Consider Using a Humidifier This Fall

Indoor heat dries the air. Dry air in turn reabsorbs moisture from any available source. Your skin, your throat and the interior of your nose, as well as your furniture and houseplants give up moisture to dry air.

A dry throat and nose can be uncomfortable. Your lungs may become irritated and dry air can make a cold more annoying. The research also indicates they dry mucous membranes which makes you more susceptible to colds. The best way to fight these symptoms is to moisten the air with an ultrasonic humidifier. Unlike cold air humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers eject no live molds and very few bacteria into the air.

If possible, use distilled water in your ultrasonic humidifier. If you use tap water, run the water through a de-mineralizing filter first, or, boil tap water for 10 minutes, allow it to cool then dip water out leaving mineral deposits in the bottom of the container. Leave at least an inch of water in the boiling pot and discard this water.

Chicagoland tap water contains minerals that can be dispensed into the air by the humidifier. These deposits can then be inhaled into the deepest part of the lungs. Although drinking mineral deposits is not harmful, breathing them is another story. It can actually increase your number of colds and flu. Chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis can also be aggravated by mineral deposits and dry indoor air quality.

 

Autumn 2000
Gypsy Moth Alert! | All-America Flower Selections 2001 | Fall-Blooming Perennials Make Your Garden Last Year Round | Tips on How to Avoid Plant Diseases | Bug Bites: Yellowjackets | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Locally Grown: Making Chutney | Consider Using a Humidifier This Fall | Cholesterol Awareness Month | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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