If you have difficulty regulating your body temperature, be sure to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous activity during hot weather. To avoid getting sick this winter, Banks said those measures wearing masks, especially indoors; social distancing; staying home; and hand-washing provide an important layer of protection. The authors cited a need for more research to determine why. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall. Examples: pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), phenylephrine (Sudafed PE), Oxymetazoline nasal spray (Afrin, Zicam, Dristan, Mucinex) 8. And we ignore it at our peril. 2023 BBC. If not treated properly, frostbite can permanently damage your skin and tissue and potentially lead to amputation of the affected limb. Couples will argue about whether now now! Unauthorized use prohibited. 19 November 2022 James Gallagher By James Gallagher Inside Health presenter, BBC Radio 4 Mention deadly cold and I think of polar explorers with icicles dangling from their beards and. The heat radiates from below. A 2016 case study described a woman with Ehlers-Danlos and other conditions who noticed that pain in her arm and nose was present mostly during spells of cold weather. It's often not just that the radiators are never on but also that there's no decent food to eat and the air quality indoors is bad as well, he explains. When to see a doctor. Studies have suggested that exposure to colder temperatures can help to improve the body's ability to burn calories and increase metabolism, potentially aiding in weight loss. Pneumonia, when there is inflammation in the lungs because of an infection, is more common after cold weather. Additionally, exposure to cold temperatures may help to strengthen the immune system, leading to improved overall health. "There are just a lot of variables." For one, viruses may survive and reproduce more easily in the cold, dry air of winter. The Housing Insulation and Health Study involved a group of households, each containing at least one family member with a respiratory disease such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. An updated version of this research by Thomson, which has not yet been published, suggests that depression is closely associated with energy poverty and that this association was more pronounced in poorer countries. But the house is freezing. That's not how she views her situation. One of the biggest dangers of living in a cold house is that it increases the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning. Used for the common cold and allergies. Offset your energy every time you fill your tank. And the pain digs in so much more now the weather is turning. Changing attitudes towards heating, in which it is increasingly viewed as a luxury, concern him, he adds: "This acceptance that it's OK now to be without energy, that's the norm that worries me, actually, because it's not normal. Those in the social rented sector reported the highest risk (13.21%), with 10.82% of those in the private rented sector reporting living in cold homes (see Fig. Plus, cold weather keeps people inside more. Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit) should be sufficient. Cold homes can have both short and long-term consequences for a person's health, wellbeing and even their opportunities in life. Even young, healthy people can become ill if they are exposed to extreme cold for extended periods of time. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In terms of infectious illnesses, germs make you sick, not cold weather itself. You can find some made specifically for women, men, or children. Sometimes that leads to painful episodes called sickle cell incidents or crises. Another way you can get sick from being in a cold environment is by developing frostbite. Be careful not to overuse it though, as space heaters can be a fire hazard if not used properly. Likely explanations included the introduction of pandemic mitigation measures. Keeping your house warm and dry, especially during the winter months will keep your family happy and healthy. For an older person, a body temperature of 95F or lower can cause many health problems, such as a heart attack, kidney problems, liver damage, or worse. And research in mouse cells suggests that rhinovirus, the common cold virus, replicates faster at cold temperatures, Dr. Auewarakul added. Be sure to use a dehumidifier in rooms that tend to be damp, such as the basement or bathroom. A warm, friendly space provides a sociable alternative. At what temperature should you start to worry about your pipes freezing or your furnace not being able to keep up? The average daily indoor temperature in the winter for most New Zealand houses is just 16C. More than a decade ago, I met a scared 15-year-old who was trying to recover her life after having been kidnapped by a pimp and sold for . Being outside in the cold, or even being in a very cold house, can lead to hypothermia. Earlier this year, he says he met an elderly man who, like Fifield plans to in the coming months, kept his heating off throughout the entire previous winter. Read about our approach to external linking. Our bodies are programmed to sleep when its dark and wake when its light. 8 Benefits of Sleeping in a Cool Room 1. Privacy Policy How does the temperature of our houses compare with world standards? Moisture condenses on cold surfaces, such as uninsulated walls. New Zealands trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to research, science, and innovation. They withdraw. If you're elderly or have a weakened immune system, you're especially susceptible to the health risks associated with living in a cold house. Even with less humidity in the house, those surfaces may be below the dew point . It can also aggravate existing medical conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. July 26, 2023. Hypothermia . University of Otago (2007). There'll be arts and crafts and other activities so visitors will have lots of reasons to come and enjoy the warmth. While many different respiratory viruses cause the common cold, rhinoviruses are the most common trigger for those runny noses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This won't be the first year Foodstock has distributed "warm packs" but demand could be particularly high this winter, Doherty says. There's no choice. 