When your body detects that a foreign particle or dangerous microbe has entered your body, it closes the windpipe and forces the air from your lungs in a cough. Some common causes of chronic coughing might include smoking, which can weaken the lungs. Asthma may also be responsible for chronic coughs. However, it might also be caused by environmental factors. Things like mold spores can get into your lungs, causing coughing and potentially bronchitis. However, one of the most common causes of coughs is colds. Colds can cause you to cough because of the mucus build-up that occurs at the back of the throat, restricting the airways. Because most colds occur in the winter months, when the air is drier it can be difficult to dislodge mucus build-ups. If your cough persists over several days, you should get it looked at by a health professional. They’ll be able to provide an accurate diagnosis and give you an effective way of treatment. However, because there is a lot of potential causes it can take a few weeks before your doctor can accurately diagnose the problem. That’s why you should act to make sure that your environment is as healthy as possible. Let’s look at how you can use a humidifier to help you overcome a nagging cough.

Why you need to buy a humidifier

One of the biggest reasons why people purchase a humidifier is to help them deal with a cough. Humidifiers add extra moisture into the room. This loosens the mucus at the back of the throat and in your nose, which can make it easier for you to cough up. By doing this you will be able to sleep more comfortably and breath easier. This is especially helpful during the winter months when the air becomes drier. This can cause problems like your throat to become scratchier. Using a humidifier can be an effective way to deal with these issues. While steam vaporizers also work to relieve these symptoms, they need to warm up the water vapor. This can make them hot while in use and potentially dangerous if small children or pets are in the house. Now that we know some of the benefits that a humidifier can provide, let’s look at the best ways to use one.

Care and cleaning of the humidifier

While a humidifier can be one of the most effective ways to help you with a mucus cough, it’s important that you maintain it properly. One of the most important things you should do is clean the device regularly. The humidifier works by sucking dry air in and adding water vapor. This means that mold spores will be attracted to the humidifier, which provides the damp environment that they thrive in. If mold spores become established in your humidifier, they can circulate through the house. This might cause damage to your health, as mold spores can aggravate medical conditions or contribute to conditions like bronchitis. To prevent this from happening you need to make sure that you regularly clean the device. Each day you should clean the water tray, which you can either hand-wash or put into the dishwasher. In addition, every week you should give the device a thorough clean. Each week, you should make a solution with half water and half white vinegar. Then, run this solution through the machine. Another important thing you can do to protect your health is by purchasing a hygrometer. Additional information about humidifiers you can see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humidifier

How to determine the desired level of humidity?

You should place a hygrometer in your home if you are using a humidifier. The hygrometer will measure the level of humidity present in the house, so you can keep the humidifier at the right level. You should try to keep the humidity between 30 and 50 percent. Monitoring these levels will make your machine more effective. It will also prevent mold spores from growing in your home, which can occur when the humidity levels become too high.

Conclusion

Having a cough can be an indicator of a range of health problems from the common cold to lung damage caused by smoking. We discussed how humidifiers might be able to help people suffering from coughs by dislodging mucus and helping clear their airwaves, so they can breathe and sleep easier. So, if you perform the regular maintenance activities and use hygrometers, a humidifier might be an effective way to help you overcome coughs and improve your health.

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