Hi
I have been having trouble clearing mucus just before I go to bed. It's only really started since we have had the heating on most of the day and it occurred to me it could be because of that.
Does anyone use a humidifier during the winter and does it help?
Thanks
Sinclair
If I suspected the heating was causing my mucus to thicken, I would turn the heating down and wear extra layers of clothing. 20 deg C is what our thermostat is set at. We do not use a humidifier. I have no problem keeping warm, the extra effort to breath sees to that.
Hi Sinclair, I use a dehumidifier myself and swear by it. Below I have pasted a post about it that I posted sometime ago. Please read it as it may help you. lol, Eric 🎅 🙋
I was diagnosed with COPD in the summer of 2013 having suffered with constant coughing both day and night for about 6 months prior.
I was unable to lie down in bed to sleep and had to sit upright propped-up with pillows so that I could at least get a little relief.
Even so I was lucky if I could get more than a couple of hours sleep a night.
Having been issued with a Spiriva powder inhaler and a Ventolin Evohaler, after attending a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme at my local hospital and being given advice on how best to manage the condition I had to get on with the rest of my life as best as I could.
Despite taking the prescribed medications as directed they gave me little relief and each day became more of a struggle to combat the illness.
Then at the beginning of December 2015, with my condition rapidly deteriorating, I began to search the Web in earnest to try and find some answers to my problems.
To cut a long story short something steered me in the direction of purchasing a Home Dehumidifier with a built in charcoal filter and ioniser.
Living in the UK, as I do, we can get very high levels of moisture in our homes due to the excessive amounts of rain that we get.
This can basically fill the lungs with water from the atmosphere and I was coughing up excessive amounts of watery phlegm on an hourly basis.
The humidity level inside your home should be in the range of 40 – 65 (on a scale of 100) and, having purchased a cheap gauge costing about £3.00, I found that the levels in my home were reading a massive 85.
So I went online and purchased a dehumidifier costing £120.00 and which could remove about 10-12 litres of water a day from the air in your home.
It arrived about a week before Christmas and when I set it running it was giving a reading around 85 and, running it for just 12 hours a day, it was removing 2-3 litres of water from the atmosphere on a daily basis and the humidity level reading was gradually getting lower.
After 4 weeks of use the humidity level is now down to between 45 & 50 and the level of water that it is removing is getting less and less everyday.
My home was not showing any signs of having these high levels (such as mould on walls & ceilings, windows running with damp etc.) but I still had very high levels just the same.
My condition has improved in leaps and bounds over those 4 – 5 weeks and I now find that I am no longer coughing day and night, in fact I hardly cough at all now, and I no longer need to use the Ventolin Evohaler.
I am able to sleep at night now and my mental health, (I was getting very depressed and may I also say verging on suicidal?), is also starting to improve as my health gets better.
So the question is did I have or not have COPD? I don't really know, but I do know that my health has started to improve now (although I feel that some damage has been caused to my lungs because of all the years of coughing) and I am looking forward to a healthier life.
The doctors didn't seem to be able to help me – the answer to my problems was the dehumidifier and, although it might not be the answer for everyone, it could possibly be the answer for you too.
So, in conclusion, I offer this advice to those suffering with this dreadful condition.
(1) - Go online and get yourself a cheap Humidity Gauge for around £3.00.
(2) – Use it throughout the home for a week and see what readings you're getting.
(3) – If you find that you are getting high readings get yourself a dehumidifier.
(4) – The £120.00 that I paid for it was the best money I have ever spent in my life.
I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT BUT IT WORKED FOR ME – IT COULD ALSO WORK FOR YOU
Dehumidifier works for me also in the summer and in the winter right now here in Missouri allergies are really going strong and of course I'm sick and on antibiotics and a lot of prednisone but I'm trying to get better hope you feel better soon
Hi Hun, I just read your post and its so interesting , I have been wondering about getting a humidifier for a while now, can I just ask you where in the house do you keep it ,or do you move it room to room ??? And if you don't mind me asking what's the make ect of the one you bought ??? I am fed up with feeling crap sand I will try anything !!! I have end stage copd emphysema and various allergies that affect my breathing so I think a humidifier might be worth a try ,thank you hope you keep feeling good xxxx
Hi Caz, Let me stress first of all that using a dehumidifier did not cure my COPD but it has certainly helped me manage my condition.
The one that I use is a Puremate PM 412 which also has an Ioniser built-in and has a 12 litre capacity. I believe that this is on offer at the moment with £50.00 of and is selling for £129.00 with p&p included.
I do move it from room to room occasionally (depending on the humidity levels) but it can be placed in a hallway and should cover the whole house.
Please note that this is not the only make and model on the market and I only endorse this one because I have tried it and it works for me.
I have posted a link below for the website, good luck with managing your condition - keep healthy, Eric 👍 🙋
puremate.co.uk/puremate-pm-...
Thank you that's a great help ,we know copd can't be cured but anything that helps with the sob is a help !!! Xxxxx
Does it use alot of eletric .
Hi Daniel, I've not really monitored it's usage but I have not seen any significant increase in my electric bill (apart from the power companies price rises) over the couple of years I've been using it. On a really wet day (such as we have had the last couple of days) I run it for about 14 to 16 hours and I would say that it only uses about 20 pence worth of electric, if that.
Hope this helps, keep well, llap from Eric 👍👍👍
Yes that helps alot thank you .
There dehumidifiers they take the moisture out of the air so it's not so humid for you
A humidifier adds moisture into the atmosphere whereas a dehumidifier removes excess moisture. Both have their benefits. Be sure you buy the correct one for you
Hi Sinclair, leaving the window open slightly works for me,if I don't I get sinusitis, and throat infection,buy some pj,s🙂Good luck
I’ve just started using one from reading posts on here and find it definitely helps x
Such huge cumbersome things ..... I would put a jug of water at the base of my radiator or even buy a nice ceramic one that hangs on the radiator x
Surely there's a difference between a humidifier and a dehumidifier. One to moisten the air and one to draw moisture from the air. It`s finding a balance that's tricky, Sheila x
I use a dehumidifier in summer when the humidity is high. High humidity is not good for me. It makes it makes it harder to breath. Now I have the humidifier going. If the humidity goes below 45 it's bad news for me. I get mucous plugs. (Sorry for the grossness) And my eyes and mouth get very dry due to my Sjogren's syndrome.
And yes, mskpjb Sheila you are right. The humidifier moistened the air and dehumidifier takes the moisture out. And both help me a lot.
Best wishes to you sinclair61 .
Cas xx 🌿
I find the dehumidifier of some use but would like to pass on a tip. I bought a Himalayan Salt lamp - looks like a huge lump of warm orange crystal when lit but I have found it helps with the coughing. In fact I have one in the bedroom and one in the lounge 😊
Spiriva and drying effect on the body
HYPNOTHERAPY has anyone tried it.
Aids to help breathing, the lungs, circulation etc + slimming aids.
Oxygen tubing nightmares!
