Using room heaters can damage your lungs; Here Pulmonologists explain the real harm

Using Heaters Can Damage Your Lungs:  In winter, many people sleep with the heater on all night to avoid the cold. This practice provides warmth, but the reduced humidity and dry air can have several adverse effects on the body. Dry air can cause common problems like sore throat, dry skin, and eye irritation. Prolonged exposure to a heater can also cause breathing problems, especially in children, the elderly, and those with existing respiratory conditions.

 Therefore, it's important to understand the effects of sleeping with a heater on all night on the lungs and what symptoms to look out for.

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Room Heaters Can Have Negative Effects On Your Health

Continuous exposure to the hot and dry air from a heater can affect the lungs, and the initial symptoms often mimic a cold. People may experience a dry throat, cough, shortness of breath, or chest heaviness upon waking. Some may also experience frequent coughing at night. If someone already has asthma, bronchitis, or allergies, sleeping with the heater on can exacerbate their problems. If this continues for a long time, symptoms such as persistent cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath may appear. Therefore, these signs should not be ignored.

What effect does sleeping with the heater on have on the lungs?

Dr. Bhagwan Mantri explains that the heat from the heater absorbs moisture from the room, making the air extremely dry. When we breathe in such air, the air in the lungs constricts and becomes irritated. This increases coughing, dry throat, and difficulty breathing.

Heaters can have a significant impact on the lungs

Furthermore, dry air thickens the mucus in the lungs, increasing breathing obstruction. This condition reduces the lungs' ability to clear air and increases the risk of infection. People with pre-existing asthma or allergies are immediately affected by the air from a heater, which can lead to shortness of breath at night. Therefore, using a heater can certainly provide comfort, but if used improperly, it can directly impact lung health.

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Precautions should be taken when using a heater

Keep the room well ventilated.

Keep a bucket of water nearby or run a humidifier.

Don't let the heater run all night.

Don't let children and the elderly sit too close to the heater.