... ask the Boogor Doctor ... » Air Quality Indoors

What to Look For in a Humidifier – An Update

Russell A. Faust, PhD, MD — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:32:09 +0000

.This is an update from an article that I posted about a year ago, What to Look For in a Humidifier: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly. As we enter the cold and flu season, as the weather cools down and we turn up the heat at home, at school, and at work, nasal drying and nose-bleeds will become more common. So I thought now would be a good time to review this topic – what to look for in a humidifier.

I group humidifiers roughly into 3 piles:

1- Evaporative

This type of humidifier uses a cloth or mesh belt that acts like a wick: it dips down into a vat of water, then rotates up so that a fan can blow across it and evaporate the water off the belt into the air. Effective way to humidify the air, but these have some downsides.

2- Ultrasonic

This is the so-called “cool mist” humidifiers. These use a small ultrasound transducer to vibrate a stream of water so that the water vaporizes. Effective, inexpensive. These have their own special disadvantages as well.

3- Steam Vaporizer

These are little more than a pot of water with a heating element that boils the water to produce steam. Very effective, but of course, they have their own issues, too.

Most of us are also familiar with the humidifier on our central heating system, if we have forced-air heat. The only thing to keep in mind with those is that the system should be cleaned. How often? I have no idea. The thing to do is to read the instructions for proper maintenance. I have asked several people if they have ever cleaned theirs, and the standard response has been “what?”.

There is another type of humidifier that I have no experience with – the “impeller” humidifier. These produce a cool mist using a rotating disk. I suspect they may have issues similar to the Ultrasonic type of humidifier (see below), but I have no personal experience with them.

So, after years of using these other 3 types of humidifiers in my home, including experience with multiple belt-evaporative humidifiers growing up in my parent’s home, here is my own assessment. My apologies to humidifier manufacturers. No doubt some will take offense at my admittedly simple and anecdotal comparison of these types of humidifiers, but this is based on decades of personal experience, and experience with each of these types of humidifier.

	(1) Evaporative		(2) Ultrasonic	(3) Steam Vaporizer
Efficiency		Efficient	Efficient	Less efficient
Construction, Ease of Use		Complex	Simple	Simple
Cost / purchase		$$$$	$$	$
Cost / to run		$$	$	$$
Cleaning		Challenge to Clean	Easy to Clean	Easy to Clean
Microbe risk: mold, etc		++++	++	-
Boogordoctor endorsement		+	+	+++

My Recommendation

My recommendation of Steam Vaporizer Humidifiers is based largely on 1 observation:

Very simply put, we humans are pretty lazy (let’s be generous and call it “forgetful”) when it comes to regular cleaning of things like a humidifier. Maybe it’s just me.

The fact is, unless we clean humidifiers on a regular basis – say, every 2-3 days – the slimy crud that builds up in the water canister can contain viruses, bacteria, and mold (the worst). For humidifier types (1) and (2), that can be a huge problem.

These types of humidifier can spew into the air ANYthing that is in the water container. And there is nothing about their mechanism that kills “things” that might be in that water.

Contrast that with the Steam Vaporizer type of humidifier. The process of making steam (boiling the water) DOES kill anything that might be in that water container.

This can be very beneficial when we consider the “forgetful” nature of humans, for example, when we “forget” to clean out our humidifier water container (again), for weeks at a time.

The other huge advantage is the low purchase price of Steam Vaporizer humidifiers. We have 5 or 6 of these in our home, and never paid more than $15 for one; some were on sale for $10!!

Regardless of the type of humidifier that you decide to use, keep it clean. You don’t want to use a humidifier thinking that it is a remedy for your child’s sinusitis, only to find out that they contracted a fungal sinus infection from the mold in your humidifier!

How to Keep it Clean

Clean with vinegar – distilled white vinegar – every three days. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

What Water to Use?

Ideally, you will use distilled or demineralized water. Pretty inexpensive from your regular grocery store.

How Humid Should I Make It?

The ideal humidity level for your home is between 30 and 50 percent.

