Humidifiers vs Vaporizers
Every parent wants symptomatic relief for a child who is sick with a cold. Recent studies suggests, pharmaceutical therapy provides little to no relief for the common cold.
Now a days many parents have turned to moisture therapy for treating allergy symptoms and colds.
This is a wise decision, considering, humidity can help alleviate these cough and cold symptoms. By adding moisture to the air we loosen congestion in the nose and throat! This makes coughing more effective and as a result we breath more easily. Moisture laden air can also ease itchy skin for those suffering from allergies.
Now that we know humidity is a good thing to introduce when your child is sick, we have to decide on which method or product to use. Humidifier or Vaporizer? Medical research suggests both methods work equally well for treating cold symptoms, so long if the directions are followed and the machine is kept extremely clean.
So, what is the difference between the two? The main difference is simply, humidifiers release cool mist air and vaporizers boil the water and release it in the form of steam/vapor.
Because the humidifier does not boil the water, there is a increase risk for water laden bacteria or molds to be released into the air, if the machine is not cleaned properly. In addition to this, if the operator does not take caution to use distilled water in the humidifier, then minerals from tap water can also be released into the air.
Steam vaporizers are less likely to introduce bacteria or mold into the air, however, because they boil water and release it in the form of hot steam, they may be more of a hazard for families with young children.
For the safety of children, I would recommend the cool mist humidifier over the steam vaporizer.
I am a believer that "if it can happen, consider it will" when it comes to kids and accidents.
So, remember that if you use a humidifier, be sure to keep it clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and molds. It must be wiped down daily and the water must be changed every 24 hours. When you finish using it you can perform a final sterilize it by wiping it down with a 10% bleach solution~9 parts water 1 part bleach.
I hope this clears up the confusion for you and helps everyone at your house sleep a little better tonight!
Heavens knows we all could use a little more sleep!
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