My answer: I would not recommend a humidifier for any person who has a lung disorder, especially if you have asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, or any similar disorder. Why? To learn more you can check out this post.
Note: the post is written for asthmatics, but the information also applies for the other diseases mentioned.
2 comments:
Generally I find the advice here is excellent, however in this case I think that this is a huge generalization that may verge on very poor advice in certain circumstances.
It is generally accepted that room humidity is best when between about 30% and 50% - too high will bother a lot of people with lung problems and too low is also bad. There are risks with most humidifiers, especially as if the humidifiers are not regularly cleaned as they can be a real breeding ground for molds and bacteria, but breathing is usually better if humidity is kept within the above range.
For those using oxygen, a sore nose and nosebleeds can be frequent problems especially when continuous flow oxygen is used at flows of about 2 l/min and above without a humidifier in the oxygen flow. For those using continuous flow oxygen with a transtracheal catheter (TTO2) it is essential to use a humidifier. As with any humidifier cleanliness is essential.
I write this a a patient with very severe emphysema who has had a lot of experience with online COPD support groups, humidifiers and oxygen.
You are 100% correct, Chris. Thanks for keeping us informed.
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