How Will I Know?

Ask at your hardware store for a “hygrometer” or humidistat. It looks a little like a thermometer, and measures moisture in the air.

Too High / Too Low

You probably already know about humidity that is too low. Winter time nose-bleeds due to drying of the nasal lining.

Humidity that is too high can be a huge problem if you have allergies or asthma. Dust mites love high humidity. Molds love high humidity. Their allergens can trigger asthma exacerbations and allergies.

Final Tips

Keep your home humidity between 30 and 50 percent!
If you use a humidifier in a bedroom, turn the humidifier off during the day; open up the bedroom to air it out.
Don’t let the area around the humidifier remain moist – the wall or carpet may become wet. That is a fine environment for mold to grown.
Consider placing your humidifier on a plastic tray that can be cleaned off (vinegar).

Final words of CAUTION:

Steam Vaporizers boil water to produce humidity. The heating element will be HOT. Keep these humidifiers out of reach of your little boogorheads!
Many people like to use some sort of “medicated” or “mentholated” rub to help decongest little noses. These “rubs” do NOT decongest the nose. Worse: many of the “rubs” contain ingredients that are TOXIC – even lethal – to infants!!For examples, “Camphor-phenique,” Vicks VapoRub, and Bengay, can cause fatal poisoning if swallowed. Topical camphor can also be absorbed directly through mucus membranes (like the nose), so NEVER use it around the nose or eyes.

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Resources

This Blog:

Anatomy of Nose Bleeds in Children:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/03/anatomy-nose-bleeds/
Your Child’s Nose is Bleeding: What To Do Right Now:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/03/nose-bleeds-in-children-what-to-do/
8 THings You Can Do To Reduce Your Child’s Nose Bleeds:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/03/6-things-you-can-do-to-reduce-your-childs-nose-bleeds/
8 Reasons To See a Physician For Your Child’s Nose Bleeds:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/03/8-reasons-to-see-a-physician-for-your-childs-nose-bleeds/
What to Look for in a Humidifier: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/03/what-to-look-for-in-a-humidifier-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/
Nasal and Sinus Anatomy (and Physiology):
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/04/nasal-and-sinus-anatomy-and-histology/
8 Dangerous Complications of Sinusitis, but 3 That Can Kill:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/04/8-complications-of-sinusitis-3-that-can-kill/
Saline Sinus Rinses: What Good Are They, Part 4/4:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/05/pediatric-sinusitis-asthma-saline-sinus-rinses-what-good-are-they-44/
8 Principles to Control Your Child’s Sinusitis:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/06/pediatric-sinusitis-chronic-allergic-rhinitis-asthma-natural-remedies/
Dust Mite Review: 12 Steps to Reduce Dust Mites in Your Home:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2010/09/dust-mites-pediatric-asthma-allergic-rhinitis-sinusitis/
Rhinitis of Pregnancy – What It Is, What To Do About It:
http://www.boogordoctor.com/2011/03/rhinitis-of-pregnancy-what-it-is-what-to-do-about-it/

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Hi, I’m Russell Faust, author of this medical education blog.

Image: Russell Faust

Let me know what topics are important to you and your child’s respiratory health. Join the conversation by leaving a comment / reply below, or email me any time.

Thanks for visiting, see you here later – we will be going into more detail on how to rid your children of allergies, rhinitis, sinusitis, and other chronic aero-digestive inflammatory disorders on this site.

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Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor ;~D)

Poll Results: What is Your Method for Nasal Saline Rinses?

Russell A. Faust, PhD, MD — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:53:19 +0000

Well, the poll results are in.

I usually try to take a poll down once a couple hundred results are recorded. This poll has reached over 290 results, and the results were not what I had expected:

What Methods Do We Use for Nasal Saline Rinses?

51% still use the Neti pot, as you can see from the figure, the majority of us.

42% use the Squeeze-bottle – from Nasopure, NeilMed, there are several available (more on this below).

4% still use the Suction-bulb! That is a surprise.

