Is the Moisture In The Air Affecting Your Health?


by Kitty Craig - Date: 2007-02-20 - Word Count: 395 Share This!

Having clean air to breathe is not a luxury, it is a necessity and many people are learning about the various ways to improve air quality when they are indoors. Two of the tools to help improve air quality are humidifiers and dehumidifiers to help control the moisture in the air. Air moisture may not be something that you think a lot about, but it could be a contributing factor to the negative symptoms that you experience.

That means that air moisture can be a very important factor in comfort when you are indoors and can also contribute to your overall health. Consider the following health issues and how they relate to air moisture: Many allergy sufferers have a severe allergic reaction to mold in the air or on surfaces and fabrics around them. This mold is almost always tied to the amount of moisture that is present in the air. By reducing the air moisture the mold allergy can often be brought under control. High humidity at high temperatures can also lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke in extreme cases. And dust mites that trigger allergy attacks begin to die off when the humidity level drops below 50%. On the flip side, when the air is too dry people can be uncomfortable and can suffer from dry mucus membranes which can lead to nosebleeds and infections. Low humidity can also aggravate the symptoms of asthma.

A good way to monitor air moisture indoors is to get a digital hygrometer. It's a simple gadget to understand and the information it produces can be very useful. You see, most people feel comfortable at 45-50% humidity between 68-72 degrees. That is considered the optimal comfort zone. Some variance on either side of the optimum zone is fine, but wide changes can be hard on your health. If the humidity level falls below 30% you should turn on an air humidifier or just slowly heat water to help put moisture back. If the moisture level consistently rises above 60% in your home, you should employ a dehumidifier, fan or air conditioner to reduce the moisture level. By following these guidelines you can increase your indoor comfort level and improve your health.

Kitty is half owner of BreatheEzFilters, Clean air for ourselves and our families is important; be informed by the causes and effects of indoor air pollution.

Related Tags: asthma, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, dust mites, clean air, dehumidifier, mucous membranes, dry air, moist air, humidifier

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