For many people, the arrival of winter also means the start of going to great lengths to avoid getting sick. But nasal congestion or a scratchy throat doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sick. You might be dealing with dry sinuses, a condition brought on by constant exposure to dry air.
Dry sinuses don’t have to derail your winter. Knowing how to treat dry sinuses with the help of the clean hydration of Canopy’s family of humidifier products can help you stay healthy and breathe easily all winter.
Is It Dry Sinuses or a Cold?
When you have a stuffy nose or a sore throat, your first instinct is probably to assume that you’re coming down with something. That’s not always the case.
Most people don’t give their sinuses much thought until they have trouble breathing. This is because healthy sinuses have a layer of mucus for lubrication. The mucus also helps block allergens, bacteria, and viruses from making you sick. Healthy sinuses equal easy breathing without any discomfort.
When cold, dry air reduces the amount of mucus inside your sinuses, the passages can quickly become inflamed and irritated. Inadequate moisture in the nasal passages can cause them to swell, so you feel congested. Other effects include:
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Headache
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Dry mouth
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Sore throat
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Pain around the eyes
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Red and inflamed nasal passages
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Slightly altered sense of smell
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Frequent sneezing
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Dry mouth
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Nosebleeds
How do you know that these symptoms aren’t a cold or the flu? There are several key differences.
For starters, when you have a cold or other illness, your stuffy nose usually comes with abundant mucus. While a cold won’t cause a fever, the flu often leads to a high temperature and chills. These illnesses also usually cause body aches and fatigue. The symptoms typically worsen for a few days but will respond to medication. Dry sinuses will until the air becomes more humid.
The Most Common Causes of Dry Nasal Passages and Throat
Dry noses and throats can result from various factors, including where you live and the humidity levels inside your home.
In general, we adapt to the climate where we live, but cold, dry air can still affect you. If you live in a desert climate or at a high altitude, you’re more likely to deal with the dehydrating effects of low humidity, though these areas can experience lower temperatures at night and during the winter. Living in a cooler climate, where low temperatures often sap moisture from the air, can also increase the likelihood of dry sinuses.
The ideal humidity level in a home is around 40% to 60%, but many homes in colder climates have indoor humidity as low as 10% during the winter. Dry sinuses are common in these conditions. In fact, your whole body is likely to be affected, whether it’s dry or itchy skin, brittle nails, or dry scalp and hair.
How to Treat Dry Sinuses With a Humidifier
If your dry nasal passages and throat symptoms are keeping you awake at night, increasing the moisture in the air can significantly improve your comfort. The easiest way to do this is to use a humidifier for sinuses.
A humidifier releases moisture into the air, allowing you to boost your home's humidity levels to 40% to 60%. The added moisture in the air will help rehydrate your dry nasal passages and throat, relieving the symptoms of dry sinuses.
However, the type of humidifier you select can significantly affect your overall comfort and well-being. Traditional warm mist humidifiers boil water to produce water vapor. However, the heavy droplets can settle onto furniture and make rooms feel damp. Plus, excess moisture creates ideal conditions for mold growth.
When you’re trying to breathe better, the last thing you want is to take in mold spores, which is why Canopy takes a different approach. Our updated Bedside Humidifier 2.0 and Nursery Humidifier 2.0, as well as our Large Room Humidifier, hydrate the air without producing any mist.
These humidifiers use evaporative technology to draw air from a room, run it through a filter, and release it as cool, hydrated air. The mist-free operation helps prevent mold while hydrating the nasal passages and throat.
This evaporative technology effectively relieves the symptoms of dry nose and throat, without introducing mold, bacteria, or viruses into the space. Each humidifier is embedded with UV lights that kill 99.9% of bacteria, mold, and viruses; the remaining 0.1% is trapped in the disposable paper filter.
Your home isn’t the only place you might encounter dry air, but you can stay comfortable with the Portable Humidifier. This pint-sized powerhouse releases microscopic water droplets in a cool mist for effortless hydration anywhere without steam. Enjoy up to 11 hours of battery power or use the humidifier plugged in for more comfortable days in the office or nights away from home.
Other Ways to Hydrate Your Sinuses
While a humidifier for sinuses can keep indoor humidity levels at a comfortable level, a warm bath or shower can provide temporary relief. Installing a filtered showerhead from Canopy can offer additional benefits. Tap water contains heavy metals, chemicals, and other contaminants that can cause dry skin, irritation, and inflammation. Removing these irritants with a filtered showerhead can help you achieve healthier, hydrated skin.
Whatever the cause of dry sinuses, diffusing essential oils can help improve your symptoms and encourage rest and relaxation. All Canopy humidifiers include a diffusion feature that releases clean scents from natural essential oils without bacteria, mold, and mildew. Although aromatherapy may not hydrate your nasal passages, some scents can help you feel less congested, calmer, and better able to sleep.
Shop Humidifiers for Sinus Dryness and Experience Better Wellness
Say goodbye to dry, uncomfortable nasal passages this winter and experience the comforts of cool, clean, and consistent moisture and better respiratory health with a Canopy Humidifier. In addition to providing up to 36 hours of runtime, scent diffusion, white noise, and nightlight features on the upgraded Bedside 2.0 and Nursery 2.0 models, our humidifiers are easy to clean with dishwasher-safe components.
You can even save 30–40% on your purchase by using your FSA and HSA benefits. Shop today and feel more comfortable this winter.