For those of you who don’t know what that is, think back to those blue or green rubber-like bulbs that many people use to suction a baby’s nose out.

There were a couple of wise-alecs who claimed to use their garden-hose to rinse their noses out!! Nice image.

boogordoctor Nasal Saline Poll Results

What Are Saline Nasal Rinses Good For?

I have reviewed nasal saline rinses elsewhere on this blog, but let’s briefly review their value. Saline Nasal Rinses are good for those with:

allergic rhinitis
rhinitis from any cause (chemical rhinitis, say in a swimmer from chlorinated pool)
sinusitis – acute or chronic
simple viral URI syndrome
asthma – optimizing nasal hygiene will benefit your lungs!
otitis (ear infections) – again, optimal nasal hygiene reduces ear infections
anyone who is exposed to air pollutants – either indoors or outdoors
anyone with reflux that contributes to otitis or rhinitis/sinusitis
once you have achieved a healthy nose – best way to keep it that way!

Whatever is bothering your nose, this will rinse it away. Think of nasal saline rinses like a car-wash for your nose – rinse off the dirt: mold, virus, bacteria, particulate pollutants, chemical toxins, etc.

You get the idea. Basically, ANY “Itis” or inflammatory disorder of the respiratory tract will benefit from optimal nasal hygiene.

Why is that?

Read about the Unified Airway Model to find out:

Let Me Make A Recommendation

If you are doing nasal saline rinses …

First: stop using a suction-bulb. Primitive. Too risky for nasal trauma, likely to cause nose-bleeds. The goal here is to be nice to your nose, not to hurt it.

If you are using a Neti pot, time to switch to a squeeze-bottle.

There is an easier way to rinse your nose with saline – especially if you are doing saline rinses with a child.

For those of you who are struggling with the Neti pot to rinse a child’s nose, you know what I mean. Rinsing a child’s nose can be enough of a wrestling match without also struggling to get the positioning just right.

There is now a “Nicer Neti,” as the Nasopure bottle is referred to.

Of all the possible methods for doing nasal saline rinses, this is by far the easiest. And their bottle is BPA-free!

No odd head/neck contortions to get the positioning just right.

And if you have children who need nasal saline rinses, be sure to check out the videos on the Nasopure site: they show 3- and 4-year-old children easily doing nasal saline rinses. By themselves. Without the wrestling match. It’s that easy.

For Transparency: I have NO financial or other arrangements with Nasopure.com or Dr. Hana Solomon. It is simply that this is the easiest system that I have found (and I have used them ALL), and the one that I use personally for myself and my own children, and the one that I recommend for my patients in clinic.

For those who might be interested in signing up for FREE email updates from this blog – no SPAM ever – you will receive a decent discount for everything on the Nasopure site.

If you or your child(ren) struggle with rhinitis or sinusitis, Dr. Hana’s book is a must-have:

Clearing The Air One Nose at a Time, by Dr. Hana Solomon.

Readers of this blog will recognize this as the book that I was intending to write!

_________________

Thanks for visiting.

Thanks especially to Kim, Jenna, and Lisa, for taking the time to leave comments, ask questions, and most importantly – to share their experiences with all of us. Your contributions to our little community of boogor-heads is greatly appreciated!

I appreciate your comments and questions. Keep ‘em coming. Please, “be excellent to one another.”

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Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)

Eliminate Your Smoke Exposure

Russell A. Faust, PhD, MD — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:00:47 +0000

Smoking … Bad …

We’ve heard about the harm from tobacco smoke these days – the number of cancers related to smoking or chewing tobacco, the cost of respiratory illness such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, or emphysema). We hear about the addictive properties of tobacco smoke, and we see the advertisements for various aids to quit smoking – patches, pills, hypnosis, acupuncture.

Passive Smoking, Like it or Not

What is less often considered is the significant harm done by exposure to secondhand smoke. Also called environmental smoke, or sidestream smoke, we are all exposed to secondhand smoke. Like it or not.