15:40:16 Another potential side effect of sleeping in a cold room is interrupted sleep. It can also aggravate existing medical conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. Health issues come up frequently in conversations in the community, he adds. Studies have shown that living in a cold and damp environment can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Prescribed for Parkinson's disease. What is WeChat and why does Elon Musk want to copy it? "You can't get that time back," says Cheung. Some health experts argue that this is not just a fleeting moment of hardship. Parents will worry about whether their babies are warm enough, as they add an extra blanket to their cots. Those with existing respiratory conditions, such as. But did you know that it can also cause serious health problems? 2023 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Ultimately, the benefits of a warmer and more comfortable living environment far outweigh any potential benefits of living in a colder one. Mention deadly cold and I think of polar explorers with icicles dangling from their beards and mountaineers tackling the heights of Everest; of fingers turning black with frostbite and the chilling clutch of hypothermia. Some research has suggested that sleeping in colder temperatures can help improve your immune system function, but this is not conclusive. A study published in the journal Nature found that viruses thrive in lower temperatures, so keeping your home warm can help fight off infection. Cook wisely if you have an oven or stovetop, use it! If you suspect that your health is being affected by the cold weather, see your doctor right away. For example, living in rental tenure or being located in an urban area have been shown to increase the risk of winter death in New Zealand (n = 75,138 eligible mortality records from five . When Russia invaded Ukraine, it put the global food supply at risk until the two countries struck an unusual deal to keep shipments flowing. But did you know that it can actually lead to some serious health problems? Bring the outdoors inside open up curtains during the day to let in some sunlight (and warmth). In addition, cold air can dry out your mucous membranes, making them more vulnerable to infection. Produced by Rikki Novetsky and Stella Tan. 14-15. Wood pellet burners are like traditional fireplaces but burn pellets made from compressed wood shavings and sawdust. By definition, a cold is a viral upper respiratory infection, so no virus, no cold, said Dr. Stan Spinner, chief medical officer for Texas Childrens Pediatrics. Participants also said their homes were more comfortable than before and some noticed fewer respiratory infections or reduced pain. "We don't touch the heating whatsoever," says Fifield, explaining how the price of her gas and electricity have gone up recently. Or different members of the family being forced to live in one room or two rooms?" Keeping your house too warm will not make you sick. Dry air allows viruses to travel further distances, says Prof Akiko Iwasaki, an immunobiologist from Yale University. Opinion Columnist. Or do you need to actually catch a virus or somehow be infected? And in China, 24-27% of middle-aged and older adults are estimated to live in energy poverty. In 1978, the New Zealand Building Code introduced minimum insulation standards, but three quarters of current buildings were built before this, meaning that a large percentage of houses do not have insulation. In 2020-21, for example, 63,000 excess winter deaths were recorded in England, 10% of which were estimated to be directly attributable to fuel poverty according to the latest edition of the Marmot Review, authored by Sinha and colleagues, which was published in September. In the extreme cold, she and her husband may find they need to turn on their heating simply to prevent water freezing inside the pipes and causing leaks. As for chronic pain, not everyone who experiences it reports worsened symptoms when it is cold, as Mica Fifield does, but there are plenty of examples. The British government has also offered financial assistance, to a point, with energy bills and organisations such as the Fuel Bank Foundation offer pre-paid top-up cards via local retailers for people who have run out of money for gas, for example. 1 June 2018 Key facts Population exposure to heat is increasing due to climate change, and this trend will continue. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If house temperatures fall below 16C, the risk of respiratory illness increases. A 2011 report from University College London's (UCL) Institute of Health Equity, known as the Marmot review, estimated that 21.5% of excess winter deaths in the UK were attributable to cold homes. Effects Of Living In A Cold House. The heating in her terraced home in Lancashire, England, is off. They are very energy efficient, with some models producing up to 5 kilowatts of heat for every 1 kilowatt of electricity they use. Influenza viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 also can enter the body through the nose. In reality, it's more likely cold weather will kill you. At this point, your pipes are at risk of freezing and your furnace may not be able to generate enough heat to keep your home warm. For vulnerable populations like older people and young children, the risks associated with living in a cold house are particularly high, including an increased risk of respiratory infections, cardiovascular problems, and hypothermia.
health risks of living in a cold house
