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
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sufferer2
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Hi, I can believe that. My daughter uses one in the spare bedroom (my room occasionally and it always feels damp being on the north corner with two outside walls).
The dehumidifier is small & neat, luckily it turns itself off when the collection vessel is full as it is every day.
Re copd, only a spirometer will give you the answer yay or nay (or a CT scan). Hopefully next time you have one your fev will have improved 😃😃 good luck.
My spirometer tests with the practice nurse were showing me with having COPD and yet the Blood Oxygen Levels were showing as being high, which is unusual with this condition. It will be interesting to see what the spirometer readings are when i next have to see her. Good luck to your daughter's future health.
Hi, I bought a cheap humidity gauge after someone mentioned them on this site, I found mould growing around my bedroom window too and in the bathroom.
I have been looking at an extractor fan for the bathroom, but they are supposed to be positioned away from the shower and the outside wall is very small.
My husband has a dehumidifier in the garage for his classic car....I think I will 'borrow' it and try......not in the bathroom though...health and safety rules.
Hi sufferer....thanks for letting us all know of your success with the dehumidifier, so glad that it has such a good effect on you and hopefully others
Thanks again
Sohara
I keep telling the wife we need one as a few years ago we had a small one which we bought of a shopping canal and it took a lot off water from my bedroom as we had a wooden floor with a three foot space under neath it so we had that done with a new concrete floor and what do I get we do not need one now as we have this new floor and the heating and the two vents as my room is on the corner of the house so now with this it mite let her see sence and buy one
Just had a dehumidifier today put it on in my bedroom for about 4 hours and it took 2lts of water out wife bought it after I read what you put on here she said it might work or it might not so give it a go so far so good let you know how get on .
Hi Jimmy, Don't know if I am supposed to give you that info as it could be classed as advertising I suppose. However mine is a Puremate PM412 which is on offer on their website at the moment for £119.00 including p&p (was on sale at £179.00) . They are based in Stechford, Birmingham and the website is at puremate.co.uk - Please take note that other makes and models are available. Hope this helps.
I have been urging my daughter to get a dehumidifier as they have slight mould in both wardrobes in their home. My son-in-law has asthma so it would be worth doing. I can get a check for our home too. Thanks for the post. xxx
Get a gauge Sassy and see what humidity levels you are getting - I was getting readings of a massive 85. They're cheap and available on Ebay, my advice is get one today. Good Luck & Health.
I am glad you have been able to alleviate your Copd symptoms with the aid of a dehumidifier in your home as I know full well relief from this awful disease is always welcome.
Now comes the 'but' bit your heading is a little bit misleading as a dehumidifier cannot cure Copd and of course will only help if you stay in the environment where it is placed. So please continue to use your medication as prescribed, question your doctors and make sure you get all the tests going to find out what your lung condition is.
I am very fortunate to live in a warm, dry, well ventilated house that over the years we have eliminated as much moisture from it as we can, without become complete prunes. In the winter I make sure that only one pot on the cooker has veg etc that needs boiling water and we have a professional extractor hood to whisk away any of the excess. I only mention this as, as much as we keep our home moisture free we have no control once outside our front door.
Good heavens, this sounds so preachy but please try all options don't place all your eggs in one basket.
Hi Sue, Thank you for your good advice. I don't think the heading is misleading (did you not notice the question mark?). The heading is intended to get people's attention (as in 'Freddy Star Ate My Hamster'). Also I have not stopped taking all my medications - only the Ventolin Evohaler, as I find that it is no longer needed. I still use the Spiriva. Good health to you.
Point taken, sorry i missed the question mark. Guess it's time to visit the opticians for a eye test the old steroid tablets play havoc with my vision and I am probably on the rocky road of getting cataracts again. Last time this happened I started having problems seeing double decker buses poor little question marks don't stand a chance.
Know the problems Sue - Still the time to really worry is when you shear the sheepdog instead of the sheep, then you know where you should go to. Take Care & Keep Well.
i bought a dehumidifier last week, as read an article about humidity and its effects on breathing, and after 2 days i have to say i do feel that my breathing at night is a lot easier it has a dust filter too which will help too
I live in Cornwall and the humidity levels inside are usually 90% plus. I recently bought a dehumidifier and am really impressed (for house's sake largely so far).
The standard dehumidifiers work like a fridge in reverse by cooling air until the water drops out and then heating it up again to expel the air at room temperature.
I got a desiccant based one (Amcor 8L) - has a slowly rotating disc inside with a material that absorbs water. It gently blows warm air over the disc to extract the water into the tank. So unlike the standard ones (I presume) you get a slightly warm flow of air into the room.
Taking out a good litre/day for low energy (300W on low setting). It makes for a really pleasant atmosphere - It makes it easier to heat the room, too, because you have less moisture in the air to warm up.
Hi Arthur, You're right about the way the dehumidifiers work - the one I bought was the standard one. Mine also puts warm air back into the room and it also has a charcoal filter and an ioniser built in.
Made in China, but a fabulous piece of kit, I would recommend it to anyone.