Indoor Air

Studies conducted by the EPA and others have found that indoor air can be up to 1,00 times more polluted than outdoor air. Because we spend greater than 90% of our time indoors, this exposure poses a severe risk to our children.

Review of data from experiments done by the tobacco companies (that were not reported by them) reveal that sidestream smoke can be up to 12 times (1,200 percent!!) more toxic than smoke that is inhaled directly from the cigarette (mainstream smoke).

Homes of smokers have particle concentrations in the range of 10-100 ug/m3, and this can be as high as 2,000 ug/m3 in a car with the windows closed! The EPA considers anything above 80 ug/m3 to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, and any level above 500 to be “hazardous” for ANY person.

Check my previous post, “Stop Breathing: Your Air is Killing You (and what to do about it)” for steps you can take to improve your air quality.

Our Children

It breaks my heart every time I see a child in my clinic that has severe rhinitis and sinusitis, and the whole family smells like an ashtray. When asked, the parents often deny smoking. If they do admit to smoking, they insist that they don’t smoke around the children.

The fact is, when you can smell smoke on someone, you are smelling the particulate toxins in their clothing and hair, and you are even smelling the toxins that they have breathed in as the metabolites are being exhaled. Those kids are saturated in poisons! The parents expect me to give the kid some medicine that will cure them, and make it OK to keep smoking. Such a pill doesn’t exist, wish it did. Bottom line – stop smoking.

The CDC has determined that 38% of our children are exposed to secondhand smoke in the homes. Children are particularly susceptible to the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke and other environmental pollutants. “Safe” levels have not been determined for our children.

One of the reasons that children are so susceptible to the hazardous effects of these toxins is that, per weight, they have higher metabolism, and breathe more air, than an adult. Children breathe, on average, twice as many breaths in a day than we adults do – about 40,000 breaths per day compared to our 20,000 per day.

The Result

Secondhand smoke makes our kids SICK.

A study published in the medical journal, Pediatrics, reported that exposure to secondhand smoke is linked to:

otitis media – up to 2 million ear infections per year in children due to smoke exposure;
asthma exacerbations – over half a million doctor visits for asthma per year linked to smoke exposure;
over 400 thousand cases of bronchitis in children under the age of 5 years linked to smoke exposure; and
pneumonia – up to 190 thousand cases of pneumonia per year in children under the age of 5 years!

What about sinusitis?

In a study published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal (2000; vol 19: pg 1071-1074: http://bit.ly/c34dET ), children who were exposed to secondhand smoke had significantly more sinusitis than those not exposed – 68.8% compared to 1.2% .

Is that significant?

Now I’m just a simple pediatric boogor doctor and not a statistician, but by my calculations that’s more than 50 times greater incidence of sinusitis in children exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Five THOUSAND percent higher incidence!!

Smoking and Pregnancy

The effects that were outlined in my last post are even greater on the developing fetus. When a woman smokes during pregnancy her unborn child is exposed to the chemicals in the smoke. This can be very harmful, and can lead to:

Miscarriage
Prematurity
Low birth weight
Increased risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Increased risk of later mental illness in the child

What To Do?

If you DON’T smoke – excellent !!!

Eliminate Your Child’s Exposure to Smoke:

If you don’t smoke or have quit- congratulations!! Rock ON!
keep your kids away from homes where people do smoke
do not allow others to smoke in your home
do not allow anyone to smoke in a car with your children
choose a child care provider who does not smoke
do not allow workers / handyman types to smoke in your home
do not be the “good host” and put out an ashtray – do not allow anyone to smoke in your home! When relatives or friends give you that nasty look when you ask them not to smoke, remember – it’s THEIR addiction, let them get their fix somewhere else, and don’t let them expose you and your children to poisons!
see previous post here, “Stop Breathing: Your Air is Killing You (and what to do about it)” for tips on improving your air quality

You can enlist your child’s help regarding the goal of eliminating secondhand smoke from your lives.

Remember: there are 100,000 children below the age of 13 years in this country who smoke cigarettes. Really.

