To Your Health

Clearing the Air on Humidifiers and Vaporizers

– By Steven Dershowitz R.Ph., Lead Community Pharmacist, Rye Beach Pharmacy –

Humidifiers and vaporizers are devices that add moisture to the air. A humidifier makes the air moist with cool mist while a vaporizer does the same with a heated mist. Both of these devices may help your nose, throat, lips and skin while also making it easier for you to breathe. Your doctor may want you to use a humidifier or a vaporizer to help loosen mucus in your throat or chest. There are several types to choose from.

Cold Mist Humidifier: This is an electric device with a container to hold the water. Some cool mist humidifiers (called impellers) use a rotating disk that spins at high speed. This creates a moist mist and sends it into the room. Some models use a fan that blows air through a moist material. Ultrasonic humidifiers create a cool mist by using sound vibrations.

Steam Vaporizer: This creates moisture in the air by heating the water into a hot mist. Children should be kept away from a steam vaporizer because the hot mist could burn them.

Warm Mist Humidifier: This is a type of steam vaporizer that cools the moist steam before it is released into the room.

Bedside Humidifier: or Vaporizer: Fill the container to the line with distilled water. Tap water might contain minerals that could cause damage to the equipment or create white dust in your room.
Reminders

• Put the humidifier or vaporizer on a flat surface
• Check the electrical cord for any damages
• Empty and refill with fresh water at least once a day
• Always clean the reservoir before you refill it

Young children commonly get about six to eight colds and upper respiratory throat infections each year. Increasing the air moisture is a common way to help your young child feel better when he or she is congested or has other symptoms. The humidity helps alleviate the symptoms, especially when congested nasal passages also become dry. Adding moisture to the air loosens the congestion in the nose and makes breathing easier and cough more productive. Bacteria are more likely to adhere to a dry nasal passage than to a moist one. Opportunities for infection increase if nasal passages are not moist enough and an overly dry house can also produce nosebleeds as well as dry itchy skin. A cool mist humidifier can be especially helpful for children that have croup. The key to both humidifiers and vaporizers is to keep them meticulously clean.

Be cautious about adding too much humidity to the room. When conditions are too humid, it is a perfect climate for bacteria, mold and dust mites to grow. People with allergies to these should be aware that an increase in humidity can cause these organisms to thrive. To keep humidity in check, a good rule to remember is that condensation should not occur on a cold window or windowsill.

Preferences for a humidifier or vaporizer vary among people, but knowing the difference between the two can make a purchasing decision easier. With added humidity in the air from either machine, parents, children and adults can rest easier knowing that uncomfortable cold symptoms will be alleviated.

Greenwich Hospital Programs

Bariatric Support Group

Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery (also known as gastric bypass surgery), those who are considering the procedure, and those who are scheduled for it are encouraged to attend a free program, Monday, January 22, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Healthy Living Center, 55 Holly Hill Lane. For specific information about future meetings, call 203-863-4302.

Lions Low Vision Center

The Center provides services to persons with low vision in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. With the aid of therapy, patients work to maximize their remaining vision and improve the quality of their lives. Open Monday – Friday by appointment with physician referral. For more information or to make an appointment, call 203-863-3984.

Aging in Place: Putting Together a Plan for the Future

On January 21, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., a panel of experts will participate in a discussion on what local community members are doing to help older adults live in their homes as long as they can. They’ll also provide tips for making senior’s homes as safe as possible. Sam Diebler, Director of the Commission on Aging, Lise Jameson, Director of At Home in Greenwich, and several geriatric care managers are among the panelists. The program will be held in the Hospital’s Noble Conference Center. For further information or to register, call 203-838-8444 or visit www.greenwhosp.org.

Choosing Better Goals

– By Darian Silk, Head Endurance Coach at Altheus–

The New Year is here and that means area gyms are full as people aim to start the year off on the right foot. They’re getting into shape, losing weight, eating better and following through on all those ambitious resolutions they made right after the Champagne corks were popped.

So why, in March, will so many of these eager January exercisers fall off the bandwagon and go back to their old habits? One clue lies in the list of goals people have when they enter the gym: “lose weight,” “eat better,” “get fit.” They all sound great and I’m not arguing with them, but how do you know when you’ve achieved them?

This year, try something different; pick an activity or event that you want to do and make that your training goal. It could be taking part in a breast cancer walk-a-thon, running a personal best in a local 5k race or completing an Ironman Triathlon — whatever suits your ability level and interests. Make it about three to six months away, so it’s just long enough to train for but not too far away to make it something you can start putting off working for.

Having a long-term fitness plan that has clearly defined goal is a great way to stay motivated after the initial enthusiasm starts to wear off. So, keep hitting the gym and working towards those resolutions, but find a goal that is going to keep you there!