From central home humidifiers to portable ones like the ProNebu Mesh, humidifiers are taking over homes, offices, and businesses.
You will find them in many different types, each one designed to help improve indoor air quality.
Besides, many swear by the never-ending list of health benefits of humidifiers. Looking at that list, you may wonder, “Does humidifier help with cough?”
The answer depends on many factors, and when used incorrectly and without precaution, it might actually worsen your condition.
Does Humidifier Help With Cough?
Yes, sometimes it can.
In general, the extent to how well your humidifier can help will depend on the type of cough you have.
With that said, here are the common ones you’ll experience and whether a humidifier can help:
Dry Cough
Cough sufferers who will greatly benefit from a humidifier are those with a dry cough caused by dry air or secondary to upper respiratory conditions.
These conditions include the common cold with nasal congestion.
Since humidifiers raise the moisture level in the air, they also introduce enough moisture to your nasal passages, throat, and lungs.
In turn, it loosens the mucus or phlegm, making the cough productive and helping you breathe better and heal faster.
Wet Cough
Most popularly known as a productive cough, this is usually caused by bacteria and viruses and will require prescription cough medications.
Nonetheless, the humidifier can still help break down and release the mucus in the same way it helps those suffering from a non-productive cough.
A humidifier can help prevent the spread of the airborne microorganisms causing the cough because moist air is heavy.
If the bacteria or virus’ weight is added to it, the droplets would be too heavy to travel.
Acute Cough
These are dry or wet coughs that don’t last longer than three weeks, and the management and treatment of an acute cough will depend on the cause.
Still, you can rely on your portable or central humidifiers for faster relief.
Chronic Cough
Compared to an acute cough, a chronic cough persists longer than three weeks or more. In most cases, it is usually caused by underlying long-term respiratory conditions.
Examples of such include COPD and asthma-related coughs.
If you have chronic dry or wet coughs, there is no telling whether a humidifier can help soothe or relieve your cough.
You need to consult your doctor to ensure you are not worsening your health condition or cough.
Asthma- and Allergy-Related Coughing
If common allergens and your asthma triggered your cough, you might or might not benefit from a humidifier.
Your humidifier can help spread indoor allergens and dust mites when you use it when your indoor humidity level is already nearly 50 percent.
That said, for any cough, increasing the humidity can lead to mildew and mold growth, which will worsen your cough and even lead to other respiratory tract diseases.
What Humidifier Should Cough Sufferers Use?
Two general types of humidifiers are available: warm and cool-mist humidifiers; both can help with cough relief.
Both these types have the same function, which is to help ensure your home has an optimal indoor moisture or humidity level.
The only difference is in the mist or water vapor the device generates. One is warm, while the other is cool.
For this reason, experts highly recommend cool mist humidifiers, especially if your child will use the humidifier or if you have children and/or pets around.
After all, there is a risk of burns from the warm water vapor produced or spilled when accidentally knocked over.
They are also safer if you use your humidifier right next to your bed while sleeping.
A personal humidifier would also be useful because you can place it in a safe area of your bedside or office table.
You can even use it inside your car or bring it with you during your travels to use in your hotel room.
ProNebu Mesh: The Portable Humidifier You Can Rely On
With the number of options available today, it can be tasking to pick the best handheld humidifiers for your needs.
That said, it’s a good idea to check out the ProNebu Mesh Portable Nebulizer.
Aptly named, it is not only a humidifier you can use to improve your indoor air’s level of humidity to help with your cough.
You can also place the prescribed or right cough medicines to help with your asthma- and COPD-related cough and chronic bronchitis post-infectious cough.
After all, it is primarily designed as a nebulizer.
Not only that, but the young members of your family with asthma and other respiratory conditions requiring nebulizers can also use the ProNebu.
The package comes with two masks, one for children and one for adults, as well as a mouthpiece.
As a personal humidifier and nebulizer, you won’t have to worry about disturbing the person sleeping next to you or a co-worker because the device operates silently.
Plus, you are assured that the power cord will only take up a little space in your pouch or bag because it isn’t too long.
That’s not all, though. The best part is that the ProNebu doesn’t require any tubing or air source!
How To Use Humidifiers for Cough
Now that you know the answer to “Does humidifier help with cough?”, it’s time to learn how to use it correctly.
With this guide, you won’t make your respiratory symptoms worse. Here are the steps you need to take to use your humidifier for cough relief:
Step 1: Check your device.
Check if your humidifier is clean. If not, the first thing you need to do is, of course, clean it by following the manufacturer’s care instructions.
You may also clean your humidifier the same way you clean a nebulizer.
That said, we highly recommend cleaning the machine before storing it. Doing so will ensure you have it ready as and when you need it and will keep molds and mildew at bay.
Step 2: Put the right amount of water and/or essential oil.
Add purified or distilled water to the marked area in your humidifier’s water (or medicine) tank (or humidifier-nebulizer).
It’s very important that you don’t use tap water to avoid breathing in contaminants and exposing the humidifier parts to these elements that can affect their lifespan.
Also, we don’t recommend mineral water because, as its name suggests, it contains minerals you don’t want to breathe in.
However, if you prefer to use it, make sure you replace your device’s cartridges and filters with the demineralized types.
If your humidifier has a compartment for essential oil and you want to add a few drops, put just the right amount in it.
The good thing about essential oils is that some can also help manage particular respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, laryngitis, and bronchitis.
As such, they can enhance the humidifier’s function when it comes to helping relieve several types of coughs.
If it is your first time using essential oils or you are unaware of what can help with your cough, some of the best ones to use are as follows:
- Eucalyptus: Perfect for nighttime use, this oil has been added to salves formulated for cough and bad cold relief.
- Frankincense: Obtained from the Boswellia tree’s trunk, this oil is an ancient natural remedy for several inflammatory diseases. It can be inhaled and applied topically to help relieve cough.
- Oregano: Like frankincense, this is also one of the oldest natural remedies for coughs and colds because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Peppermint: Menthol, one of its main components, is one of the top ingredients added to cough and cold medications. Therefore, it makes sense that adding peppermint oil to a humidifier solution can help provide relief.
- Rosemary: A study found that this herb’s cineole component helps reduce a person’s cough reflex frequency.
- Thyme: Similar to oregano, thyme also has antibacterial properties.
Step 3: Switch it on.
Put the humidifier’s cover or any part you removed back to fill it with water and/or essential oil.
Then, place the device in an area with little to no foot traffic. The best place would be on top of a display table.
Plug it in and press the ON button. If your humidifier has a timer, set it to three minutes when the air is already around 45 to 50 percent or five to 10 minutes if the air is dry.
Step 4: Empty and dry the tank.
Once done, ensure you empty the tank (and essential oil compartment) and wipe it dry with a clean cloth.
It is also advisable to clean it after a few hours, but you can do so the next day.
Relieving Cough With the Help of Humidifiers
Increasing indoor humidity by running a clean humidifier can help with cough relief because it moistens the respiratory passages.
Just remember that you need to monitor the humidity level to avoid increasing it to an unhealthy number, which is 60 percent and above.
Also, don’t rely solely on your humidifier.
It can’t and will not replace other cough remedies like taking medicines, drinking water, and getting sufficient rest and sleep.
If you have other respiratory issues, it’s best to have a personal nebulizer you can use as a humidifier, such as the ProNebu Mesh.
With it, no matter the cause of your cough, you have a handy piece of medical equipment to help relieve your cough or coughing frequency.
