The Consequences of the Cold – The Health Conditions that a Cold Home Can Lead to
Being warm in our homes is something that is not just pleasant but can have a huge impact on our health. Being too cold regularly and living in an un-heated home can lead to a wide range of health conditions, many of which can be extremely serious.
There are many things that you can do to make your home warmer – if you are having trouble with your central heating or think that it might be dangerous or need to be replaced, get a professional like this Tewkesbury boilers company http://www.combi-man.com/boiler-finance/boiler-finance-tewkesbury/ to come over and have a look at it for you.
You can also reduce the cold that gets into the house by using things like thermal curtains and also by closing doors to rooms that you are not using so that heat can become trapped in certain rooms. Here are a few of the health consequences that might affect you if you are living in a home that is too cold…
Damp and Mould Problems – A cold house means that there is more condensation. This will build up on walls and windows, making the place an ideal area for mould to form. Mould can make conditions that already exist, such as asthma a lot worse, and also some people can experience allergic reactions to mould. Over time, mould can cause respiratory problems as well.
As well as making sure that your home is warm, it is also a good idea to get a de-humidifier which can help to stop mould from developing as it takes the moisture out of the air.
Viral Infection Risk – Being too cold can increase the risk of getting ill with viral illnesses. As well as covid, this puts you at greater risk of getting coughs and colds and the flu. Elderly people, young babies and children and anyone whose immune system is already compromised should take particular care with this, and as well as making sure their home is warm enough for their body to be able to make healthy antibodies and cells, should also eat a diet rich in vitamins and take supplements during the winter to give their immune system a helping hand.
Circulatory Illnesses – The lower temperatures can cause problems for moving the blood around the body. If temperatures are constantly cold, blood vessels then become narrower. This means that you are then at much more risk of having high blood pressure, a stroke or a heart attack. This applies especially if you have already got high blood pressure. As well as making sure that you are warm enough, exercise is a great way to reduce this risk. Even for people who have limited mobility, there are lots of in the chair exercises that can help to get the blood flowing well, especially to extremities like hands and feet.