Talk to your children about the dangers of smoking, help them avoid becoming smokers.

If YOU Smoke

The first thing I would stress to you is this: if you are pregnant, you. MUST. STOP. SMOKING!! Now. Whatever that takes. Get help.

If you have children and your child has rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, otitis media (ear infections), bronchitis, or ANY respiratory condition, you MUST STOP SMOKING!!

Don’t beat yourself up about your difficulty quitting, failed attempts to quit, “falling off the wagon.” Most smokers who have successfully stopped smoking have “quit” more than 5 times before they actually stopped smoking for good. Keep at it, you must stop smoking!

Ask your child’s pediatrician for recommendations to help quit smoking, or ask your physician. Ask for help.

Call the EPA regarding air quality, and to take the Smoke Free Pledge: 800-513-1157.

When my practice included adults, we had pretty good success with acupuncture and hypnosis for those trying to quit smoking.

Next Week, we will focus on HOW TO QUIT.

Finally, if you or your child do ultimately require sinus surgery, keep in mind that exposure to smoke will significantly reduce the success rate of the surgery (Ramadan, Hinerman, OHNS 2002).

There you have it. Sorry for the rant, but our children deserve better.

Thanks for visiting, and see you here again. I appreciate your comments and questions. Keep ‘em coming. Please, “be excellent to one another.”

Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)

I invite you to subscribe (it’s FREE) to this blog for weekly updates – you won’t be swamped by updates, I simply cannot write for the blog everyday.

Click here to subscribe for free weekly updates: (http://eepurl.com/FGnP)

Type in your best email address (the one you actually use). When the confirmation email from boogor doctor arrives, click on the link to give your okay to receive free weekly updates, without needing to visit the website.

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Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

I promise to continue to work hard to help empower you with knowledge: to improve your health and the health of your children. RF

Resources:

www.epa.gov/iaq
S. Schick, S. Glantz. Philip Morris toxicological experiments with sidestream smoke: more toxic than mainstream smoke. Tobacco Control. Vol. 14: 396-404; 2005.
S. Schick, S. Glantz. Concentrations of the carcinogen, NNK, in sidestream cigarette smoke increase after release into indoor air: Results from unpublished tobacco industry research. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol. 16(8): 1547-1553; 2007.
K.S. Kakish, et al. Clinical sinusitis in children attending primary care centers. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Vol. 19: 1071-1074; 2000.
More help: Taylored smoking cessation for parents of children with asthma. Not a quick-fix, but more effective: http://bit.ly/btU0ou
For a much more technical (and excellent) look at the cell and molecular effects of cigarette smoke on respiratory cells, see:
Yoshida T, Tuder RM. Pathobiology of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Physiology Reviews 87: 1047-1082; 2007
Prenatal exposure to smoking increases later risk of mental illness in the child: http://bit.ly/auXSbk

... ask the Boogor Doctor ... » Air Quality Indoors

What to Look For in a Humidifier – An Update

1- Evaporative

2- Ultrasonic

3- Steam Vaporizer

My Recommendation

How to Keep it Clean

What Water to Use?

How Humid Should I Make It?

How Will I Know?

Too High / Too Low

Final Tips

Final words of CAUTION:

_______________________________________

Resources

Poll Results: What is Your Method for Nasal Saline Rinses?

What Methods Do We Use for Nasal Saline Rinses?

boogordoctor Nasal Saline Poll Results

What Are Saline Nasal Rinses Good For?

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Top 15 Posts So Far

In case you are new to this site, or joined us only recently, here is a list of the Top 15 Most Popular articles over this first year (most popular first):

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Eliminate Your Smoke Exposure

Smoking … Bad …

Passive Smoking, Like it or Not

Indoor Air

Our Children

The Result

Secondhand smoke makes our kids SICK.

What about sinusitis?

Is that significant?

Smoking and Pregnancy

What To Do?

Eliminate Your Child’s Exposure to Smoke:

If YOU Smoke

Next Week, we will focus on HOW TO QUIT.

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.