Now that winter is almost here, you're probably getting ready to crank the heater up. Before you turn your heater on for the first time this winter, it's a good idea to contact your HVAC company to schedule a service call. A pre-season service call will help you avoid a broken heater this winter. Being without your heater can lead to some serious health issues, especially once the temperatures begin to dip into the freezing range. In addition to getting heating maintenance to avoid health problems, it's also important that you take a few additional steps to avoid heater-related health issues this winter. You might not realize this, but your heater can cause you some serious problems if you're not careful. Here are three ways your heater can affect your health.
Irritated Nasal Passages
If you're going to be running your heater non-stop this winter, you'll need to install a humidifier. Running the heater during the winter can dry out the air in your home, which can then dry out your lungs, your nasal passages, and your eyes. The drying of your lungs can lead to asthma-like symptoms. The drying of your nasal passages can lead to sinusitis, and the drying of your eyes can lead to conjunctivitis and other vision problems. You can avoid those problems by running an humidifier whenever the heater is on.
Blood Vessel Spasms
If your home is heated by a radiator, and you regularly warm your hands over it, you could be harming your blood vessels. When you place your hands over the radiator, you cause them to heat more rapidly than they should. That rapid warming can actually send the blood vessels in your hands into spasms, which can cause damage. If you're going to warm your hands over the furnace, hold them high enough to avoid the extreme heat and rub them briskly while you're warming them.
Slowed Metabolism
If you're trying to lose weight, you'll want to turn the thermostat down a notch or two this winter. Keeping your home too warm during the winter will slow down your metabolism. It will also slow down the movement of the fat cells in your body. Lowering the temperature in your home just a few degrees will help keep your fat cells moving briskly, which will help you lose that winter weight. Not only that, but when you reduce the temperature on your thermostat, you'll save money on your heating bill and give your heater a much-needed break this winter.
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