As the weather gets colder, don’t be surprised if your body feels dry. Chapped lips, red, rough patches on your hands, or even dry, flaky skin could be signs that winter is taking its toll on you. Although snow, sleet, and even cold rain can occur in late fall and throughout the winter, for our bodies, the cold season is usually associated with the dry season. It’s not just our skin that feels this way. Dry air can cause dry nasal passages, an itchy scalp, and even a dry, tight throat. To solve this annoying winter problem, let’s look at how to increase the humidity in your home.
Dry air and disease
Keeping humidity levels high enough in your home during the winter is about more than just staying comfortable. It can also help you prevent illnesses that are more common when you live in a dry air environment. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic say being exposed to low humidity in the winter can make you more likely to get nosebleeds and respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and sinusitis. You need enough mucus in your nasal passages to trap infection-causing pathogens before they make you sick. When the inside of your nose is too dry, mucus can’t do its job. Dry air can also make asthma worse for people who already have asthma.
Much of the dry air around us comes from your home’s heating system. This can come from a forced air furnace, like most of us do, or from a wood stove or fireplace. As temperatures drop, home heating systems come on and off more frequently.
The dangers of an environment that is too dry
Think of a low-humidity environment as a sponge that is slowly being squeezed out of the water. It can also lead to an overall feeling of dehydration. Other health issues related to dry air include:
- nosebleed
- Dry or irritated eyes
- higher stress levels
- Increased spread of cold and flu viruses
Add moisture to your home
To avoid these and other dry air problems, you should check the humidity levels in your home during the cold season. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping indoor humidity within a range of 30% to 50%. How do you know if your home’s air levels are in this target zone? If you don’t have a hygrometer on your furnace, you can buy an inexpensive hygrometer at your local hardware store to track the humidity percentage of your indoor air.
Here are some ways to increase the humidity in your home:
Use a humidifier. These can be whole-house humidifiers or small humidifiers that add humidity to one room or area of your home. Make sure you clean your humidifier properly.
saucepan. If you’ve ever cooked a big pot of homemade soup in the winter, you’ll notice that as the soup cooks, the air in the kitchen becomes warmer and more humid, and nearby windows start to fog up—all telltale signs that The moisture in the air has increased. But making a saucepan works just as well. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a simmer on the stove. Add some cinnamon sticks or cloves for a festive scent.
To prevent dry skin during winter, try these tips:
- Take short, hot showers rather than long, hot showers.
- Towel dry after bathing or showering and apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp. This helps lock in moisture on the skin.
- Drink plenty of water, herbal tea, or other beverages.
- Use lip balm.
- Use a moisturizing mist on your face or one formulated for your nasal passages.
