Will Humidifiers "harm People"?

Rumor 1: Humidifiers can cause respiratory diseases?

Rumor 2: Humidifiers can "hurt people"?

Rumor 3: Adding tap water to a humidifier is equivalent to inhaling smog?

As the weather gets colder, whether in the north or the south, winter heating equipment will more or less make the indoor air dry, so humidifiers have become a must-have small appliance for many families.

However, there are endless rumors about humidifiers, such as: humidifiers can cause respiratory diseases, etc. Are these true? Let's take a look!

Rumor 1: Humidifiers can cause respiratory diseases?

Humidifiers can indeed relieve the dryness of indoor air and the discomfort caused by low humidity. However, if used improperly, it is also difficult to cause respiratory diseases in our bodies, which is medically called "humidifier pneumonia".

This is a series of respiratory diseases caused by harmful organisms entering the human respiratory tract after being atomized by the humidifier and causing inflammation.

For example, colds, bronchitis, asthma, etc., common manifestations are nasal congestion, coughing, sputum, wheezing, fever, etc. In fact, the existence of "humidifier pneumonia" is not the fault of the humidifier itself, but caused by improper use of the humidifier, for example:

1) The humidifier is not cleaned in time, it is easy to absorb and breed bacteria and viruses, and then turn into bacterial mist and be inhaled into the respiratory tract, causing various respiratory diseases.

2) The humidifier is used for too long, making the air humidity too high, which is conducive to the growth of bacteria and viruses in the air, and enters the lungs with breathing, causing respiratory symptoms.

3) The water quality used in the humidifier is not good, containing bacteria and viruses. The bacterial mist is inhaled into the lungs after the humidifier, which is also difficult to cause a series of respiratory diseases.

Rumor 2: Will humidifiers hurt people?

When we use humidifiers, in addition to adding the main raw material water, some users also like to "DIY", such as adding some fragrances, vinegar, etc. to the water, and some users even add fungicides.

What is a fungicide? This refers to a chemical substance that can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or fungi of certain diseases when used in a certain dose or concentration. Although fungicides can prevent the growth of certain bacteria, excessive use can be harmful to the human body.

The fungicide is dissolved in water and sprayed into the air after being atomized by the humidifier. After being absorbed by the human body, the epithelial cells of the lungs and bronchial tubes will be stimulated. Over time, the cells will be damaged and cause inflammation. In addition, the lungs are prone to fibrosis of lung tissue in the morning during the process of repairing damage many times. This is the truth of "humidifiers killing people"!

So is it okay as long as you don't add "fungicides"?

No! If you want vinegar and fragrances, you'd better go elsewhere! The vinegar we usually use cannot kill bacteria, and the fragrance contains certain chemical components. No matter which one is added to the humidifier, it may cause respiratory discomfort!

However, there is no need to completely reject humidifiers. The main thing is that you can buy regular products and operate them correctly according to the instructions. If you want to ensure a comfortable environment, you can rest assured.

Rumor 3: Adding natural water to a humidifier is equivalent to inhaling smog?

Some people find that the PM2.5 test degree has increased after using a humidifier that adds tap water. Now air purifiers are based on particulate matter as the detection standard, so it is believed that humidifiers cause serious indoor pollution, but this "pollution" is not the same as smog.

According to professionals, the PM2.5 detector used in daily life adopts the "broad scattering method", and all aerosol particles are its detection objects. It is impossible to identify water vapor and harmful particles.

In theory, the content of particles with a diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 microns is the PM2.5 index. The size of the water vapor particles generated by the humidifier is between 0.5-10 microns. A considerable part of the water vapor particles are close to the size of fine particles, and the readings of all detectors will also rise sharply.

Despite this, we still have to be careful of the health risks. A researcher at the China National Urban Environmental Pollution Control Technology Research Center once said that tap water contains calcium and magnesium ions and some impurities, which do have a certain negative impact on health after being sprayed out with mist. Therefore, researchers recommend that it is best to use distilled water or purified water with fewer impurities and be safer, and use tap water as little as possible.

Rumor 4: Are the "side effects" of humidifiers unavoidable?

When the air is dry in the room where the air conditioner is turned on for a long time and after heating in winter, you can use a humidifier to improve the air humidity, relieve and avoid the situation of skin dehydration and dry mouth.

However, long-term use of humidifiers will bring us some "side effects". Are these "side effects" unavoidable?

In fact, as long as you pay attention to the methods, you can avoid the "side effects" it brings:

1) Under normal circumstances, it is a more comfortable state to keep the air humidity at 40%--60%. You can prepare a hygrometer at home, and then adjust and use the humidifier according to the specific situation of each day to keep the room in a suitable temperature range.

2) The location of the humidifier also needs to be paid attention to: first of all, it should be away from the power socket at home, and it is best to be placed at a height of about one meter from the ground. This is not only safe, but also more conducive to the distribution of water mist generated by the humidifier, and the humidity in Pahang.

3) The water in the humidifier should be changed every day. Tap water cannot be used. It is recommended to use purified water to prevent the bacteria in the tap water from spreading into the air through the water mist of the humidifier and inducing respiratory diseases.

4) Do not put vinegar, essential oils, fragrances, etc. in the humidifier. These ingredients are atomized and inhaled into the lungs, which can easily induce allergic rhinitis or asthma.

5) The humidifier should be kept clean. Generally, it needs to be cleaned once every three days: first soak and disinfect with hot water, then rinse with cold water, and finally wipe off the scale with a clean cloth. In addition, pay attention to cleaning the small grooves in the humidifier as much as possible.

6) For humidifiers that have been idle for a long time, be sure to pour out the waste water and air dry the water tank for later use.

In addition to these correct usage methods, we do not recommend the use of humidifiers for the following groups due to their special physical conditions and constitutions:

1) People with rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis should use humidifiers with caution, because humidifiers will increase the humidity in the air and make them feel uncomfortable.

2) People with chronic lung diseases, such as bronchitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, should use humidifiers with caution, because improper use of humidifiers can easily induce the onset of such respiratory diseases.

3) Elderly people and children need to use humidifiers with caution, because the respiratory mucosa of the elderly and children has poor resistance, and high air humidity can easily breed bacteria and viruses, which can induce respiratory diseases