Humidifer or Vaporizer?

[daisymommy]

I am so confused. I keep hearing so many mixed opinions and reviews on what to buy. I hate to say it, but the discussion in the BB book was the most confusing to me! It stated all the good and bad things about both, and never came down to a bottom line on what was best. In Dr. Sears Baby Book he reccommends a warm mist humidifer--but isn't that dangerous? And doesn't it make a room very hot? Also, I haven't seen any that will put out enough steam to last all night long. I have a Vicks vaporizer (or maybe humidifier? AAAH what's the difference?) that I bought at Walmart. After a few hours, it is spitting/sputtering out hot water all over, and finallly, the steam bath is done. Pooey. However, I have heard that cool must ones do cool down a room, and ultrasonic ones leave that unhealthy white mist. Also, warm units breed bacteria. So, how do you choose?

Joshua is very stuffy lately. I have tried saline nose drops, and the "nose-baster", all without much success. He wakes up crying and sounding so stuffy and miserable trying to breath thru his cute-little-nostrils that are all gunked up. What should I get to help him breathe better? Anything else in addition to a humdifier/vaporizer, saline drops, suction, and inclined mattress that I could try?
Thanks!

[joodyjr]

I personally go for the Tylenol. If all else fails, then that's what I use. We use a humidifier (adds moisture to the air, cool air). I also break out the Vaporizer (thicker mist of warm air, with little pool thing to add vicks) when someone gets extra stuffy. If you have too many minerals in your water, that will cause the vaporizer to spit. I think. Try using distilled water. (or boiling your water, and let it cool before adding it to the vaporizer). Check the manual, I think I read all that on the owners manual of our vaporizer.

I use the humidifier in a bedroom, but it's designed for large square footage areas. It doesn't make the temperature any cooler.

I've used the vaporizer in a small bedroom, it does warm it more than usual, but it's not a sauna. And it's actually beneficial to the stuffy nose. Same principle as taking the stuffy nose into the hot steamy bathroom.

If you use a warm unit, make sure to rinse it and dry thourougly after each use.

If he uses a binky, Babycenter.com sells one called.. hmm.. Primo something. It should come up if you search for pacifier. It has a little compartment that holds a cotton pad that you put a few drops of eucalyptis oil on. The oil is much like Vicks.. menthol like.

You could also check out epinions.com for reviews on different types of humidifiers and vaporizers.

[Mayan]

We have the same vaporizer you have (also bought it at Wal-Mart, :)). It seems to make the room warmer by 2 degrees, and make the humidity higher by about 15% - we live in CA, and it's pretty dry (can you tell yet that we are people who like to easure things?!?).
I think the temp would be a problem in summer, we might need to get a cool-mist humidifier for then.
We had a humidifeir and returned it because it made noise like a mac-truck! (though someone said this would be good white noise for baby) At least the vaporizer is pretty silent.
I don't know whether this helps any...