Does a Humidifier Help With Allergies? Benefits & How To Pick One

Dry air can worsen allergy symptoms like a stuffy nose, sore throat, and cough.

A humidifier adds moisture to the air by releasing mist into a room, which can help relieve these symptoms and improve breathing. 

While a humidifier can offer some relief, too much humidity can increase indoor allergens like dust mites and mold spores.

Dry air can irritate your nasal passages and throat, worsening allergy symptoms. Because a humidifier adds moisture to the air, it can ease allergy symptoms, especially indoor allergies during winter when indoor heating dries out the air in your home.

A humidifier can help with allergies in the following ways:

• Relieves nasal congestion: Humidity (air moisture) helps thin mucus and lower swelling in your nasal passages, making it easier to clear allergens and blow your nose. 
• Reduces throat irritation: Breathing in dry air can irritate your throat. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can soothe throat irritation and ease coughing from postnasal drip. 
• Moistens nasal tissues: When your nasal passages have enough moisture, they’re better at trapping and getting rid of allergens in the air, like dust and pollen.
• Decreases inflammation: Research suggests that proper humidity levels (40-50%) reduce inflammation in the nasal passages, which may help ease allergy symptoms.

While humidifiers can help relieve some allergy symptoms, there are some potential drawbacks and risks to keep in mind.

Potential downsides of a humidifier include:

• Dust mites: A common allergen, these tiny, insect-like pests thrive in humid environments. Keeping humidity levels below 50% in your home can reduce dust mites.
• Mold growth: High humidity creates the ideal conditions for mold to grow, which can trigger allergy symptoms. Keeping indoor humidity at 30-50% can prevent mold growth.
• Bacterial growth in the humidifier: Without regular cleaning, humidifiers can become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi, releasing harmful spores and germs into your home’s air. This can worsen your allergies or cause infection of the respiratory system (sinuses, throat, airways, and lungs).
• Mineral dust: Using tap water in your humidifier can release minerals from the water into the air. These minerals dry into fine white dust that can cause inflammation and irritation in the airways and lungs, potentially worsening allergy symptoms. 

The type of humidifier you choose can make a difference in how effectively it helps manage allergy symptoms. Here’s what to consider when choosing a humidifier for allergies:

Choose Cool or Warm

Consider which type of humidifier is best for you and your needs.

Warm-mist humidifiers: Also called steam vaporizers, these boil water, killing bacteria before releasing it as steam. Warm mist humidifiers may work better in colder, drier weather. However, these humidifiers use more electricity and can be a burn hazard, especially if you have children or pets. They may also cause your nasal passages to swell, making breathing more difficult and not providing allergy relief.

Cool-mist humidifiers: These release water vapors into the air, helping thin mucus and reduce nasal swelling. They are more energy-efficient but need more frequent cleaning to prevent bacterial growth. Many ultrasonic cool mist humidifiers—humidifiers that vibrate to make mist—can lower water mineralization and bacterial growth. However, they often require expensive filters. 

Look for Helpful Features 

Some useful features to consider when choosing a humidifier include: 

• Humidistats, which measure and maintain a set humidity level
• Automatic shut-off when the water tank is empty
• Easy-to-clean design
• Quiet operation

Some humidifier models combine humidification with air purification, which can be especially helpful for allergies. Air purifiers filter and remove allergen particles like dust, pollen, and pet dander from the air.

Pick Based on Room Size

Pick a humidifier that fits the size of the room in which you plan to use it. Small tabletop humidifiers work well in bedrooms or offices, while larger spaces like living rooms may need bigger units.

With a humidifier, bigger isn’t always better. Choosing one that’s too large can create excess moisture and increase the likelihood of dust mites and mold.

Proper care and maintenance of a humidifier keep it working safely and effectively.

Here are some tips on how to maintain your humidifier:

• Water choice: Use distilled or demineralized water in your humidifier. Distilled water is water boiled to remove any impurities. Tap water contains minerals that can build up in the humidifier and get released into the air, causing breathing problems.
• Daily care: Drain your humidifier and fill it with fresh water once daily to prevent bacteria and mold buildup.
• Regular cleaning: Clean and disinfect all humidifier parts at least once every three days. Use a scrubber brush to remove any film from the tank, and wipe the surfaces dry. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning products and disinfectants you can safely use. Mixing water with 3% hydrogen peroxide can also help keep a humidifier’s surfaces clean.
• Filter replacement: Change the filter on your humidifier as often as the manufacturer recommends.
• Proper storage: Before storing your humidifier for extended periods, clean, disinfect, and dry it thoroughly. Store it in a clean, dry place, and replace any filters before using it again.

Humidifiers can help relieve allergy symptoms by adding moisture to dry air.

Humidity from cool mist humidifiers can soothe irritation in your nasal passages and airways, thin mucus, and ease sore throats and coughs.

To get the most benefits from your humidifier, clean it regularly and keep humidity levels at 30-50% to prevent mold, bacteria, and dust mite issues.