Excessive humidity inside your home makes you feel uncomfortable. While minor discomfort is not a serious concern, there are some serious health issues that can develop when you spend a lot of time in an area where the humidity is consistently high. It’s important that you recognize the potential danger to your health and that you take steps to reduce the humidity level in your home.
Allergies
Excessive humidity can be a nightmare for anyone with allergies. Dust mites, mold and bacteria thrive in a home where the humidity level exceeds 55%. In addition to the discomfort caused by allergies and lost time at work due to allergies and mold-related illness, you’ll likely incur a considerable amount of medical expenses related to the treatment of allergies if you don’t take steps to reduce the humidity level in your home. Fortunately, there are several affordable ways to monitor the humidity in your home.
Asthma
Humidity reduces body temperature which increases the body metabolism. For an asthma sufferer, living in a home with excessively humid air means their body has to work harder to breathe. High humidity can also trigger an asthma attack. Another problem regarding high humidity in a home is that humid air reduces the amount of negative ions in the air making breathing more difficult. To make life easier for an asthma sufferer living in your home, you can visit a company like Bryant Air Conditioning, Heating, Electrical & Plumbing and explore the various types of HVAC systems available to find one that has features to help control humidity levels in your home.
Insomnia
You are likely to experience physical discomfort when you’re trying to sleep in a room where the humidity level is excessively high. You will probably feel hot to the point of not being able to sleep. Sleeping on cotton bedding can make you more comfortable. Keep in mind that if the humidity in the bedroom is high, throughout the night you will be breathing in unhealthy air.
Eye, Nose and Throat Irritations
In a home with high humidity levels, you may notice several health problems that are indirectly related to the humidity. Since high humidity contributes to the growth of mold and other biological microorganisms, you may begin to experience a stuffy nose. Your eyes and skin may become irritated. You may notice that you begin wheezing as a result of breathing unhealthy air.
COPD
People with COPD have more difficulty breathing when the humidity level exceeds 40%. During the winter months, it can be difficult to keep the indoor humidity level within this range. If you or someone in your family has COPD you may want to purchase a humidifier to keep them more comfortable during the winter season.
High humidity levels in your home can trigger or accelerate asthma, allergies or respiratory issues. To enhance your overall well-being, you can install humidity monitors in your home. Taking quick action to have mold removed can prevent potential health concerns from occurring or accelerating.
