Winters are cold and dry
Many members of the public use air conditioning or heating at the same time
Use a humidifier
Think of it as a "winter artifact"
However, just recently
Topic #Improper use of humidifiers can lead to respiratory infections#
Attracted the attention of netizens
In this regard, "Guangdong CDC" issued a reminder
Improper use of air humidifiers
It can really cause air pollution
Does it even cause respiratory infections?
Let's pay attention
The humidifier will not be turned off overnight
"Humidifier pneumonia" on a male patient
In winter, the weather is cold, and Mr. Huang's home is heated 24 hours a day. Worried that the indoor air would be too dry, Mr. Huang used a humidifier at home and often stayed overnight.
In the past few days, Mr. Huang always felt tightness in his chest, his throat was also very uncomfortable, and he often coughed. When I went to the hospital for a check-up, I found out that I had pneumonia. "After the examination, the doctor said that I may have pneumonia, which may be caused by using a humidifier at home and not cleaning it regularly. Mr. Huang said.
Doctors said that the most comfortable air humidity of the human body is generally 40%~60%, if the humidifier is used for a long time to improve the air humidity, and the water source in the humidifier is not clean, or the humidifier is not cleaned frequently, it will lead to the breeding of germs and bring health risks to the human body.
Humidifiers are not
The "culprit" that led to "humidifier pneumonia"
In the dry winter months, air humidifiers have become a must-have appliance for many homes. Some people like to add tap water, vinegar or essential oils to the air humidifier, and some people like to leave the air humidifier on 24 hours a day......
As everyone knows, these non-standard operations may cause respiratory diseases, which is what is called "humidifier pneumonia" in medicine.
"Humidifier pneumonia" means that after using a humidifier, the humidifier will bring some microbial particles to the human body to inhale, if the person's resistance decreases at this time, it will cause a series of diseases such as upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, pneumonia or bronchial asthma.
Liu Jun, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Guangzhou First People's Hospital, said that if the air humidifier is not cleaned in time, the humidification time is too long, and the water source is not good, it will provide favorable conditions for the growth and reproduction of bacteria and viruses.
The doctor reminded that the humidifier itself is not the "culprit" that causes "humidifier pneumonia", but the negligence of cleaning the humidifier. To avoid the occurrence of diseases, the most important thing is to master the correct use of humidifiers -
- The humidifier should not be turned on 24 hours a day, and it is best to have an intermittent period;
- It is best to use cold boiled water or purified water to add water to the humidifier;
- The humidifier itself must be disinfected, preferably once a week.
Add a biocide to the humidifier
This can have serious consequences
Since cleaning the humidifier is so important, someone may add some "ingredients", and pour essential oils, lemon juice, and even disinfectants into the humidifier, which is absolutely unacceptable.
Some people may still remember the "humidifier death" public safety incident in South Korea in 2011, which directly caused 670,000 South Koreans to suffer from upper respiratory, lung and skin diseases, and even death. After investigation, the relevant departments in South Korea found that the main reason for the incident was the addition of disinfectants to the humidifier.
Sun Yongchang, Director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital: This situation is due to the addition of a disinfectant to the water in the humidifier, which is a disinfectant, and I hope that the water will be kept clean and will not grow microorganisms. In fact, after the fungicide is inhaled, the damage it causes in the lungs will be more serious, this situation is also known as humidifier bactericide pneumonia, some will become chronic, and even pulmonary fibrosis occurs, causing lung function to decrease, so it is particularly emphasized that when you use a humidifier, do not add disinfectant to the water, wash it regularly, and keep the water clean is the most important.
At the same time, experts reminded that some humidifiers on the market claim to have their own sterilization function, and most of them are installed with ultraviolet lamps in the sink, which has a certain sterilization effect, but cannot completely replace the regular cleaning of humidifiers.
so
How exactly should you use an air humidifier correctly?
The editor has summarized the following key points↓↓
01
Humidify moderately
The air humidity should not be too high, otherwise it is easy to cause human discomfort and bring health risks.
02
Pay attention to water quality
Change the water in the humidifier regularly, and use filtered or purified water, not tap water, because there are fewer impurities in the water, the humidifier is easier to clean, and it is not easy to "hoarfrost" on the surface of the furniture.
03
Don't mess around
After essential oils, spices, disinfectants and other substances are atomized, they are more likely to be inhaled into our lungs, which is likely to irritate our respiratory tract, causing discomfort and even serious consequences.
04
Clean regularly
Usually we use the humidifier normally, and we can clean the nebulizer tablets regularly (such as 2-3 days). In addition, we can also choose some newer humidifiers, such as humidifiers that use the principle of cold steaming. It should be emphasized here that there is no need to blindly reject ultrasonic humidifiers, no matter what kind of principle the humidifier is, as long as it uses clean water and cleans and disinfects regularly, it is safe.
05
Humidification Flattening
Hang a towel in a ventilated room that is screwed to the point that it does not drip water, as long as the evaporation is increased, it can also improve the humidity of the air (of course, clean the towel regularly).
It is not recommended to use the nebulizer on your own without medical advice
At present, respiratory diseases have entered the high incidence season, and many patients with respiratory diseases need nebulization therapy. Some people will choose to buy nebulizers online and treat them at home for convenience. The doctor reminded that when using the nebulizer, you must follow the doctor's instructions and follow up in time.
Nebulization is a kind of aerosol inhalation therapy, which uses a nebulizer to disperse the powder or agent into tiny droplets or particles, and then when the patient inhales, these aerosols will enter the respiratory tract or lungs with the airflow, clean and humidify the airways, so as to achieve the effect of treating respiratory-related diseases.
"There are about 100 million patients with COPD in mainland China, and middle-aged and elderly patients over 40 years old should have an oxygen concentrator with an oxygen flow rate of 5 liters at home, and the atomization efficiency is also very high. The doctor said that such patients often have symptoms such as asthma and phlegm on weekdays, and the oxygen concentrator has a special nebulizer interface, when the body is unwell, the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen concentrator can be adjusted, and the budesonide suspension, albuterol solution, compound ipratropium bromide aerosol and other aerosols will be beaten into aerosol particles for nebulization treatment.
"Severe laryngitis can cause a child's laryngeal edema, block the airway, and even suffocation, which can be life-threatening. "For children with severe laryngitis and recurrent wheezing, nebulization therapy is inseparable from daily life. Therefore, Liu Jun suggested that parents of children can prepare a compression nebulizer to meet the needs of daily treatment.
The doctor reminds that for children with common respiratory diseases such as tonsillitis and bronchitis, the nebulization time recommended by the doctor should not last too long. At the same time, parents are reminded to follow the doctor's advice, take their children for follow-up in time, and do not feel that the atomization is convenient and use it for their children.
It was winter, and the weather was dry
Everyone must pay more attention when using humidifiers
We spend the winter safely and healthily together
Forward it out
Remind more people
Source: Guangdong CDC, CCTV Finance, People's Daily, Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, Guangzhou First People's Hospital