Can a Dehumidifier Help With Allergies and Asthma Symptoms?

Air Vent Charlotte, NC

The air can be very humid in certain parts of Charlotte, North Carolina. When there is too little or too much moisture in the air, it can negatively impact the health of people with asthma and allergies.

Humidity is a known asthma trigger. The situation is complicated because different humidity levels can trigger other people in unique ways. It’s impossible to control outdoor humidity and even harder to predict it. However, you can use a dehumidifier to improve your home’s indoor air quality. This could relieve people with asthma by removing excess moisture, minimizing mold growth, and creating an inhospitable environment for dust mites.

Using a Dehumidifier to Help With Allergies and Asthma

No clear evidence links dehumidifier use to a reduction in asthma symptoms. Additionally, the air could become excessively dry if too much humidity is removed from the air. This could exacerbate coughing, dry throat, and other symptoms linked with allergies and asthma. However, ample anecdotal evidence shows that a dehumidifier could minimize asthma and allergy symptoms by addressing some of the following air issues.

What has been proven is that humidity can negatively affect asthmatics in several ways. It can lead to shortness of breath, trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, and wheezing. All these things may lead to increased body temperature, which can cause severe issues like dehydration. When the above factors combine, they create a potentially hazardous environment for asthmatics. Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from the air, making it easier for an asthmatic to breathe. If a dehumidifier is allowed to run through the night, it can improve whether a person suffers from asthma or allergies.

Dehumidifiers can minimize asthmatics’ discomfort by making the air less dense to breathe. Exceptionally humid air activates nerves in the airway, causing them to become narrow, and this is counterproductive for asthmatic individuals as their airways are already narrow.

Climate

Throughout the southern United States, especially in Charlotte, using a humidifier year-round can be beneficial. In Charlotte, summer is a very humid season, and the spring can be stormy. Using a dehumidifier during these times of the year could help level out the humidity in the home.

Help With Dust Mites

Dust mites are in their element when the environment is humid. Continued exposure to dust mites can affect the health of a person with asthma and can be an allergic trigger for a person who is sensitive to dust mites. Dust mites can lead to symptoms ranging from mild to severe and have been identified as being responsible for serious asthma attacks. In extreme cases, allergic reactions to dust mites can lead to an ongoing persistent cough, sneeze, congestion, and facial pressure.

One of the best ways to minimize dust mites in your home is to keep the humidity below 50%. This makes the environment less hospitable for these pesky critters. Not surprisingly, there is a link between dust mites and air pollution. When you use a dehumidifier, especially one with a HEPA filter, you can noticeably improve indoor air conditions.

Control Mold Growth in the Home

Mold is a living organism that creates spores that float through the air. There are thousands of species of mold throughout the United States. You will see mold on surfaces if it accumulates in large quantities. However, it is possible to have mold spores in your home and not see them because they are so small.

Any moist environment will attract mold. The more moisture there is, including humidity in the air, the more attractive environment it will be for mold growth.

Not everyone who is exposed to mold will have an allergic reaction. However, those with a mold allergy or those who develop one face several risk factors, including serious health issues.

Mold does not cause asthma. However, for a person with asthma, mold can trigger an asthma attack because it is an allergen. Breathing in mold particles is unhealthy for your airways. What’s worse is that since mold can be an allergen, it can force your body to create histamines and other chemicals, which are additional triggers for asthma attacks.

Some studies have shown that children are more susceptible to mold than adults. They indicate that children who grow up in moldy homes are more likely to develop asthma by the time they are seven years of age than those who do not grow up in moldy homes.

A dehumidifier makes conditions less inviting to mold. If you remove the moisture from the air, you minimize its chances for growth. A dehumidifier is even more powerful when coupled with an air purifier, as an air purifier can remove any existing mold spores from the air, making it difficult for mold to create new colonies.

It’s important to note that a dehumidifier can remove mold spores from the air and stop new mold from growing. However, it is not designed to address existing mold.

Reduce Mildew Growth

Mildew is often confused with mold, but it’s different. Mildew is a type of fungi that grows flat on moist surfaces. It also releases spores that can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Mildew is frequently found in areas with high humidity, like window seals or your bathroom. If you have mold allergies, using a dehumidifier in the bathroom or in rooms with a lot of condensation can significantly impact indoor air quality.

What Is the Best Humidifier to Help With Allergies and Asthma?

Dehumidifiers come in three main categories. There are refrigerators, desiccants, and whole-house dehumidifiers. Refrigerator dehumidifiers pull moisture from the air and condense it on a metal plate while simultaneously cooling the air.

A desiccant humidifier pulls moisture from the air, and then a material inside the unit, called the desiccant, absorbs some moisture. A whole-house humidifier is a system that is installed in the house. These work great for large spaces.

You can purchase bedroom dehumidifiers designed to be quiet so as not to interrupt your sleep. The best dehumidifier for your needs will vary based on your home size and what you want to accomplish.

Depending on where you are in Charlotte, your house may benefit from dehumidification year-round. Or, in your area, you might need a dehumidifier for a particular season. Removing just a little bit of the moisture from the air could improve allergy symptoms, stop mold growth, minimize dust mites, and improve allergy symptoms. The HVAC professionals at Integrity Heating & Cooling would be happy to visit your home, discuss your concerns about the air’s moisture level, and provide feedback that can help you make the best decision on the right dehumidifier for you.

Trust the HVAC Experts in Your Area

At Integrity Heating & Cooling, we have been providing service to the greater Charlotte area for more than 35 years. Our employees love communicating with our customers, and we are committed to 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We are a Trane Certified Dealer, an authorized Lennox Premier Dealer, and have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating.

Our services include residential and commercial HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair. We offer dehumidifiers, indoor air quality checks, mini-split installation, and standby generators. Contact Integrity Heating & Cooling today and see what it’s like to work with someone with integrity.

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