Why Do You Think People Buy (and Use) Humidifiers?

The headline on Drudge:

WINTER KILLS: RESEARCHERS BELIEVES FLU SURVIVES BEST IN COLD, DRY...

And this story is big news from the New York Times?

“Influenza virus is more likely to be transmitted during winter on the way to the subway than in a warm room,” said Peter Palese, a flu researcher who is professor and chairman of the microbiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and the lead author of the flu study. Flu season in northern latitudes is from November to March, the coldest months. In southern latitudes, it is from May until September. In the tropics, there is not much flu at all and no real flu season.

Hello? Dr. Palese?

I'm no microbiologist, but I've found that when WuzzaDem forgets to turn the heater down at night, I often wake up in the morning with that dry, scratchy feeling in my throat and nasal passages.

If the weather is particularly dry, I will sometimes develop a soar throat when I wake up (after the heater's been roaring all night) followed by what I believe is the onset of a cold, or flu, or whatever you want to call it.

If I drink a lot of water/fluids, I usually recoup in a few hours.

As long as flu has been recognized, people have asked, Why winter? The very name, “influenza,” is an Italian word that some historians proposed, originated in the mid-18th century as influenza di freddo, or “influence of the cold.”

Now, for my theory on the seasonal aspect of your findings:

Seeing as we never use the heater during summer - and only occasionally in early spring or late fall - this phenomenon typically does occur in winter.

As for the tropics, well... in addition to not being all that cold, tropics tend to be very, very humid.

This is why people who don't live in the tropics often use humidifiers (during cold months) when their homes are warmed by artificial heating, or add some kind of humidification to their heating system.

Let me explain how I think this whole thing works:

When there is ample mucous in throat and nasal passages, the mucous tends to wash the bad stuff, like germs and viruses, through your system without allowing it to do too much damage. I believe the scientific term for this would be "flushing the system".

When there is less mucous in the throat and nasal passages, the bad stuff hangs around a lot longer, sticking to actual throat and nasal passage linings, thereby giving it more opportunity to, as they say, do its thing.

In response, the body has to work overtime to rid itself of the bad stuff and, therefore, produces more mucous-y stuff than normal. Hence, the stuffy nose and watery eyes thing.

To prevent this from occurring, a lot of people, as previously stated, buy (and use) humidifiers - or keep their heaters off at night. This practice is especially helpful for those who snore and/or sleep with their mouth open (in which case, Breathe Right nasal strips are recommended).

Humidification of the air tends to rehydrate one's throat and nasal passages and, therefore, facilitates the "flushing" process.

But Dr. Palese does not suggest staying in a greenhouse all winter to avoid the flu. The best strategy, he says, is a flu shot.

Now you're being sarcastic. No one is suggesting that anyone live in a "greenhouse".

Just keep the heater down as much as possible and put an extra blanket on the bed - and drinking lots of fluids and/or using a humidifier wouldn't hurt.

The ideal study would expose people to the virus under different conditions and ask how likely they were to become infected. Such a study, Dr. Palese said, would not be permitted because there would be no benefit to the individuals. There were no suitable test animals. Mice can be infected with the influenza virus but do not transmit it. Ferrets can be infected and transmit the virus, but they are somewhat large, they bite and they are expensive, so researchers would rather not work with them.

Hello?

To his surprise, Dr. Palese stumbled upon a solution that appeared to be a good second best. Reading a paper published in 1919 in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the flu epidemic at Camp Cody in New Mexico, he came upon a key passage: “It is interesting to note that very soon after the epidemic of influenza reached this camp, our laboratory guinea pigs began to die.” At first, the study’s authors wrote, they thought the animals had died from food poisoning. But, they continued, “a necropsy on a dead pig revealed unmistakable signs of pneumonia.”

Dr. Palese?

Comments

[Dubya]

Interesting theory about humidity and "flushing."

Dry air "sucks" moisture out of you and makes you feel colder also.

Another theory about why colds and flu spike in cold months is that people stay indoors together and makes "bug" transmission more likely.

[Mrs. R.]

Another theory about why colds and flu spike in cold months is that people stay indoors together and makes "bug" transmission more likely.

Dubya, this is especially true if you're stuck at work with people who sleep with their heaters on all night (sans humidification) and come to work either sick or carrying more bugs than usual due to their inadequately flushed systems. :-)

[Dubya]

Heh!

Let's start a national hydration and humidification movement!!

Flush now! Your health depends on it!!

Of course we'll have to battle with the anti-fungi and mold crowd...

[Donna B.]

"Flu season in northern latitudes is from November to March, the coldest months. In southern latitudes, it is from May until September. In the tropics, there is not much flu at all and no real flu season."

So... how does this humidification and flushing thing work in the summer in the south??

[Mrs. R.]

Donna B.

So... how does this humidification and flushing thing work in the summer in the south??

The humidification works the same, but like other flushing south of the equator, I'm guessing that works counterclockwise.

[Nigel]

Thank you for that fine analysis Dr. Mrs.,

For some reason I never get sick during winter time...my worst colds for some reason are during the summer.

Would there be a reason for this? No "real" Dr. has been able to tell me. Though you have just shed light on why I don't get sick during winter...I don't use a heater...ever.

[andycanuck]

Cold weather and flu season coincide: women and minorities hardest hit.

[condor]

My late father was using a DEHUMIDIFIRI i dont know why maybe becuase he has some malidi cuased by too much dampness