What Does A Humidifier Do For A Cough? 5 DIY Alternatives

Coughing is a frequent problem for many people, and if it remains untreated, it can lead to severe health problems. People try many medicines to handle it, but a humidifier is a simple solution. 

So, what does a humidifier do for a cough?

Humidifiers are devices that enhance the amount of moisture in the air. 

The proper usage of a humidifier helps us handle cough, sinus, colds, flu, and much more. It is why experts highly recommend having a humidifier at home, especially for kids.

Many people may also question whether using a humidifier can help or hurt their cough. I will discuss the benefits of a humidifier for coughs in this guide.

What Does A Humidifier Do For A Cough - DIY Alternatives

But the first thing first:

Causes of cough:

Several diseases mark the winter season. It is unsurprising given how stressful the cold weather is for the body and immune system. It causes stress, making the body more vulnerable to infections like the flu.

Furthermore, when the temperature drops too low, we rely on artificial heating devices. It required this to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. 

As a result, dry heat in the house poses significant risks. It explains why coughing is common in the winter.

The lungs are harmed by breathing dry air. Lung fluids protect our nose tube and airways. It keeps the passage moist, allowing you to breathe comfortably. This fluid evaporates more quickly when you breathe dry air. 

With this, you may experience a dry airway, which may expand and bother you. It is the reason for your cough.

Role of a humidifier with cough:

Many patients are curious about the effectiveness of humidifiers on the cough. Many people question if using a humidifier may increase their cough. 

A humidifier, according to medical experts, does increase cough. Also, a humidifier plays an essential role in decreasing patients’ cough.

A cool-mist humidifier will provide the best help when you start coughing. Even if a humidifier does not help decrease your cough, it will not harm you in any way if you use it. 

The experience you have with a humidifier as a cough reliever is dependent on several factors. The length of your cough and how you use it are essential factors. 

Related: What is the best humidifier?

How humidifiers reduce cough:

When your nasal tube or through becomes dry, it is among the leading causes of colds, coughs, and sore throats. The explanation for this is straightforward: the moisture required to lubricate your nasal airways comes from the air you breathe in. 

The nasal tube will not receive enough lubricant because of dry and low moisture air. A humidifier can help people with coughs in different ways.

It is a gadget that increases moisture in your surrounding air. The nasal tube is lubricated and moistened, making breathing easier. 

The humidifier helps you breathe better by reducing inflammation. Your nasal passageways will be less swollen as a result of the humidifier. It also helps to clear airways.

Fresh air for congestion problems - Quote - SmartHousesTech

Types of humidifiers:

There are various types of humidifiers. A few of them are listed below.

Warm mist humidifiers

This humidifier turns collected water into steam by heating it, which clears the nasal muscles so that you can breathe easily. It cures cough without creating noise in this manner.

Cool mist

Compared to the warm mist humidifier, which heats water to steam, the cool mist humidifier uses a filter to catch pollutants. It ensures that no germs are present in the air entering the room.

This humidifier is ideal for people in hotter regions because it helps cool the room. The minor drop in temperature causes it more comfortable to breathe, which helps cough patients.

Whole-house humidifiers

These are large humidifiers that you may use throughout the house. The size and style of operation set it apart from the other two humidifiers. 

Whole-house models will give you moisture in every house room. These devices perform best when used with distilled water and are serviced regularly. 

Ultrasonic humidifiers

It is the most form of a humidifier that uses cutting-edge technology to provide users with moisture. It works by combining a metal diaphragm with ultrasonic vibration to distribute moisture.

While the various types of humidifiers listed above each have their own set of benefits and drawbacks, the ideal decision ultimately comes down to personal opinion. Cough relief is best achieved with a warm or cool-mist humidifier. The following section expands on this.

Warm and cool mist humidifier for cough

Warm humidifiers are the right choice for those who need them for health reasons. Because they reheat the moisture (mist) before sending it to the room air, this can be traced back to their way of functioning. It kills bacteria and other microbes that could hurt you or aggravate your cough in this way.

