It’s not exactly a radical statement to say that winters in the Chicago area are brutal. The extreme cold and feet of snow make that pretty clear.

But it’s not just cold and snow which make Chicago winters so trying. Another element you must fight through is exceedingly dry air.

See, when the air gets cold, it also gets dry. This is because cold air does a poor job of securing and carrying moisture. The result is extremely low humidity. 

But what exactly does low humidity entail? What are the negative effects of low humidity? Let’s take a look, shall we? 

1. Poor Sinus Health

Low humidity equals dry air, and dry air equals a lack of moisture. Moisture is needed to maintain the health of many parts of your body. One such part of your body is your sinuses.

When your sinuses don’t receive enough moisture, they become dried out and irritated. This leads to a number of other health problems, including headaches, tooth pain, and general congestion, to name just a few.

So, in order to stave off these many ailments, it’s important to keep your home’s air moisturized. This is best done with a humidifier. 

2. Exceedingly Dry Skin

As was noted above, when humidity gets too low, dryness occurs. The part of your body which is most prone to this dryness is your skin.

For most, this dry skin will be noticeable, but not too worrying. You might feel a little itchy and might look a little scaly. For others, however, dry skin can be a rather large problem. These people are more prone to skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

While moisturizing your skin and partaking in a variety of other cautionary activities will help keep your skin healthy, you’ll be best served by installing a humidifier in your home.

3. Increased Static Electricity

If you’ve never been zapped randomly while coming into contact with a piece of metal, you’ve probably never actually lived. Static electricity is present all throughout the year, however, it’s more present in the winter time when the humidity gets low and the air dries out.

The reason that static electricity increases in dry air is that there is no moisture in the air to prevent opposing electrons from coming into contact with each other. It’s these electrons coming together that cause static electricity to occur.

By injecting more moisture into the air, you’re able to keep opposing electrons better separated. They will still come into contact on occasion, but not nearly as much as they would if no moisture was present.

4. Damaged Possessions

Low humidity doesn’t only hurt your body. It can hurt your possessions as well. Your wood possessions, in particular, are prone to the damaging effects of dry air.

While you don’t want too much moisture present in your home, some is necessary in order to keep your chairs, floor, house structure, and other wood items healthy. Perhaps you’ve noticed increased cracking and creaking in your floor? That’s a sign of low humidity.

Again, the goal is to regulate your indoor humidity so that it’s neither too humid nor too dry. A humidifier will get the job done.

Eliminate the Negative Effects of Low Humidity With a Humidifier

Are you sick and tired of the negative effects of low humidity? Ready to get rid of that dry air once and for all? Then you’re in the right place.

We here at Hearthstone Heating & Air Conditioning are one of Chicago’s premier providers of humidifiers and air purification systems.  Just give us the word, and we’ll do away with the dry air that has been plaguing your home.

Interested? Contact us today!