Among the various physiological systems in the human body, the respiratory and digestive systems are the predominant ones that get infected very fast.
Among the two, our respiratory system gets infected comparatively faster.
It can even make you suffer from various other types of chronic health conditions very quickly that may be hard to cure.
One such potentially harmful infection is Pneumonia.
Here we will be talking more about the infection and whether installing a humidifier can help relieve the condition or not.
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a lung infection that makes an individual feel very sick.
The condition affects the person’s breathing capability due to the filling up of pus (or other fluids) into the lung tissue.
The Causes
Pneumonia is usually caused by droplet infection or transmission.
This means that one person’s germs may enter another person’s lungs through normal respiration or when expelled out through sneezing or coughing.
Usually, a person with a weaker immune system gets infected when a higher number of germs and viruses are present in the atmosphere.
This can be present in the form of droplets of moisture which, when inhaled by the person, causes the infection.
One can get the infection when visiting places like schools, offices, public places, hospitals, etc. Even when you are in the so-called safest home environment, you can get infected with this disease.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common symptom of pneumonia is a continuous cough with sputum expulsion (generally rusty green in color or tinged with bloodstains).
Few other early symptoms of pneumonia due to any causative factor are:
- Chattering of teeth due to chills
- General muscle and body fatigue
- Continuous fever with chills and shivering
- Short and rapid breathing with increased heartbeat and palpitation
- Chest pain and burning sensation in the windpipe due to continuous cough reflex
- Nausea and vomiting due to heavy infection along with physical and mental weakness
In general, pneumonia is not a significant problem these days. It can be treated in the home itself by following a few home remedies.
However, in older adults, small kids, infants, and people suffering from any other additional disease, it can become chronic, making the patient iller.
These people should be cared for properly and given the most appropriate pneumonia treatment on time.
Is A Humidifier Good for Pneumonia?
Using a well-branded humidifier for pneumonia is often recommended for relieving the symptoms fast at home.
Getting an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier for a pneumonia sufferer helps in maintaining the atmospheric humidity at proper levels which in turn prevents further progression of the infection.
These types of humidifiers are quiet and efficient in working. Also, it kills the bacteria and molds of water (if present) before releasing the mist of the air.
Can A Humidifier Cause Pneumonia Infection?
Can a humidifier cause pneumonia, or can installing one worsen the infection?
Having a question like this in mind is obvious! After all, you do not want to make your parents, child, or spouse sicker.
Instead, you are always concerned about lowering their suffering for them.
Installing a humidifier in a room occupied by a pneumonia sufferer helps them a lot rather than providing any harm – provided you use and clean it properly.
The only way in which a room humidifier can cause problems for a person suffering from pneumonia is when it’s not maintained or cleaned regularly.
Keeping your humidifier clean will ensure that there is no growth of white dust, mold, and bacteria in the machine.
You can use bleach or a vinegar solution to clean the parts and filters, contributing to faster infection recovery.
Remember, infections and illnesses are mainly caused due to bacteria, fungi, and germs growing in your household.
It’s not your home appliances that can cause harm.
Keeping your humidifier clean and in good running condition is, however, a key to good health.
Which Humidifier is Best Recommended for Pneumonia?
As dry air can worsen the cough and pneumonia conditions, it is often recommended to add the best humidifier brand for pneumonia in the infected person’s room.
When it comes to picking between warm or cool mist humidifiers for pneumonia care, you use a cool-mist humidifier and not a steam vaporizer as it can cause burns.
Below are the top choices you can choose from…
1- LEVOIT:
This is a great machine for people who have a large bedroom or a living space.
The user-friendly illuminated LCD panel in the machine shows you the current humidity level inside your room, which helps digitally program your desired humidity level.
Using essential oils for pneumonia is often recommended to control the infection better.
Hence using a LEVOIT humidifier with an aroma diffuser, which makes the air therapeutically hygienic and healthy, is also a good option.
This will ensure faster relief for sufferers by providing optimum humidity levels and the healing aroma of essential oils.
2- Vicks:
If you want to go for a low-maintenance humidifier for easing pneumonia Vicks humidifier is one of the best to check out.
Being a perfect humidifier for small and medium-sized bedrooms, it brings you the best features you will love to get for your family.
3- BONECO:
Boneco humidifiers offer nothing but a suitable way to bring comfort and moisture to your living space without worrying about all the cleaning.
This self-cleaning humidifier is specially designed for people who do not love to spend time cleaning their machines every day.
4- Honeywell:
The brand is known for manufacturing some of the best humidifying models in the industry.
Especially if you want to whole house console humidifier that can cover your whole apartment, this is one of the best to go for.
5- Adorable Crane:
Specially designed for babies, this affordable-priced ultrasonic humidifier (filter-free) produces a refreshing, visible cool mist to comfort your baby suffering from an infection.
These adorable and cute humidifier units are easy to clean and maintain. And it automatically shuts off when water gets emptied for worry-free operation.
Hopefully, the above models will help you in controlling the infection significantly.
We strongly recommend buying a good humidifier for pneumonia after consulting with your physician.
If you are still confused about whether a humidifier can help with pneumonia or not, do consider talking to your health care provider to get the best recommendation.
What Are The Other Treatment Options and Home Remedies?
Patients suffering from chronic pneumonia infection should try to take the medicines as prescribed by the physician.
In the case of bacterial pneumonia, the most effective immediate treatment is consuming antibiotics. This treatment is usually advised for at least a week to recover completely.
In the case of viral pneumonia, consuming only the antibiotics do not help much – it may only prevent complications of pneumonia. For getting complete relief, proper rest with a good diet is recommended.
Generally, in the case of pneumonia (due to any cause), the patient should:
- Take plenty of rest
- Drink lots of water and other liquid items
- Try to avoid smoking, alcohol, tobacco, tea & coffee, etc.
When continuous cough disturbs your sleeping hours, try to consult your doctor and get a good cough suppressant for faster relief.
In addition to the above, there are a few home remedies that can help in getting relief from nasal infection. You can try them out if you do not want to take medicines.
✓ Try to take a warm or hot shower bath to increase peripheral circulation, which may naturally suppress your pneumonia symptoms.
✓ You may also try to take facial steam added with a few drops of eucalyptus oil to get relief from cough and chest congestion caused due to pneumonia. It also acts as a good expectorant.
✓ Performing deep breathing exercises after a hot shower or facial steam also helps to strengthen the chest muscles effectively and can be tried in addition.
✓ Taking massage with heavy percussion movements over the neck, shoulders, and back helps to relieve the chest congestion, loosens the mucus accumulation in the lungs and windpipe, and helps to expand the chest freely.
Recovering From Pneumonia: What To Expect?
The complete recovery time for pneumonia may range from a few weeks to about six months.
This usually depends upon a person’s general health condition and the infection’s severity.
However, you can see the symptoms improving (like fever) in about 3-4 days of taking the medicines.
In case you suffer from a severe infection, it can take about 2-3 months to resolve your symptoms (like chest pain, cough, breathlessness, etc.) resolved.
Symptoms like fatigue can take a few more weeks to stop completely.
Meen Smith is a nurse by profession who loves writing online, spending time with her family and caring for the elderly. She has already worked as an associate editor on various moms, babies, home appliances, kitchen, and healthy living blogs. In her spare time, she also enjoys drawing, reading/writing kindle eBooks and improving her skills a bit.