Before purchasing a humidifier, we should first understand why we need to use a humidifier, what functions the humidifier has, and how to choose the right one

Before we dive into the types and characteristics of humidifiers, it's important to fully understand why humidifiers are good for your health.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), maintaining optimal humidity levels in your home can significantly increase the concentration of certain indoor pollutants. The recommended household humidity level is between 40% and 60% for maximum health benefits, however, most homes have humidity levels between the highest 20 and the lowest 30.

Many factors contribute to reduced humidity in indoor air, including central heating in winter, increased use of air conditioning in summer, and poor indoor ventilation. Dry indoor air depletes the body of essential moisture, leading to: dry sinuses, increased susceptibility to colds and flu, exacerbated allergy and asthma symptoms, structural damage to your home, and more. So we need humidifiers to help us increase the humidity in the air.

The benefits of using a humidifier regularly at home include:

Improve nasal congestion and nasal discharge

Improves common symptoms of cold and flu

The survival rate of airborne viruses, including influenza and COVID-19, declined

Improves symptoms for people with allergies and asthma

Improve infantile congestion and respiratory disruption

Improves skin hydration, dryness, itching, redness and/or pain

Reduce the signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, crow's feet and a sallow appearance

Improves moisture in dry lips, dry noses and other sensitive skin areas

Improves hair quality, including improvement of dry, flaky scalp

Reduce static electricity buildup on surfaces, clothing and other items in your home

Improve the health of wood surfaces, including furniture, flooring and finishes

Using a humidifier in your room can relieve symptoms such as congestion and sore throats.

There are three types of humidifiers commonly available on the market

1. Vaporizer or warm fog humidifier

These devices use heating elements to boil water and release moisture into the air by releasing a hot mist stream.

2. Ultrasonic humidification equipment

The device uses high-frequency sound vibrations to produce a fine mist of water.

3. Cold mist humidifier

A favourite of many Canadians, cold mist humidifiers increase the humidity in the air by running a motor that forces water droplets into a fine mist, which is then dispersed into the air.

There are many kinds of humidifiers. If it is used at home, ultrasound is the most ideal choice. You can choose according to your actual needs.

No matter what type of humidifier you choose for your home, increasing humidity levels in the optimal range can significantly improve your health, the health of your family and children, and the structural integrity of your home.