Humidifiers are often used by those with sinus problems to help reduce nasal congestion. By adding moisture to the air they can help alleviate the problems suffered by both adults and children. However, due to the fact that steam humidifiers use hot water, parents often hesitate to use them in a child’s room because of the risk of burns if the children touch them.

There is an alternative with a cool mist humidifier and an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. The ultrasonic version is more expensive but beneficial for those suffering with allergies as well as sinus congestion.

If you have several people in the house who need the benefits of a humidifier, you will find that a cool mist humidifier covers a much larger area than a steam one. Depending on the size of the property a cool mist humidifier can cover several rooms or the whole house.

Benefits of a cool mist dehumidifier:

• They add moisture to the air without producing heat
• No danger of kids getting scalding themselves or burning themselves
• Cover a larger area than steam humidifiers
• Easy to clean
• Do not heat up a room

Benefits of an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier

All the above benefits also apply to the ultrasonic version but it also goes one step further. Not only does it produce vapor without heat, it also kills any harmful such as mold and bacteria which would otherwise have been released with the vapor. It does this by creating ultrasonic vibrations in the water. While this type of humidifier may cost more it is beneficial for allergy sufferers who might be sensitive to substances that would dispersed with the vapor.

All the humidifiers must be cleaned on a regular basis to keep them functioning properly particularly if you have a high level of minerals in the water. You may want to consider using distilled water to keep the unit functioning properly.

Which type of humidifier is right for me?

• If you are concerned about the safety aspect of heat producing humidifiers - try a cool mist humidifier. It will produce vapor without heat and as an added bonus cover a larger area.

• If you also have people in the house that suffer with allergies or asthma - buy an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. It will eliminate any allergens that might be present in the water and prevent them was triggering any asthma or allergy attack when the water is dispersed.

Whichever model you choose sufferers will be able to breathe more easily and minimize the need to use medication to relieve their symptoms.