Does a dehumidifier help a common cold?

Question

My room has no ventilation and I have to keep my door shut because I'm allergic to the cats. The air in my room will start to get stagnant after about 4 hours, so I use a dehumidifier to freshen the air. I caught a cold and I am wondering if the dry air will help or hurt my sore throat and stuffy nose.

Answer 1

I find that I'm more likely to get sick in the winter when the air is drier.  Actually, I generally wind up running a humidifier in the bedroom at night; otherwise I wake up with a sore throat and feeling off.  Your lungs are happiest when the air you're breathing is most similar to the air inside them; warm and somewhat humid.  If you're breathing dry air, your body can adapt but you will be more likely to get dehydrated and/or have a sore throat.

Can you replace the dehumidifier with an air filter?  There are HEPA filters that should be capable of removing things like cat dander (the major cause of allergic reactions to cats) from the air, but don't remove the moisture.  They're expensive, but if you want to keep living with the cats and keep your allergies to a minimum without taking drugs, then I'd highly recommend one.

Answer 2

Good question, a dehumidifier takes the moisture out of the air so it might feel fresh the dryer could cause your throat to dry out more causing irritation.  I hope you have a window that you can crack open, if not the dry air will over time ruin any wood in your room.

Good luck