During the colder months of winter, you will likely find that breathing inside your home becomes less comfortable. This is because your heating system and dry outside air combine to significantly reduce home humidity levels.
As soon as the thermostat is set at 70 degrees or higher, the relative humidity of the average North American home can drop to 15 percent. (Compare this with the humidity of the Sahara Desert, which averages 23 percent, and you will understand why your home may feel uncomfortably dry!)
When dry air is heated, it begins to soak up moisture from everything with which it comes into contact, including your skin, eyes and nasal passages. This can result in itchy, flaky skin, roughness in the throat, and nasal congestion. Allergy sufferers will feel more miserable when the humidity level is low and people who snore may find themselves snoring even more.
The Ideal Humidity Level
Health Canada recommends that your home’s relative humidity be maintained between 30 and 55 percent during the colder months. If the humidity falls much lower than this, your lungs and airways will be deprived of essential moisture, increasing your chances of developing a respiratory illness.
How Humidifiers Help
By moisturizing the air, humidifiers create a healthier, more comfortable environment for you and your family. This is why many health professionals now recommend the use of a humidifier for people with respiratory conditions.
Humidifiers also help to control static electricity, keep houseplants healthy and prevent wooden floors, musical instruments and furniture from drying out.
Measuring Humidity
Gauging the level of humidity in your home is not easy. You cannot simply feel when the air is dry. You can, however, invest in a humidifier with a built-in digital humidistat. The humidistat constantly measures the humidity of the air in your home, automatically turning on the humidifier when the humidity falls below a preset level.
You can find several models of humidifiers with built-in humidistats at your local London Drugs, including those shown in the sidebar.