Air too dry: beware of bronchitis!
Too dry air is very irritating to the throat and the bronchi, especially when they are already weakened by cigarette smoke, the main indoor pollutant. However, certain electric heaters dry the air by two mechanisms: the electric resistances which are in contact with the air, and the thermal shocks of these models which stop, then start again suddenly.
Results : dry mouth, want to drink, sweating, headache, swollen extremities, puffy eyes. More serious: these inconveniences can turn into respiratory diseases, especially in children. And asthmatics suffer from it particularly.
Our advice: invest in more sophisticated electric heaters. Radiant panels, for example, heat the air like radiant metal plates, not like convectors.
Too humid air: risk of allergy
For 30 years, the fight against waste and energy savings has been an obsession. Results: we isolate, we caulk, we track down the slightest draft. The air no longer circulates in the houses and apartments, which become humid. Now, lmites, these microscopic bugs responsible for the majority of allergies, proliferate in humidity and heat. Caulking is not the only culprit. Lifestyles (number of people in the household, cooking, drying clothes) contribute to increasing the humidity of the home, and some installations accentuate the phenomenon.
Auxiliary heaters at Butagaz lead to the proliferation of dust mites, explains Prof. Francisque Leynadier, head of the interallergological medicine department at Tenon hospital. They are not the only ones. The development of the use of auxiliary kerosene stoves is considered by some to be a disaster, since one liter of oil releases four liters of water vapor, hence the rapid growth of mold. These are responsible for many allergies (rhinitis, asthma), especially in children.
Paradoxically, humidity is also involved in atopic dermatitis, an allergic eczema. “About 30 to 40% of these manifestations are caused by an allergy to dust mites,” explains Professor Leynadier. Excess humidity is all the more threatening as it is often invisible.
Our advice : ventilate! Even if the room overlooks a busy street. It suffices to leave the windows open for a quarter of an hour a day to restore a correct level of humidity.
Temperature too high: heavy legs
Today, underfloor heating, installed in buildings from the 1970s, is still widespread. But progress has been made. The temperature is now lower (around 15 ° C), to allow other types of heating to complete the installation.
“The system remains harmful for the veins. The heat, local or diffuse, in the feet causes vasodilation, increases the caliber of vessels and veins, and blood flow is slowed down ”, estimates Dr. François Zuccarelli, head of the phlebology service at Saint-Michel hospital. , in Paris. Of course, he alone cannot be responsible for heavy legs and varicose veins. But, for women prone to these inconveniences, it is an aggravating factor. However, integrated into the construction, it is impossible to change it.
Our advices : wear shoes with wooden soles (sold in pharmacies) and respect the classic rules of hygiene of life (elevate your legs to sleep, have a regular sporting activity, etc.).
Chimney fire: beware of headaches
The ecological dream in terms of heating? A good fire blazing happily in the hearth.
However, wood that burns emits harmful gaseous substances. Some of the volatile organic compounds present in smoke (formaldehyde or benzene) are even carcinogenic. Results: irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, pain on inhalation, headache. As for the fine particles that are emitted, they can enter the lungs, and aggravate cardio-respiratory diseases. In Canada, studies have shown a link between the concentration of wood smoke and truancy or increased use of emergency rooms in hospital. In any case, it is better to use wood that has air-dried for a year or more, and avoid fueling your fireplace with household waste (printed papers or plastics).
How to choose a humidifier
This device which sends water vapor into the atmosphere is particularly recommended in the case of electric heating.. But before investing in a humidifier, make sure your air is too dry with a thermometer that gives the temperature and humidity level. At 50% or more, you don’t need it. Also check that it matches the volume of the room you want to treat. You have to change the filters regularly, which in the end is quite expensive.
Maintenance is essential to prevent the proliferation of germs and other bacteria. Cheaper, and sometimes sufficient: the saturator that you hang on the radiator, or simply the classic bowl of hot water, that you can decorate with a few drops of essential oils.
