Humidifier vs. Dehumidifier: Allergies, Colds, Nasal Congestion & Snoring

Updated: April 1, 2024

f you regularly suffer from allergies or snoring, or if this cold season just dealt you a bad lot, you may have considered getting either a humidifier or dehumidifier to help alleviate the annoying symptoms.

Some people already know that a humidifier puts moisture into the air while a dehumidifier dries it out; however, many people aren’t sure which device is best for their condition.

The answer lies in each individual’s needs and symptoms. Here, we’ll take a look at both humidifiers and dehumidifiers and when they can help.

Benefits of humidifiers

As said above, humidifiers put moisture back into the air. Dry air is most common during the winter months, and low air humidity (below 35%) can cause sinus headaches, nosebleeds and asthma flares.

A humidifier can help with these symptoms; however, there are some precautions to take. For example, it’s important to make sure that the humidity in your home does not exceed 50%. Higher humidity could increase dust mites and mold growth in your home and cause a whole new set of debilitating symptoms.

When it comes to colds, most believe that humidifiers are the way to go since drier air can irritate your nose and throat, making it harder to relieve congestion and pressure.

Does using a humidifier help with snoring?

For many people, nasal congestion and allergies can cause snoring, and these conditions are only made worse if the air in your home is too dry. Dry air can further irritate your nasal passages and increase allergy symptoms. This irritation can also cause snoring to intensify.

A humidifier adds moisture to your air until ideal levels are reached (between 40-50%). This increase in humidity can help sooth your airways, reduce inflammation and potentially stop snoring.

Humidifiers do not help every case of snoring, so be sure to speak to your doctor if you feel your snoring is being caused by an ongoing medical issue.

Benefits of dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers take moisture out of the air and protect your home from mold growth or thriving dust mites, both of which can trigger allergy symptoms. Dehumidifiers are also said to clear up allergy-related mucous secretions faster.

Again, it’s important not to let the humidity in your home drop below 35% since other allergy symptoms can flare under these conditions.

Overall, whether a humidifier or dehumidifier is best for your snoring or allergy/cold symptoms greatly depends on the cause. If you are interested in further improving the quality of your home’s air, talk to a professional Katy HVAC technician at Richmond’s Air today for more information.