Humidifiers-Vaporizers

When your child is sick with a cold, using a humidifier/vaporizer is a great way to relieve congestion without resorting to medication. Humidifiers/vaporizers help add moisture to the air in the room, relieving symptoms of congestion and quieting cough. You can also buy menthol additives for the water in a vaporizer. The menthol scent helps open nasal passages, providing even more cold relief than using water alone.

Many people are confused about the difference between vaporizers and humidifiers. Simply put, vaporizers heat the water, creating steam, while humidifiers put cool moisture in the air. Steam has been shown to be a more effective way to relieve congestion and cold symptoms, but many parents recommended humidifiers for babies simply because they pose less of a burn hazard. The mist being emitted from a humidifier is cool, while the mist being emitted from a vaporizer is hot, unless the vaporizer is a “cool mist” vaporizer.

In addition to being helpful in treating a cold, using a vaporizer or humidifier in your baby’s room can help keep baby more comfortable in the winter when your home’s heating system makes your home’s air very dry. Further, if your child is subject to nosebleeds in the winter, using a humidifier or vaporizer in his room at night may be all you need to combat this problem. Childhood nosebleeds are often caused by winter’s dry air, and can be alleviated with the introduction of some humidity.

Cleanliness is very important when using a humidifier or vaporizer. Bacteria and germs grow quickly in stale water. It’s important to thoroughly drain and clean your vaporizer every day. Otherwise, harmful bacteria can grow in the water; get into the air, and subsequently into your child’s lungs, causing an infection.

You can find vaporizers and humidifiers at stores that carry baby gear and at most drugstores during cold season. They’re very inexpensive. If you’re using a humidifier or vaporizer, it’s important to be diligent about safety. Humidifiers and cool mist vaporizers put cool mist into the air; however, they still use a heating element and plug into a wall outlet. So, while your child won’t get burned by the moisture being emitted from the vaporizer/humidifier, he can still get burned from the socket or heating element.

Humidifiers and vaporizers are a great way to soothe your child when he has a cold, helping him sleep better and feel better. Simply use the proper cleanliness and safety precautions, and your humidifier will be one of your best tools in the fight against colds.