Using a Humidifier

I use a cool mist humidifier it works wonders, it puts the cool mist in the air and i have noticed that they do not get as sick as they use to. I bought mine at wal-mart i think it was $14.00. The only thin you need to keep replacing the sponge in the back of it as it becomes moldy, but i run mine all day and night.
T.

B.,

Just a quick note. Be sure to get a humidifier with an adjustable control. My son and daughter have different humidifiers and I like hers better because you can control the amount of mist it spits out. With his, you can't, so sometimes I come into the room with a wet patch underneath it. oh, so that reminds me: Don't set it on wood or carpet. Put a towel under it.
Good luck!

B.,
Go to your local Target or CVS, etc. and get a cool mist humidifier for your daughter's room.
I run O. every night in my son's room and it actually cools it down a bit. He's a kid who likes the door closed so the dog doesn't bother him :-)
It will really help her with the dry nose, crusty nose, etc.
Mine is just a basic white O. but they do have ones that look like a frog, a princess, etc.
It doesn't really matter what it look like.
Just make sure you pick up some extra filters while you're there b/c you will want to change it every once in a while.
I run my son's with the door closed for about an hour before he goes to bed so it can get going by bedtime. You might want to get an extra O. for your room or at least on in the hallway of your bedrooms. They really help!

A humidifier is basically a thing with a water container, and then usually a wheel like a "water wheel" on an old mill. The water wheel is covered with a sponge that soaks up the water as it rolls into it, and then a fan blows thru the sponge when it is out of the water, making the water evaporate and get blown into your house, so the air in your home is less dry. Some come with humidstats that you can set so it turns on and off by itself and keeps your house (or the area near it) at a fairly constant humidity level.

That said, I find they are noisy and they drive me nuts. I like a different method that works really well in our house. We have a fountain on an end table in the living room, and another one in our bedroom. They make cool noises, and yes, you HAVE to remember to fill them almost daily (probably daily when you first set it up) Just the fact that there's running water in the fountain and dry air overhead does the same thing as a humidifier. Fountains splash a bit, so you have to protect the surface nearby, but I think they're kind of neat, so we use them in the winter. (Although I stopped using the one in the Living Room, because we have a fish tank in there, and it does the same thing.

On the heat issue, a humidifier does add heat. It's got an electric motor and the motor does get warm. (The fountains have wee little electric pumps, so they probably get warm, too, but they are little, so we don't notice it)

You've gotten good advice, but let me also suggest you call a HVAC guy and find out how much it would be to have humidifier added to your furnace. That way the whole house is kept at constant humidity, which is better for everyone, an for your furniture. And with a whole-house model, you don't need to worry about filling it up,etc.

The other thing I have learned the hard way is to make sure you aren't humidifing the room too much-- especially if you have plaster walls. The walls in my sons room are all cracking because the last time he was sick I had the humidifier on 24/7 on high. Oops. :-)

get a cool mist humidifier. it will not make it hotter. humidifiers put moisture back into the air. the heat can dry out the sinuses. another thing to do is to use some saline spray. it is natural and safe and will clean out the nose. it will also help so the sinuses do not get dried out.

Buy a cool mist one. They are the best when trying to moisten the air. You may want to buy a few. Just a thought. One in your room, one in her room, and maybe one in the living room.

I always use humidifiers, the vicks ones work just fine, keep in out of reach because the steam is very hot. Clean it out daily, and use soap and hot water to clean it 1 a week to prevent mold. It will make it a bit warmer in her room, so turn the heat down a bit, helps with dry air due to the heat in your house, great for stuffy noses and coughs too.

We use Relion brand from Walmart. It is meant for small rooms and is a cool mist humidifier so it doesn't make the room warmer. We have had this one for 18 months with no problems. The replacement filter is about $5 and we have to replace it about every 2-3 weeks in the winter when it is using alot of water because of the dry heat. We do have to fill it again every night and it should be cleaned every week or two, but all you have to do is soak the tray and tank with a bleach and hot water solution for 20 minutes and then rinse it out. It's really easy. And the humidifier makes such a big difference! Plus is supplies white noise to drown out other sounds in the house so the baby can sleep better at night.

We use a cool mist one as it helps reduce any swelling that may occur from illnesses. Its great if you have lots of nosebleeds or if your child gets croup. These are both things were heat would enlarge any swelling. There are also ones you can get that don't have a water bucket. Usually they are in the pharmacy section of most stores so get a worker to explain the difference to you.

I do suggest a humidifier for your situation. It will release water vapor into the air of the room. The more water vapor, the more moisture there will be. I have a small duck humidifier in my son's room and it helps a lot. Unfortunately they are not pocket friendly. I bought the duck humidifier for $25 at Aldi's and they considered that on sale. Good luck.

A humidifier adds moisture to the air and helps combat dried nasal passages, coughs, etc. We run ours every day in the winter. Our ped recommended cool mist - I always thought so children wouldn't get burned by hot steam from the warm ones. The cool mist ones actually cool our bedrooms a bit. I don't have a recommendation for a certain brand to type. There should be some indication on the box as to how big of a room it is suited for. You might also want to buy little cartridges that you drop in the water tank to guard against bacteria - I've found them at my local grocery store and drug store.

Hi B.,
Nothing to fear about Humidifiers. All it does is to put moisture back into the air, when air conditioners, radiators, electric or gas heaters, or furnaces, all take moisture out of the air. My husband has allergies and his doctor suggested he uses a humidifier at night. It does help him breathe easier at night. We didn't buy an expensive one, but one that was small enough for our small room. When you think about it, if it is near you, you really don't need a large one. My near means about three feet away. Close, but not to close. Just make sure there is water in it. After my husband used it for several weeks, he notice a change right away. That was last winter. He doesn't need it everyday any more. He can tell when his allergy works up or by the pollen count. Something to do with the weather. What I mean is, if he starts sneezing to much or his nose isn't a post nasal drip, but running. (I tried for a little humor there, but I think you got the idea.) After awhile you'll get to know the difference yourself. After using a small one, you can always get a larger one later. Then you can use the small one in another room that is used a lot. Just in case you have a radiator, you can but a pan of water on it. When the water is heater it puts moisture in the air. It's like when you take a hot shower, the steam fills the room. That is putting moisture in the air. It's the same principle that the humidifier uses. I hope my information has helped you and I'm praying that you find a solution to help your family. Take care.

We use a cool mist humidifier in both our living room & our son's bedroom. It is definitely dry this winter. It has helped us a lot.