Room humidifiers have been used for many years to increase atmospheric humidity. The increased humidity moistens the upper airway and nasal passages and prevents secretions from drying. Dried-up and encrusted secretions are notoriously challenging to expel, especially in children, and keeping them moist allows easy expulsion. This is the principle behind using steam inhalation, room humidifiers, and saline nebulizations. So the question is, should I buy one for home as my child keeps getting these nasty upper respiratory tract infections?

The most significant factor when deciding whether to buy a humidifier is knowing the ambient humidity level at the place where you stay. As I type this out, the humidity level in Mumbai is a whopping 68%, and mind you, this is in the middle of January. During winter months (however mild or severe the winter is for any place), the humidity is the lowest for that region. The ideal humidity is between 30% – 50%. So for Mumbai, even in January, it is much higher than ideal.

In a warm and humid climate, consider using a dehumidifier if necessary. There are many other ways to provide symptomatic relief to a child suffering from coughs and colds.

Problems with excess humidity

• Increased growth of mold and bacteria: Most places with high humidity also have a reasonably warm climate. These are the ideal conditions for different types of bugs to grow. They can cause infections directly, or one may be allergic to the molds that grow around your house.
• Increased incidence of allergies: the population of dust mites goes up significantly with an increase in ambient humidity. Dust mites are the communist cause of allergies in our practice. It is these allergies that may be causing or worsening your child’s upper respiratory symptoms.

The ambient humidity is low at my residence. should I use steam inhalation, or should I buy room humidifiers?

For children especially, steam inhalation is a big no-no. There is far too much risk of accidental burns due to getting too close to the steam or splashing hot water by the child or the bowl of hot water tilting over and spilling onto the child. Even in adults, one can get significant burns if the bowl of scalding water spills onto the body.
Cool mist humidifiers are available in the market that humidifies the air when we need temporary humidification. They are fairly inexpensive and freely available on Amazon, local stores, and other online stores.

In short, buy a humidifier only if your doctor recommends one for you.