Good luck with yours and keep using it - it appears to be doing you good.
A very interesting post and has given me a lot of, 'food for thought' , I do have a dehumidifier in my lounge as my house is largely made of random stone with no cavity. I have had this for many years, the thing is I don't often sit in my lounge preferring my dining/sitting room. I now intend buying a meter and doing some tests around the house. Glad it worked for you. Tatters.
You dont have to buy a meter if you have a i phone go to app store down load hygrometer its free . Down loaded it yesterday my humidity in the living room was 84%. Bought a keystone dehumidifier 50 pint total with tax and shipping 227.30. I googled best top 5 dehumidifier for emphysema .Out of the top 5 this is the one i could afford be here friday 07-10-20 well see.
That's a good idea Tatters - I see that on Ebay you can now get a combined Digital Thermometer/Humidity Gauge for as little as £1.40 inc. p&p. What's to lose?
I think it is very important to follow medical advise on treatment, it may not always be right but medical team are able to monitor. I am always wary of advise given on the Internet as anyone can put anything on the net.
I have had a dehumidifier for over 30yrs, long before I was diagnosed with lung disease although it collects water from the Athmosphere I am not sure it has done anything to help my lungs.
What works for one may not work for another, even though I use dehumidifier I still have to sleep with windows open to help my breathing.
It may not have been the right title for your post. As although you have got some relief. There is no evidence you have been cured, as lungs have already been damaged it would be interesting if you could put a post up after seeing the Medical team and getting some tests. To determine how much improvement you have.
I don't have my FEV levels at the moment - I won't be able to get them until I see my Practice Nurse. Will update the site with them as soon as I get them.
Thank you for your comments - I'm so sorry that you think the dehumidifier didn't do anything for you, although I feel sure that the amount of water it has removed over a 30 year period must have helped you in some way.
You are wise of course to be wary of advice given on the Internet, as I am myself, but my experiences of using a dehumidifier have been posted to try to help others like myself. Keep watching my posts as I will be keeping the site updated on my progress. Wishing You Good Health.
May I ask which room in the house do you put it in? What about the rooms that do not have the humidifier? Do they have high humidity? Would one not need a humidifier for each room?
Hi Natassa, I do move it from room to room (it is on castors so it's easy to move) however it works well being used in the hallway and seems to keep all the rooms low in humidity. We live in a 2 bed bungalow and is ideal for this purpose.
Please take a look above at my reply to jimmyg23 and you will see that there is a link there to the model that I purchased, so that if you want to you can take a look at it.
However please note that I am in no way specifically endorsing this model and make and other makes/models are available.
If you read my post fully Brondana you will see that I have not specifically stated that I had COPD - THE QUESTION WAS DID I OR DID I NOT HAVE IT.
Please read this extract from my posting:
(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).
Best Wishes & Good Health to you.
sufferer2
I took your question on board and I replied accordingly. I offered a specific answer to your question in my previous reply with the comment. "If you don't have COPD now you bought a humidifier, you didn't have COPD to begin with".
Why are you drawing my attention to your question when I have already answered it? Which part of my answer didn't you understand?
Your header statement is deliberately misleading, which is an excellent way of attracting attention if it offers hope to people with COPD but to suggest you have cured COPD...question mark notwithstanding...is mischievous.
I believe your findings on the humidifier are strong enough and interesting enough to stand alone. I think a humidifier should bring relief to those who live in a humid atmosphere. You didn't need bells and whistles to attract attention to your post.
It's not a humidifier it's a dehumidifier to different things. humidifier puts moisture in the air dehumidifier removes it copd between 40-60% i was told is idea for us with copd.
Hi. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago with bronchiectasis. It was mild but I am now starting to have symptoms and have really bad breath in the morning. I have read about cannabis ( I am still in the process of getting seeds, although I ordered them a week ago and they still havnt arrived)? To put it simply I think it is an idea to use therapy before the condition worsens. I will try the de humidifier and see how it goes. Thanks for putting it out there.
Of course, I understand perfectly. However, I appreciate all posts which has now helped me to make a decision. I have gained a lot of information from our members so when I speak to my doctor I feel I will be able to ask some very relevant questions and hopefully get some helpful answers. Keep posting. Chrys
What stage of the illness do you have? I have remained well for about 7 years, but am now starting to notice increased breathlessness and congestion. I don't go a day without tightness in the chest. I am also experiencing acid reflux. I go through quite low periods lately. I research the internet for things which can offer us hope. I know the Lung institute in the USA offer stem cell therapy for bronchiectasis. I have been in contact with a woman from the USA who has had excellent results for a few years following stem cell treatment. I don't really read the reviews from the clinic it'self because they are not necessarily true. I am looking for this therapy in Europe, but am struggling to find anything. I can't for the life of me see why stem cells are not being trialed following the results from the study (albeit a small trial), which found tissues regenerated. 2 Greys on this site gives us regular updates on research and results for COPD. Hope you are well. Sue.
