What is Humidification?
Humidification adds moisture to the CPAP air, reducing irritation to the nasal passages caused by the increased airflow. CPAP air is an irritant – to one degree or another – to everyone. In some cases the irritation dries out the nasal passages and may cause bleeding. It may also cause swelling, excess mucous, congestion or sneezing. The irritation also creates a very fertile ground for infections to begin. The irritation may be cumulative, building up over time. The only way to reduce the irritation is to add moisture. Humidification is therefore a critical part of CPAP Therapy.
Humidification is the artificial regulation of humidity in home environments, industrial environments, and health care applications such as artificial respiration. To be comfortable, people require a certain amount of ambient humidity — not too high, and not too low. Adequate humidification in a manufacturing environment stabilizes moisture in wood, paper, and textiles, while preventing warping in glue joints. In all environments, humidification reduces fire risk and static electricity while making the area feel comfortable. Areas in which delicate components such as electronics are assembled require precisely tuned humidity levels. Humidification is achieved using liquid atomisers which distribute moisture to the area, coupled with accurate sensors which measure ambient humidity. In humidification, two quantities are commonly used. Absolute humidification is expressed in grams of moisture per cubic volume of air, while the more commonly used relative humidification is expressed as a
Humidification, being able to add water vapor to the air in controlled amounts, continues to be a growing industry. What once was considered a healthful luxury to be enjoyed by few has become a necessity to a significant segment of the population. As more and more people around the world discover the health and other benefits to be derived from its use, the growth will continue. Various high-tech industries, such as semi-conductor, pharmaceutical and electronic, are heavily dependent upon controlled humidification for their success. A great deal of information exists on this relatively narrow but important subject. It is, however, scattered widely in various technical papers, magazine articles, and technical manuals. To help you better understand humidification, we have organized this information for you. Click on the links to the left or right to learn more. Why humidify?
