Overly dry air is a natural byproduct of chilly weather.
When the temperature drops, the outdoor air loses the ability to hold onto moisture.
I live in an area that is known for its long, especially chilly winters. It’s often necessary to run the gas furnace for 8 straight weeks. The combination of chilly conditions plus running the heating plan creates issues with insufficient moisture. The recommended indoor humidity level over the Winter is 45%. I’ve seen the humidity level in our home drop down to 15%. The lack of moisture reduces the body’s resistance to allergens, bacteria plus viruses, making it much easier to get sick plus much more difficult to reclaim. It thins out protective mucus in the nasal passages, lungs plus throat, often causing irritation, swelling plus even infection. Headaches, trouble sleeping, congestion, dry skin, chapped lips plus itchy eyes are consequences of low humidity. Asthma, psoriasis plus eczema symptoms are miserable. Static shock plus frizzy hair are signs of insufficient moisture. There is greater potential for wood furnishings, moldings, doors plus floors to dry out, squeak plus crack. Another problem is that dry air feels cooler than moisturized air. This leads to higher temperature control settings, putting a greater demand on the heating system. I tried portable humidifiers plus got frustrated by the amount of work plus lack of improvement. Eventually, I hired a professional Heating, Ventilation plus A/C business to install a whole-apartment humidifier. The plan uses electrodes to change water into steam, then introduce it into the heated air as it passes through. The moisture gets circulated throughout the house, significantly improving comfort plus indoor air quality. Because I’ve been able to lower the temperature on the temperature control, I’m also saving currency on our energy bills every week.