You can’t stop coughing. You’ve tried cough drops, hot tea, and other treatments, but it persists. Have you tried a humidifier? Would that even work? What does a humidifier do for a cough? Let’s explore it.
Humidity and Coughs
There are two types of cough: wet and dry. It’s easy to see how a humidifier would help a dry cough. By bringing moisture back to your throat and nasal passages, it changes the environment in which the bacteria were thriving. A humidifier can help with a wet cough too, as steam can help eliminate the mucus that’s building up in your throat, clearing out your passageways.
A humidifier also has another benefit for a cough: It lubricates the cilia, which are tiny hairs in your nose that help keep bacteria and other contaminants in the air from entering your body. The cilia aren’t effective when they’re dry, so a humidifier can provide them with moisture.
Whole-Home vs. Room-Specific Humidifiers
Now that you know what does a humidifier do for a cough, the next question is what kind do you use? A portable one that humidifies a single room or one that regulates the humidity of your entire house?
In the case of a wet cough, a room humidifier is best. It produces steam, which is what helps clear your passages and helps you breathe. Clean it regularly and only use distilled water to prevent bacteria. For a child’s cough, a cool-mist humidifier is recommended, as the hot one could burn them.
A whole-house humidifier can have health benefits too. By keeping your home’s humidity between 30% and 50%, it reduces bacteria and other contaminants from the air, thus reducing your risk of a cough in the first place.
To learn more about what does a humidifier do for a cough, as well as how they can benefit your home, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
