It’s Cold & Flu Season
Flu flu go away, come again some other day. Or never, that works too. It’s flu and cold season and I’m not excited even the slightest bit. Cough here, cough there, everywhere a cough cough. How can we avoid this you may ask? We can’t. At least not entirely, but we can sure try! Sicknesses’ and viruses are all airborne. So that means your HVAC plays a big part in this! Below you’ll read about a few tips we have to offer on how to avoid the cold and flu!
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Keep your system running
Saving money is great, however, being sick is not! If I have to spend $20.00 a month just to avoid being sick, you best bet that I am! When the air in your home stays still for too long, airborne viruses stick around, increasing the likelihood of you getting infected. This principle is the reason subway cars prove such a famous fertile breeding ground for viruses. During this time we all spend a lot of time inside. That’s not a bad thing either, just natural instinct because it’s too cold outside. Since that’s the case though, just keep your system up and running so you can be less likely to get sick!
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Think about adding a dehumidifier
Dry air equals greater chances of getting sick. Easy fix! Some scientists believe that water vapor can disintegrate the viruses in the air. They are not sure how but it’s a hypothesis going around and I don’t think it’s a bad one to trust! Enough with the scientific theories, though, all you need to know is that adding moisture into your air keeps you healthy. A lot of people like to get one dehumidifier for each room. Why do that when you can just get a whole house one. You can distribute moisture throughout your whole home using a whole house humidifier. A whole house humidifier attaches to your water line and mounts in your HVAC system, distributing moisture evenly throughout your home.
In addition, a whole house humidifier also lessens the symptoms of a cold, like:
- Sore throat
- Post Nasal Drip
- Congestion
- Scratchy voice
You can’t beat that!
Portable humidifiers:
You might be tempted to pick up and portable humidifier at the pharmacy and assume it’s pretty much the same thing.
Wrong. Abort mission and put that thing right back where you picked it up from.
A portable humidifier only adds moisture to the area directly around it. Plus, a portable humidifier needs to be cleaned frequently — otherwise it spreads bacteria and germs into the air.
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Keep Your Home Warm (Especially if you are outside and about to come in)
Viruses and bacteria don’t care about the temperature outside. They are more than happy to infect you regardless. However your body’s natural defenses become suppressed in the cold. The silica hairs in your nose, which serve as the front line of defense, become less effective when they get cold. That means there is some truth in the old wives tale that going out in the cold means you’re more likely to catch a cold. Make sure your home is warmed up — and ready to warm you up — when you come in from the cold.
