A few days ago, Xiao Li (pseudonym) went to the respiratory department of Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital for treatment because of cough, phlegm, and wheezing. In the consultation room, her father inadvertently said something that caught the doctor's attention, "She bought two humidifiers and left them open 24 hours a day, and the room was like a fairy." CT scan showed that Xiao Li had pneumonia. The doctor reminds that there is nothing wrong with using a humidifier itself, but improper use, such as using tap water, disinfectant tablets, etc., may cause "humidifier pneumonia".
After turning on the humidifier, he coughed and wheezing, and pneumonia was detected
Xiao Li has been at home for a while on vacation, rarely going out, and staying in his room most of the time. When the weather cooled down, the room was heated and sometimes air-conditioned, and it was very dry. To alleviate the dryness, she bought two humidifiers.
At first, she felt that her throat was still a little dry and itchy, "Could it still be too dry?" So, she turned on the humidifier for a long time, often for 24 hours, and as a result, the cough became worse and worse, and she also felt chest tightness and wheezing, especially when she couldn't lie flat when she slept at night.
There are no underlying diseases such as asthma, and there is no contact with patients with respiratory diseases recently, why do you suddenly cough and wheezing?
She felt that the floor heating was very dry and the air conditioner was also dry, so she bought two humidifiers and kept them blowing next to her, leaving them on 24 hours a day, but after using them, she coughed more and more......"
After detailed inquiry, Xie Xuan, the attending physician of the respiratory department of Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, learned that the patient not only kept the humidifier on, but also used tap water, and rarely cleaned it. Her mother felt that the humidifier was a little dirty, so she Xi used dish soap and disinfectant tablets to clean it. After that, the patient visibly felt wheezing and coughing more severely than in the previous days.
CT examination showed that the patient had pneumonia, and other tests were done after hospitalization, which ruled out factors such as influenza A, influenza B, and mycoplasma, which may be related to improper use of humidifiers. ”
Xie said that there is nothing wrong with using a humidifier itself, but improper use, such as using tap water, disinfectant tablets, etc., may cause "humidifier pneumonia". Common respiratory diseases are transmitted through droplets, and similarly, if the water added to the humidifier is not clean, not cleaned for a long time, or even various "materials" are added to it, some microbial particles will be inhaled into the lungs. At the same time, the suitable ambient humidity is 40% to 60%, and if the humidifier is left on, the ambient humidity is too high, which is easy to breed bacteria.
Humidifier, put water in the basin, and the doctor advises you to humidify correctly
In daily life, there are many cases where there are problems with adding various "materials" to the humidifier↓↓↓
In 2011, a public safety incident occurred in South Korea. According to the published findings, the main cause of the incident was the addition of biocides to the humidifier.
There are also netizens who add lemon slices to it, wanting to remove mold and odor and make the air fresher, but after using it, they can't breathe, cough and have a fever. There are quite a few such cases↓↓
There are also aromatherapy and essential oils added to it, and I asked if I could put normal saline↓↓
How to properly humidify in the dry autumn and winter season? Xie said that when using a humidifier, we should first pay attention to the use of pure water, and do not add other things to it, especially do not add disinfectants, disinfectant tablets, etc.
At the same time, do not use it for a long time, suspend it for a period of time every 2 hours, do not leave it on all night at night, turn it off after 2 hours, and humidify it moderately.
If this still feels a little dry, you can also use some "traditional methods" to help with humidification, such as hanging a damp towel at the vent or putting a basin of water in the room.
Cleaning of the humidifier is also important, and it is recommended to clean the nebulizer tablets and so on every 2 to 3 days. Don't keep the room stuffy all the time, and ventilate it every day. When choosing a humidifier, choose one with low noise, so as not to affect your sleep due to noise anxiety and irritability.
It should also be noted that the following 3 types of people should not use humidifiers↓↓↓
▪ People with rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis. A humidifier will increase the humidity in the air, and if you use it, it is best to monitor the air humidity in real time and keep it at 40%-60%.
▪ People with chronic lung diseases, such as bronchitis, asthma, COPD, etc. When bacteria or viruses are present in the water mist of the humidifier, such people will be more sensitive and more likely to induce various respiratory diseases.
▪ Seniors and children. The respiratory mucosa of the elderly and children is less resistant, which is more likely to lead to "humidifier pneumonia".
More links >>>
"Influenza A and Influenza B Infected at the Same Time? A Big Wave This Year! Some People Have Been "Sick" All Month | Protecting the Respiratory Tract (1)》