What to Know About Using a Humidifier for a Cough

You've heard people swear by the benefits of humidifiers when they feel sick, but do they actually help when you have a cough and feel under the weather?

Ultimately, whether using a humidifier for a cough is good or bad depends on what's behind your cough — and the type of humidifier you use.

A humidifier is a device that releases water vapor or steam to add humidity or moisture to the air, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Humidifying the air can help with issues like cracked skin and frequent nosebleeds that get worse when you're exposed to dry air. And the same goes for using humidifiers for coughs: Moist air may help limit some coughing.

"Humidifiers work better for some coughs than others," says Janet Morgan, MD, an internal medicine and geriatrics specialist at the Cleveland Clinic's Beachwood, Ohio, location. "If your cough is caused by irritation from dry air or congestion from an upper respiratory infection, a humidifier may add moisture to relieve a cough or to break up mucus in your lungs."

Dry air can wreak havoc on your respiratory health, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A humidifier can be an effective natural remedy for coughs or a preventive measure. If the air in your house is so dry that your hair stands on end or you get a touch-spark, it could cause a dry cough, per the Cleveland Clinic.

A humidifier is also good for an acute cough, Dr. Morgan says. An acute cough, according to the National Library of Medicine, is one that lasts less than three weeks and is typically caused by cold viruses, sinusitis or pneumonia.

If your cough persists for a longer period of time, say, a chronic cough from an underlying issue, check with your doctor. "If you have a cough from a long-term lung disease like asthma, COPD or allergy, you should ask your doctor about using a humidifier first," Dr. Morgan says.

Humidifiers come in both cool mist or steam varieties (the latter is also known as a vaporizer), per the Mayo Clinic. Cool-mist humidifiers may help better with an acute cough caused by a cold, whereas heated humidifiers may not, but more research is needed to fully understand the benefits of different types of humidifiers for different types of respiratory issues.

Other types of humidifiers, per the Mayo Clinic, include:

• ‌Central humidifiers‌ that are built into your home cooling and heating systems
• ‌Ultrasonic humidifiers‌ that use sound waves to produce their cool mist.
• ‌Impeller humidifiers‌ that use a rotating disk to make cool mist
• ‌Evaporators‌ that fan air through a wet filter

When should you not use a humidifier? If you have indoor allergies, a humidifier can do more harm than good, as common causes of indoor allergies like dust mites and mold spores thrive in moist air, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

High moisture can encourage bacteria, mold, mildew and dust mites, as well as trigger allergies and asthma, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Plus, per the AAAAI, standing water inside a humidifier leaves mineral deposits that increase the growth of bacteria and can lead to an allergic attack or sinusitis. If you have allergies, talk to your doctor before using a humidifier for cough management.

If you're in the clear, make sure you're taking care of your humidifier. "If your humidifier is not properly cleaned and maintained," Dr. Morgan says, "it can spread mold, bacteria or minerals into the air. In that case, a humidifier is not good for anyone. Even if you don't have allergies, a poorly maintained humidifier can make you sick."

Central home humidifiers are built in, so you don't have to clean them yourself, but free-standing cool-mist or steam vaporizers, while mobile, do require maintenance.

Follow these tips, per the Mayo Clinic, to keep your humidifier in tip-top shape:

• Can you use tap water in your humidifier? It's safer to use distilled or demineralized water to reduce bacterial growth.
• Change the water daily.
• Clean the humidifier every 3 days to help remove mineral deposits.
• Change the filter regularly.
• Keep the area surrounding the unit dry.
• Store the humidifier in a clean, dry place.

One final tip: "If you are not sure about using a humidifier," Dr. Morgan says, "ask your doctor for advice. If you don't want to bother with the maintenance and expense of a humidifier, consider a simpler option like taking a hot shower. This may be as effective for relieving dryness and breaking up mucus."