Too High Heat: How Does It Affect Our Health?

It is difficult to define what we consider to be very high heat. The sensations associated with temperature vary widely from person to person . The cold suffered by someone used to hot weather is not the same as someone who lives in geographical areas where snow falls, for example.

Even so, in the variability of human beings, so it is assumed that, below 20 ° C ambient temperature, there is already a sensation of cold . It will gradually increase this temperature.

This feeling also depends on other factors such as humidity and air pressure. A 10°C record with high ambient humidity is not the same as cold in dry areas.

It doesn’t equal the sensation, regardless of the outside temperature, whether we are stationary or moving. When there is no bodily activity, cold is felt more, because the cells are not actively metabolized and do not generate heat.

Therefore, in the face of cold, human beings use heating to keep warm. Like any artificial method that is used in excess, heating too high can lead to changes in the body and some health risks .

The risks of very high heating according to each type

There are two methods of heating that are overused and have notorious harmful effects:

• Firewood .
• Reversible air conditioning .

As for the use of firewood, very high heating with this method is capable of generating toxic gases. When wood from trees is burned, the carbon dioxide that has been stored is released .

Carbon dioxide is, for humans, a waste gas . That is, the body expels carbon dioxide and needs oxygen. Therefore, in case of poor ventilation, heating the wood can cause poisoning .

Smoke from wood also contains gases called heavy gases . These gases are toxic for inhalation, causing headaches, nausea, vomiting and even respiratory tract irritation.

Without a doubt, it is essential that a wood heating system is installed correctly with its smoke ejection mechanism . However, even under the best installation conditions, wood can transport and release specific substances from nature associated with allergies and asthma, such as pollen .

The other method we have mentioned as dangerous for overheating is reversible air conditioning . These devices, in continuous and intensive use, can dry the ambient air by removing moisture.

Without sufficient moisture, the skin and mucous membranes, especially the respiratory mucosa, are affected . At the same time, the air flow generated mobilizes particles that, in asthmatic or allergic people, are capable of increasing allergic symptoms.

The negative effects of too high heating 

Very high heat, whatever its origin, can cause:

• Respiratory Infections: The dry environment with a lack of moisture and dry respiratory mucous membranes are a favorable environment for bacteria and viruses. Children are usually the most affected by this situation . One possibility to reverse the risk is the use of environmental humidifiers and microorganism filters.
• Bad rest: the high temperature at night makes it difficult to rest. Above 20°C the body is not in the best condition to relax the muscles and reach the pleasant state of sleep. Likewise, humidity, when it is very low, changes the respiratory rate during rest.

• Allergies and dermatitis: too high heat dries out the skin, increasing the symptoms of dermatitis. In turn, the movement of air through the heat-generating source carries allergic particles such as dust, pollen and mites.
• Headache: Headache with very high heat is quite common. When the temperature is too high for a long time, we experience a dullness that results from vasodilation. Excessive heat lowers blood pressure and less blood reaches the brain, causing unpleasant symptoms .
• Weight gain: sleeping at a very high temperature is associated with weight gain. That’s because, at high temperatures, the body doesn’t burn its stored fat, but instead retains it. At night, it’s time to activate this fat catabolism mechanism, but if the heat is too high, it won’t do its job.
  

The problem of toxic substances

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest health risks of overheating is toxic substances . These substances are released by the heating mechanisms and pose a significant health hazard to those who breathe them.

For example, one such substance is carbon monoxide . This gas has no odor and this makes it difficult to detect when it is generated by bad combustion. Slowly, this gas displaces oxygen from the environment and from the blood, intoxicating the human being.

In carbon monoxide poisoning there is dizziness, fainting, nausea and headache. In addition,  breathing dramatically increases as a defense method to replace oxygen. If not resolved quickly it can be a deadly condition.

On the other hand, another dangerous gas is nitrogen dioxide . It also comes from bad combustion in heating appliances and is also odorless. It is extremely irritating and alters respiratory mechanics.