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6 Health Benefits Of A Dehumidifier
What Is Humidity?
What Does A Dehumidifier Do?
What Are The Health Benefits Of A Dehumidifier?
Other Benefits Of A Dehumidifier
Health benefits of a dehumidifier
- Reduces Allergens
- Prevents Asthma
- Improve Immune Systems
- Soothes Skin
- Keeps Food Fresh
- Keeps Insects Away
What if you could only breathe damp and foul-smelling air? Pretty soon you would not be feeling well. You’d find that your breaths were becoming shallow due to respiratory issues. You also go around wrinkling your nose to avoid smelling the dampness. There is an obvious reason for this; the high humidity levels where you live.
There is a solution, get yourself an Energy Star certified dehumidifier.
What Is Humidity?
Remember the water cycle lesson? The one with evaporation, condensation and precipitation? This water cycle is a continuous process. The process also occurs in the air you breathe in an indoor environment. Humidity is the level of water vapor in the air.
We express it as a percentage of water that air can hold at the same temperature. To clarify, the indoor humidity level depends on the outside temperature. The same percentage of water vapor can cause higher humidity levels in cool air than in warm air. This causes frequent condensation.
What Does A Dehumidifier Do?
Before we discuss the health benefits, let us understand what a dehumidifier is and what it does. A dehumidifier is an electrical appliance. It removes moisture from the air inside your home. It works to improve indoor air quality. A dehumidifier also ensures that you and your family do not fall ill due to excess moisture.
It can act as an air purifier. It reduces the risk of respiratory conditions and other common allergy triggers. Once you know the humidity range, the dehumidifier removes excess moisture. Humidity levels can vary depending on where you live. Weather conditions and air circulation also play a role.
In an ideal environment, humidity levels between 30% and 50% would be a good range. But, around 45% would be the best level for a comfortable and healthy environment. A healthy humidity level is anything less than 50%.
A dehumidifier can ensure moisture levels are low and stay within the range. Some dehumidifiers also come with a meter that allows you to see the relative humidity in your home. This makes it easy to adjust the dehumidifier to the desired level.
We know that too much moisture in the air can cause a whole host of problems. These problems will not only affect your health but also your homes. It can cause poor health for your family and it can damage the structure of your home.
So use a dehumidifier and prevent musty smell, allergen growth and respiratory disease. [2]
What Are The Health Benefits Of A Dehumidifier?
Coastal areas and warm climates can have greater levels of humidity in the air. Such excess humidity can become very uncomfortable in a short time. Humidity can trigger a variety of reactions. Excess moisture is bound to cause damage and health issues, either for yourself or your home
Dampness in the walls of your home or its crawl space can create mold, which can cause allergy symptoms. You can spot dampness from the water stains it leaves and the patches on the walls. In short, the level of humidity determines how healthy you can be.
1. Removes or reduces allergens:
Studies show that humidity levels that are higher than 50% can attract dust mites, mildew and mold. They are allergy triggers and can bring a host of health problems. Allergens such as dust mites, mildew, and mold spores cannot exist in a dry and cold environment. In humid climates, these allergens remain as invisible occupants and thrive. They cause allergic reactions.
Allergic reactions include wheezing, dry skin, skin rashes, and eye irritation. They also cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose and itching. By controlling the humidity levels, dehumidifiers can be beneficial. They can help those who have an allergy to mold growth or other allergens. This can be particularly helpful to people with asthma.
2. Prevents asthma attacks:
Dampness in the walls of your home causes the growth of mold. This can cause respiratory illness and trigger asthmatic conditions. Dust found in upholstery and carpets is also known to trigger asthma attacks. Strong cleaning products are allergy triggers, too. This is especially true in cases of childhood asthma.
Breathing difficulties that do not become asthma attacks can also be serious. They can cause respiratory distress. Airborne allergens and an excessive moisture level can cause chest congestion. They can disturb your sleep.
Over time these issues can become severe and affect your immune system. Dehumidifiers that also act as air purifiers can remove these allergy triggers. They can remove the growth of dust or mold and help prevent respiratory conditions.
3. Improves immune systems:
You cannot overstate the importance of a strong immune system. This is what keeps your body protected from microorganisms. Many factors come into play when it comes to immunity. Factors include age, diet exercise, mental fatigue an uncomfortable living space and sleep.
Depending on the circumstances, any of these factors can affect your immune system. People change their lifestyles after feeling like they have compromised immunity. For instance, you will notice that when there is sleep interruption your energy is low. There is a little fight left to ward off a cold or a headache.
Did you know that allergens can also compromise your immune system? For instance, sneezing or coughing over several days can be debilitating, causing weakness. It’s important to make sure that your home is a healthy environment.
A dehumidifier removes allergens making our home conducive to a healthy immune system.
4. Soothes the skin:
Allergens such as dust mites, animal dander, and pollen can trigger skin irritations. Additionally, soaps and detergents contain chemicals. They can cause itchy skin and skin irritation. If the humidity level is over 50%, these allergens can become active and cause a lot of trouble. Eczema is one such condition. It involves skin inflammation and intense itching. It is one skin ailment that may worsen when there are dust mites.
According to studies, the development of eczema has increased by around 20% in the last few years. The bottom line is that allergens need to go. That can happen with the new advanced dehumidifiers that are now available.
5. Keep food fresh:
We know how harmful food can be if it has got mold in it. Stale food can also cause gastrointestinal issues. You may not notice the mold spores if it is somewhere in your home’s crawl space. You may have touched mold, but it can end up in if you touch your nose or mouth. Wash your hands before preparing meals.
You may feel nauseous and not even realize it’s because of mold issues. But, it can get worse. You could get stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fungal infections. Using a whole-house dehumidifier can prevent mold growth in any part of the home.
6. Keeps insects away:
You will find small insects gravitating to a damp environment in your home. Crawl spaces, closets, and bathrooms are favorite haunts for insects. They get into your pantry, on your clothes, in your books, and lay eggs. It can become difficult to remove them all.
An ideal environment is dry and inhospitable for insects. That is where a portable dehumidifier comes in. [3]
Other Benefits Of A Dehumidifier
Do you want to save money on energy costs? Dehumidifiers increase the efficiency of air conditioners. By removing excess moisture, air conditioners won’t have to work as hard and will use less energy as result. This can be especially beneficial in very humid environments. To conclude, there are many types of benefits from dehumidifiers.
Dehumidifiers can be a godsend for regions prone to humidity and moist environments. Saying that prevention is better than cure may sound like a cliché. But, it’s a cliché for a reason. Dehumidifiers can be portable, large and can remove 75+ pints of water from homes in less than 24 hours.
They prevent the buildup of moisture. They can ward off a multitude of health hazards for you and your loved ones. The average person can be comfortable in humidity levels of 20-60%. But you can avoid a lot of health problems if the humidity level is below 50%.
Choosing a dehumidifier that is Energy Star certified would be best, as it comes with approval from the E.P.A. [4]
