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December 26, 2022 (Hermon website)
At this time of year, everyone around is sick, and tends to blame winter for all their troubles - from the flu to winter depression.
While winter is really to blame for some things, the cold is not really the cause of the diseases that surround us.
The real culprit in everyone catching the same viruses is lack of ventilation.
And here it is time to talk about a significant health obstacle every winter - the heating.
It is true that it is very important to keep the body warm, so that it remains vital and healthy and to stimulate blood circulation, but you should not exaggerate.
Any doctor you ask will tell you that there is no need to overheat the rooms.
On the contrary, ventilating the spaces can reduce the chance of infection.
Still, no one wants to suffer from a cold, so most of us spend most of the day in heated, closed spaces.
And when it's really cold (like say last week) we don't give up the heating even at night.
So we asked Dr. Idan Goren to reveal to us whether sleeping with an air conditioner could become a health hazard, and whether there is a way to heat the bedroom without waking up in the morning with a bad feeling.
Is it worth heating the room at night during the winter?
The World Health Organization recommends a minimum temperature of 20 degrees for vulnerable populations such as infants, the elderly and the sick.
Therefore, on particularly cold nights it is advisable to warm up, but it is important to be aware of the effects of this on the body and make sure to ventilate the room.
A few more things about winter:
6 dishes that will warm you up this winter and leave you full
. Everyone is terribly sick right now.
How do you deal with it?
Many people complain of a dry and sore throat after sleeping with an air conditioner, does this make sense?
Definitely.
One of the typical problems of a long stay in air-conditioned places is dry and low-humidity air.
This condition can cause dry mouth and sore throat.
The dryness may damage the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, and even increase their susceptibility to infections.
Dry air and low humidity.
Air conditioner (Photo: ShutterStock)
Other phenomena that are attributed to the air conditioners are dryness of the skin and a tendency to irritated skin.
Long hours in an air-conditioned environment causes the skin to lose moisture.
If it is not returned to the skin, for example by using a moisturizer, it can dry out, which usually causes redness, itching and discomfort.
Air conditioning systems are considered fertile ground for pathogens such as fungi and bacteria, so they have a high potential for spreading disease.
Researchers from Louisiana who tested air conditioners in cars found in 22 of the 25 cars sampled molds that were spread from them. Similarly, allergies can also be caused by a combination of staying in closed and unventilated places in the winter alongside the distribution of various allergens such as house dust mites and molds from air conditioners.
Are there other effects?
indeed.
There is a syndrome called the sick building syndrome in which people who spend a lot of time in the same place - and this can be a place of residence or a place of work - suffer from a multitude of non-specific symptoms such as significant fatigue and even impaired memory, symptoms that are usually difficult to find a clear cause for.
Researchers who described the syndrome hypothesize that central air conditioning systems and various environmental pollutants are the causes.
How can you deal with these air conditioner bacteria?
It is very important to clean the filters and the other visible parts of the air conditioner regularly.
It is recommended to wash them or clean them with a cloth soaked in an antiseptic in order to eliminate the mold spores and prevent their spread.
If you turn on the air conditioner, it is very useful to open the window a little for ventilation, refreshing the air and increasing the humidity.
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To the full article
Bottom line - is it better to avoid air conditioning at night?
On very cold nights, it is advisable to warm up a little, on top of keeping the room ventilated.
You can and should use a radiator that is less drying than an air conditioner.
If you still choose an air conditioner, it is advisable to set it to a temperature of up to 22 degrees, so that it dries out the air less.
Heating means that may emit toxic substances - such as fireplaces and oil stoves - are less recommended.
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