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. Jesus Lizarzaburu, a family physician in Yorktown, Va., tells Yahoo Life.
Dust, pollen, and other allergens collect in the ductwork during the spring and summer. When you turn on your heating system in the fall, they come rushing out into your home and lungs. If you haven't changed out your air filters, you may be breathing in mold and dust accumulated over time.
“Another option is to keep a bowl of water nearby to reduce the dryness in the room,” she says. Keeping your nasal passages moistened is one way to treat dry sinuses caused by turning on your heater. Dabbing a hypoallergenic lotion on your nostrils or using a saline nasal spray can also help alleviate these symptoms.
The combination of fluid loss/dehydration from sweating, with lower blood pressure as a result of all those extra dilated blood vessels, can start to lead to more serious problems and can cause dizziness and fainting, or heat syncope.
Hot air generally has low relative humidity. Breathing it in dries out the mucus membrane in the lungs and bronchial tube causing discomfort and disrupting gas exchange. Cold air can cause a similar effect. There is also a matter of acclimatisation.
While in use, heaters lower humidity levels in your home and force hot air through dusty, dirty vents, filters and ducts, if poorly maintained. Constantly breathing extremely warm, dry air that may contain fungi, mold and mildew from the vents can affect your skin, nose, throat and eyes.
The activation of thermal sensors in the larynx and upper airways is believed to be the underlying cause of this irritation. According to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, inhaling hot air leads to airway inflammation, which can result in shortness of breath or bronchoconstriction.
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.
It happens when you lose too much water and/or salt, typically when exerting yourself in the heat. Your internal body temperature is elevated but below 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headache.
Heat intolerance is also called heat hypersensitivity. It happens when your body does not regulate its temperature correctly and cannot maintain a balance between cold and hot. Heat intolerance causes a more extreme reaction than many people's discomfort when temperatures rise.
For most people, Lizarzaburu says that, for most people, heater illness symptoms shouldn't last more than a few days.
Drink cool water even if you are not thirsty — at least 1 cup every 20 minutes. Take enough time to recover from heat given the temperature, humidity, and conditions. Take breaks in a designated shady or cool location. Wear a hat and light-colored, loose-fitting, and breathable clothing if possible.
In the extreme heat and humidity, cilia don't function properly, allowing mucus to clog and bacteria to flood into the sinuses. When bacteria, allergens, and other irritants invade your sinuses, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, leading to painful sinus symptoms including mucus buildup and pressure.
Many people start complaining about sneezing or a runny or blocked nose not caused by a cold or another infection. Central heating may also cause exposure to other indoor allergens such as house dust mites [14–16].
Cold intolerance is a hypersensitivity to cold, and it may cause many different symptoms, including pain, numbness, and shivering. Health conditions, such as anemia, anorexia, and hypothyroidism, may cause cold intolerance.
Heat exhaustion: In heat exhaustion, the body loses excessive water and salt, usually due to sweating. This can lead to dizziness, headache, nausea, and other symptoms. Rhabdomyolysis: Prolonged heat exposure and exertion can lead to a rapid breakdown, rupture, and death of muscle tissue, known as rhabdomyolysis.
Poor Air Quality: Heaters, especially those that have not been cleaned or maintained properly, can circulate dust, mold spores, and other pollutants that might accumulate in ducts or on coils. Inhaling these particles can trigger allergic reactions or respiratory irritation, leading to symptoms like nausea.
People aged 65 years or older are more prone to heat-related health problems. Stay cool and hydrated during hot weather. Older adults do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. They are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat.
Heat intolerance is a feeling of being overheated when the temperature around you rises. It can often cause heavy sweating. Heat intolerance usually comes on slowly and lasts for a long time, but it may also occur quickly and be due to a serious illness.
Michael Scharf, inhaling cold air may cause bronchial irritation and cough. If you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the cold air “may induce bronchial tightening or constriction leading to cough, wheeze and shortness of breath.” The cold air isn't the only culprit affecting your breathing.