Well, thank you for your story and how you eventually found the answer to your problem. It made me really appreciate the difficulties some of us have to live with. You are right, doctors are not always able to help and I really feel we have to try and find answers ourselves. I really enjoyed your uplifting story and delighted you are now feeling so much better. I am still finding out about my bronchiectasis and will, like you continue to find ways of helping myself which in turn should help our doctors. Keep well. Chrys
I actually had a productive cough for over 15 years. Doctors said it was probably due to the medication I took. It wasn't until a new doctor mentioned my cough and suggested a sample of mucus be taken. Within 10 days I was seen by Consultant, scans and other tests that the found out I had bronchiectasis. This was five years ago but I obviously had it for many years without it being picked up.
I also take medication for reflux . I don't know what stage I'm at but would be interested to know. At the moment I'm having tests fo possible circulatory problems, yet another problem to deal with. Still, we have to continue to do research to help ourselves.
HiI am sure dehumidifier helped you what ever it was and i completly trust it and goinf to try it for my lung issue. Thanks for sharing. Also what is condition now.
When I saw my practise nurse in February of this year she was astonished with the results of my spirometer test. She said they were the best results she had seen for me in many years and was over the moon with the improvements. One thing I would advise if you do get a dehumidifier is to get a good sized one to use in the hallway that will draw moisture from all the rooms off the hallway. These small ones, in my opinion, are of very little use. And don't worry about the cost of running it as they use very little power when in use.
Good luck, and I hope it helps your condition in the long term. 😃
Thanks, I my self control my lung fibrosis for so many years with enzimes and other alternate treatment. So I know this things work best. I was gone to b & q yo get one but didnt found with air purifier. I will try tomorrow. Thanks for sharing for every ones benefit.
wow. I was thinking about this. Our old house is certainly damp and my husband was diagnosed with COPD after we moved in here and gradually got worse. Definitely starting with a ordering a humidity gauge right now! (Even tho the Lionesses have not yet finished playing..) thanks for the info
right our gauge on its way! Is there a way to save a post like this so I can go back to it easily as i’ll need to read it all over again to digest when gauge arrives?
Wow. Found you again! Just to say, I got 3 gauges on Amazon for 8 quid and monitored them as you suggested. Humidity levels over 80 on our top floor.dehumidifier arrived yesterday. Not got quite to grips with it yet. But it’s already decreased humidity to 55. This morning my husband woke up and said ‘I feel unusually refreshed’. So fingers crossed….thank you so much for the info you gave us. He always says his breathing is worse in dry hot air but I’m thinking you’re right. Lots of us in Uk live in damp old houses (ours was built in 1910) and very crumbly! So I think this new machine is really going to help x
That's wonderful news that hubby is already feeling the benefits even after such a short period of time. And obviously the dehumidifier is working if the level has dropped from over 80 to 55 in the space of a day. My advice is to move it about from room to room over the coming months until you find out where it is the most advantageous for you. Good luck to you, and I hope you find it of benefit in the long term the same as I have found mine. xxx 👍
Yes we will move it to room to room! It’s pretty heavy but now we’ve seen wot is happening on top floor. We’ll move it down to other levels I can’t believe I’ve left my hub in damp room. Until you said it never occurwd to me,
ps just wanted to report cute dehumidifier is purring away. Already had to empty the tank, jeez! Astonishing what moisture is in the air even tho it’s ‘summer’ and windows open. For 3 nights I’ve not heard Will cough! Early days but one of the best tips ever, thank you.
You're doing brill, I bet Will is so grateful for what you're doing for him (and it will also benefit you as well of course). When I went for my five o'clock walk this morning the app on my phone gave a reading of 85% humidity and that was even although we had a high of 30c yesterday. Keep checking your readings and, if required, get that wonderful invention running - you'll never, ever regret buying it. Give my regards to Will, enjoy the sunshine but keep cool,
I didn’t get the one you suggested because I couldn’t find your post. I got one from a company called Avalla which seems easy to use but the manual is not so great. Do you keep yours running all the time or only when the manual gauges read high? (We have a gauge now in 3 rooms). Ours seems to switch itself off when it reads normal humidity.
Must say I’m not dreading the winter so much barely using heating etc. anymore because of the rocketing bills.
I've seen this brand on-line and it seems very popular at the moment as there's quite a range of sizes to choose from. With mine I put it on when I get up in the morning and, if it's showing high humidity, keep it running for a few hours until I get a reading of about 45 to 55 (which I find is the best range for me), then turn it off after. This usually sets me up for the day, but it can always go back on again if I need it.
It seems like a little miracle eco invention! We got the smallest one which standing on the landing seems to cover 3 rooms. We’ve had it 5 days and I’ve emptied the 2.5 litre tank 4 times already! We can feel the difference it’s made to air quality. Will is sleeping better, no coughing at night.yay!early days but seems like best thing we’ve ever bought x
It's a shock when you realise that you've taken TWO GALLONS of water from the air that you breath in just those 5 days. Keep it running, my friend, and both you and Will will reap the benefits.👍
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