Monday, September 24, 2007

Warm-Mist vs. Cool-Mist Humidifier

When my son was sick with a cold last year, I assumed that a warm-mist humidifier would be best. So I was surprised to hear his pediatrician's recommendation of a cool-mist humidifier. After hearing her reasoning, it made perfect sense. The warm and cool-mist are equally effective, but the cool-mist is the safer choice for children, because children can burn themselves with the warm-mist.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw first-hand what a warm-mist humidifier can do. Our 10-month-old neighbor had a bandaged hand due to a burn from the warm-mist. I realized then that it would be good to spread the word, because these burns can be easily prevented by just knowing what humidifier to register for or buy from the beginning. I went with the Vick's Cool-Mist Humidifier.

Check out what Mayo Clinic pediatrician Jay Hoecker, M.D has to say.

2 comments:

Bridget said...

good article and advise... we did get warm mist humidifiers b/c it does help in the cold winter months (if you're in that climate)... just have to make sure it's put away during the day, which is a pain. But it keeps the room warmer at night so you're not hiking the thermastat up high just to try and keep up with the freezing temps outside.

Unknown said...

Another reason to prefer warm mist over cool mist is that the cool mist types tend to attract more bacterial and fungus growth. However, some models come with filters and things to eliminate bacteria and fungus, but then you have to buy a monthly cartridge/filter which is a premium over a warm mist humidifier.

If you can locate the warm mist humidifier safely in a place not reachable by your children, it may be the better choice. You do need to clean it regularly to make sure there is no mineral build up in the heating element.