These viruses don't usually live outside of a body for more than a few hours, making your
Constantly breathing extremely warm, dry air that may contain fungi, mold and mildew from the vents can affect your skin, nose, throat and eyes. Breathing these air particulates and smelling the bacteria may cause sneezing, congestion headaches, coughing and drying out your eyes, nose and throat.
The survey revealed that nearly half (46%) of people who sleep with the heating on overnight wake the following morning feeling ill with over a third (37%) suffering from a headache, dry mouth, and dehydration (20%) or “generally bunged-up” (18%).
The most significant downfall of indoor heating is that it causes the air to dry out. Our lungs have to stay moist in order to function properly. Exposure to dry air for a prolonged period of time can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, and other respiratory problems.
But before you fire it up, be prepared that feeling nice and toasty may also come with a stuffy nose, dry throat, cough or even a headache. These cold-like symptoms are referred to as "heater sickness." “This happens because dust, pollen and other allergens accumulate in your ducts during the warmer months,” Dr.
Heaters can cause sore throats in two different ways. First, they can dry out the air in a room, leading to nasal and throat congestion. This may cause irritation, scratchiness, and sometimes difficulty when attempting to swallow or speak.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Being too close to a heater can expose you to dangerous carbon monoxide gas if the gas heater is unvented or vented but not functioning correctly due to leaks from the exhaust system. Carbon monoxide is hazardous for health and has been responsible for a lot of deaths during sleep.
The flu doesn't affect warm climate areas.
This means that anyone in any climate can catch the flu. Regardless of where you live, it's possible to catch the flu if you come in contact with someone carrying the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, gas stoves, smoke hoods, and heaters increase indoor air pollution and health risks. Indoor air pollution due to solid fuels increases the risk of pneumonia among children and chronic respiratory diseases among adults.
Indoor heating typically produces dry heat, which lacks moisture. As this dry air enters our sinuses, it can dry out the mucous membranes, making them more susceptible to irritation and inflammation. Inflamed sinuses are more prone to infections, leading to discomfort and even pain.
According to the CDC, carbon monoxide is a silent killer that takes hundreds of lives per year. Unfortunately, you cannot tell just by looking at your furnace whether it is leaking carbon monoxide. You need a carbon monoxide detector or other special equipment to test the levels yourself.
Common colds, Covid and the flu are likely culprits. But sometimes these symptoms are exacerbated, or even caused, by the hot, dry indoor environments we inhabit during the colder months. Constant heating from boilers, heaters and furnaces can leave us feeling under the weather.
One of the key issues with central heating is that it can make cause very dry indoor air circulation. If you have a lung condition such as asthma, this can cause symptoms to flare up.
This is probably due to simple dry heat blowing in your home. Sore throats are very common and yes, could be the sign of a cold coming on or a virus. However, more than likely it is the dry heat in your home and your car. You can counteract this by adding a humidifier to your bedroom or other rooms in your home.
Signs and symptoms include small, inflamed blister-like bumps and itching or prickling in the affected area. Occasionally, the inflamed bumps of miliaria rubra fill with pus. This form is called miliaria pustulosa. A less common form of heat rash is called miliaria profunda.
In the case of heater allergy symptoms, it's due to airborne particulates and is often accompanied by sinus congestion. Coughing: Particulates and allergens can make their way into your throat and cause dryness. When combined with the presence of irritants, this can cause a great deal of discomfort.
Common side effects
Dehydration: Dry indoor air may lead to excessive water loss from the body, resulting in dehydration. Allergies and irritation: Dust particles or allergens circulated by heaters, especially fan-based models, can trigger allergies or worsen respiratory conditions.
Electric heaters of any type are unsafe to leave running overnight because they carry a significant amount of risk. If a space heater falls over or becomes too hot from running for too long of a period of time, that can lead to a fast-moving fire that occurs while you are asleep and cannot act fast enough.
The best room temperature for sleep is approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). This may vary by a few degrees from person to person, but most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius) for the most comfortable sleep.
You may also suffer from headaches due to carbon monoxide from faulty furnaces. Watery/itchy eyes: You can have dry, watery eyes from too much dust and dry air. Sore throat: Your throat can become sore from bacteria and dryness in the air. Dryness: You can feel too dry from your central heating.
General Symptoms:
Heavy sweating. Painful muscle cramps. Extreme weakness and/or fatigue.
Other factors that make a person susceptible to heat illness include older age, heart disease, other chronic diseases, extreme exercise, sunburn, obesity, sleep deprivation, alcoholism and certain medications.