You will be breathing in high-quality air free of diseases and bacteria. The fewer microorganisms in the air, the better your chances of avoiding disease, including cough relief.

How to make humidifier for cough at home

We can make a handmade humidifier with a few household items and experiment with different techniques.

To boost the humidity at any place, try the following suggestions and humidifier alternatives:

DIY Sponge Humidifier for cough

1. A Sponge Humidifier:

We can create different varieties of humidifiers at home using various materials. A sponge humidifier is the simplest to construct of these.

You’ll need a considerable sponge and a frozen plastic bag to do this.

Punch holes in the plastic bag; after that, dampen the sponge.

Squeeze out all water from the sponge and keep it moist. Make sure the sponge is soaked but not dripping.

Then just lay the sponge inside the plastic and stick it to the area that needs moisturizing.

To make your air comfortable and humid, you can use as many sponge humidifiers as you wish in the space.

A thick sponge can also be attached to a skewer as an alternative.

Then, half-dunk the sponge in a bowl of water.

Switch on a fan and position it right behind the sponge.

The rotating fan distributes moisture around your space as the wick absorbs the water.

Indoor Plants over a table

2. Adding Indoor Plants:

To maintain your indoor plants healthy during dry weather, you already know that a cool-mist humidifier is necessary.

The most interesting, simple, and practical technique to bring humidity to your home/room is to put some lovely plants inside your living room.

Plants that add moisture to the air might use transpiration to moisten a particular area. It is a healthy and natural procedure.

By transferring water from the plant’s roots, stems to the leaves and blooms, the water we used to water the plants is finally returned to the air.

So, in case you need to organically, safely, and successfully humidify your home, try high humidity houseplants. You can place them anywhere in your house; they will look great and keep your surroundings fresh to breathe.

When buying, make sure to pick plants that will spread moistures in the air rather than those that absorb humidity (such as Areca Palm, English Ivy, etc.).

3. Putting a glass of water near stove:

Allowing the water to slowly and steadily evaporate is another simplest way to humidify your environment.

For this DIY, place some water in a glass of water near the heater during the winter months. It will assist the water in evaporating slowly, making your space more humid.

If you love the essential oils, put some in the glass too. It will create a more appealing impact on your space and breathing air.

It will add a calm, pleasant perfume that will help to lift your spirits while also giving therapeutic advantages.

4. Spraying Water on Curtains

Water sprayed on your window curtains also can assist in slowly and effectively humidifying the area.

To moisten the curtains, you have to spray water on them. Allow for a slow drying process after that.

Water that evaporates into the air naturally adds humidity to the room. 

You can use emptied water bottles and cleaner sprays to make spraying quick and uncomplicated.

After cleaning these obsolete bottles, you may use them to build a water sprayer to humidify the space or water your garden plants.

5. Hot shower humidifier

If the bathroom is in front of your room, you can use the shower-humidifier approach to raise the moisture in the room. 

So why not get some steam for free by taking a hot shower? Allow the hot shower to run for around 5 minutes. Make sure that your room door and the bathroom door are both shut. 

After 5 minutes, open both doors and let the steam enter the room. This smart DIY will increase humidity in the air.

While taking a bath, you can also send steam into your room. Just remember to keep the door open when bathing in relatively hot water. 

It is the most excellent DIY humidifier for bedroom ways that you may use regularly.

References
https://coolmisthumidifier.org/how-to-make-a-homemade-humidifier-at-home-naturally/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249568/
https://journals.lww.com/nursing/Citation/2009/02000/Treating_cough_in_children.36.aspx

1 thought on “What Does A Humidifier Do For A Cough? 5 DIY Alternatives”

  1. Thanks for another informative site. Where else could I get that kind of information written in such a perfect way? I’ve a project that I’m just now working on, and I’ve been on the look out for such information.

    Reply

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