Humidifier Vs. Vaporizer for Cough

Most of us suffer from respiratory problems at some time or the other in the year. It can be cold, cough, nasal congestion or even allergies. For most of the respiratory problems, it is important that the home is kept humid. One can keep the home humid using either a humidifier or a vaporizer. We often wonder what does one use, when one is suffering from cough. Is the humidifier better as compared to the vaporizer for cough? Although both of them help in humidifying the house, both of them work on different principles all together. Therefore, they should not be confused with the other, if they were the same, they would not be referred to by different names. With this difference well accepted, we will jump into the humidifier vs. vaporizer debate and find out, which one of them should be used for treating cold.

Humidifier or Vaporizer

Both the humidifier and vaporizer is used to moisten the air in the house, rather humidify the house. They are both used when the air is very dry, which aggravates the condition of cough. If one has to look at them, they will look the same from the exterior, yet there is a difference between them. A humidifier breaks cold water particles and cool moisture droplets are dispersed into the air. On the other hand, steam or hot vapor from boiling water is used to humidify the room in a vaporizer. This clears the basic difference between a vaporizer and humidifier in the vaporizer vs. humidifier debate. To sum it up, while the humidifier releases cold water droplets into the air, the vaporizer releases hot steam into the air and in the process humidifies the room. The humidity in the air helps in alleviating the condition of the respiratory organs. Both humidifiers and vaporizers will help in clearing congestion, which may be the cause of cough.

This brings us to the next important point in the debate about whether one opts for vaporizer or humidifier for babies. In such a case, it is recommended, that you opt for a humidifier, as vaporizer has hot or boiling water in the vaporizer water tank. If your child is playing, he may accidentally drop the water and in the process burn himself. At the same time, there are chances that the child may be curious about the steam being emitted and may put his face closer to the steam disperser and injure himself.

The next point in the argument is that while the vaporizers are able to kill bacteria in the room, which prevents the growth of mold in the house. However, same is not the case with a humidifier. Where the chances of mold or bacteria growth cannot be negated. Hence, if you have someone in the house, who is allergic to mold, you might want to take this point into consideration. Another point, which you may want to consider, humidifiers are known to disperse natural minerals into the air along with the water droplets, of which, some of them can be harmful. On the other hand, in a vaporizer the minerals are deactivated and they are dispersed into the air. Similarly, if there are any harmful particles in water, they are killed or deactivated due to the boiling process.

Now the cost comes into the picture. If your decision is influenced by cost of the equipment, then you will have to choose a humidifier, as they are cheaper as compared to the vaporizers. Along with the initial cost, the cost required to use the equipment is also less, as unlike for a vaporizer, there is no need to boil the water. This in turn helps in saving some costs.

Just before I conclude this write up, in the humidifier vs. vaporizer for cough or otherwise, the climatic conditions you stay in will also have a role to play. If you stay in cooler climes, then a vaporizer is best suited, whereas for hot climes humidifiers work better. In other words, you will have to take different factors into consideration, so that you are able to choose the right equipment to tackle the condition. Whichever equipment you opt for, remember to keep the water tank of the equipment clean, lest it can become a breeding ground for infection, which you certainly will not want.