Do you use a humidifier?

A small humidifier can prevent sinus infections. My boss and I both use them as soon as the heat comes on. Or you can use the old teapot on a woodstove like the old days.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/humidifiers/HQ00076

We have a whole-house humidifier tied into our forced-air central heating system.

It doesn’t much matter how humid it is outside (and it’s no doubt very humid where you are), it’s the temperature difference between inside and outside that matters. If you take a room full of very humid cold air, seal it up, and raise its temperature 40 degrees F or so, that air will now have a very low relative humidity. It actually still contains as much water as it did before you heated it (that’s absolute humidity), but it will feel very dry (that’s relative humidity).

Aside from the health benefits, humidifiers are good for any woodwork you may own, since big seasonal humidity swings can loosen joints in furniture, and is very bad for many musical instruments.

Having the heat on dries the air. It is one of the things I hate most about cold weather. I tend to be dry anyway, and then winter weather just makes matters worse. Dry lips, dry skin, static in my hair and clothing, I hate it. I never used a humidifier regularly, but I think it is probably a good idea to try it in your bedroom. During sleep is the worst, because it is when we are most likely to breath through our mouth and not be regularly swallowing and moving our saliva around.

Keep your skin moisturized. Use eye drops or gel for sleeping if you wake up with dry eyes. I find good old fashioned vaseline at night on the lips cures my dry lips completely.

I used several portable ones for years but found cleaning them to be more and more onerous so now I live with whatever nature has in mind.

I do keep the heat very low, 55˚ in my bedroom, so that helps. I also have lip balms everywhere, in pockets and in purses and in the car.

@JLeslie My sinuses feel so dry. I had the humidifier on before I went to bed then switched it off. I guess I need to keep it on while I sleep then. I woke early hours of the morning with burning sinuses. That is where my confusion comes in. @gailcalled Nice to see you here I trust your op’ went well? @thorninmud That does make sense thanks @KNOWITALL How long do you run it for at work? @Rarebear that very post made me buy one :)

I run it all night every night as soon as I feel sinus pressure building.

I sleep with the window open and use as heavy a duvet as I need to keep warm.

Aah, no. I live in Florida. If I used a humidifier I’d be swimming in my living room.

Actually, my family would probably benefit from a dehumidifier.

@Seek_Kolinahr I think of it as a postive myself. I do much better living here in the humid air. Did you go outside this evening? It’s beautiful.

Just came in from a bike ride with the youngling. I get about two weeks of this weather a year, and I plan on savoring every second. The other fifty weeks are torture.

My husband’s asthma does better in drier climates.

I put trays of water on the wood stove and in discrete areas and I dry my clothes in the house. I have underfloor heating and it gets really dry and full of static. I should get a hygrometer so I know how much moisture is or isn’t in the air.

We use one in the bedroom and one in the living room all winter. It’s very helpful for our sinuses.

I run two of them 24×7 once the heat is regularly on in the building (steam/radiators).
One is in the bedroom and one is in the living room close to the parrot’s main residence.
My sinuses do not like the dryness of heated air one bit and these make all the difference.

@Rarebear good link, especially the parts about keeping them clean.

( Apropos of nothing, I do keep two dehumidifiers running all summer in my basement which is partly below ground and does get moldy.)

I use the boiling water type of humidifier. I am paranoid of mold coming from the ultrasonic (cool mist) kind.