Central heating and breathing

[Alice70]

Hi ,feeling much better than when I last posted ,and after taking three weeks of antibiotic ,five weeks of prednisalone ,not convinced the hib bacteria has totally gone ,sent another sputum test in this morning ,but still, feeling much better,I wont toask that now it is central heating time how do others get on with there breathing ,as any heat makes my breathing much worse ,how do others find that central heating effect there breathing

[CDPO16]

HI,

I'm glad that you are beginning to feel better after your long struggle with the infection.

I do find that central heating affects my breathing in an adverse way. I often feel that the house is stuffy even if the heating has only been on low. I also often feel that I am getting a cold when we come to use the heating even though I am not and regularly have a blocked nose and irritating dry cough.

Sometimes, even with extra clothing on, it is difficult to feel warm without this stuffiness when the weather temperatures drop very low. I am often at odds with my hubby, who has his own health problems and feels the cold more than me, over how high the thermostat should be. I have yet to find a good solution, but I do sometimes put bowls of water near radiators if the humidity drops too low. (I have an indoor thermometer that measures humidity levels too). The best indoor humidity is apparently between 35 and 45%.

I always try to remember to turn the heating way down beforehand when I have to go out on cold days as I find returning to a very warm house affects my breathing even more.

All I can suggest is that you try different settings on your thermostat to see if you can find one that eases your problems. Best wishes.

[Dilly2 in reply to CDPO16]

Made me smile that could have been me that wrote that reply

[Spacecat1]

It affects me cannot stand the heating on my breathing is awful dried up nose I use my little handheld fan. hubby is brilliant puts up with turning the heating down he puts his fleece on to keep warm. I'm praying for a mild winter so the heating not to high.

[Alice70 in reply to Spacecat1]

Same hear spacecat

[nikki75]

I use radiator humifer to put moisture in the rooms I’m in a lot to stop it drying the air so much , plus I run heating off thermostat so the house has a steady heat flow which is better for me as i only drop it down to 16 if I leave the house and over night and the rest of the time I leave it on 20 the rest of the time . but when using timer your going from cold to hot for few hours then timer goes off so house go cold etc etc which affects my chest badly .

Hot to cold or cold to hot can really catch my out and my breathing gets real bad til it get use it the air , keep warm and stay as well as you can

[Alice70 in reply to nikki75]

I use thermastat at 21 and I'm cold if I put on 16 I'd be freezing ,I didnt no you could by radiator humidifier, I'll look on line ,thanks for reply

[Tweetie13]

I have my radiator in my bedroom switched of and small window slightly open to help with during the night. During the day it is set to 21 degrees and I have the window at the side of my chair slightly open this works for me. I also sit with a hot water bottle at my side on the window side to avoid any chill.

[Alice70 in reply to Tweetie13]

I would defo need hot water bottle if sitting by open window,my thermostat goes of and on to 21 degrees ,as soon as I turn on heating in mornings ,my breathing is affected

[Gladwyn in reply to Alice70]

18 is the maximum temp I can stand and even then I often turn it down to 16 when I get too hot. Roll on summer lol so I can sit out in the fresh air. The house gets so stuffy which I hate so am forever opening windows and patio doors but I hate insects getting in yuck!! 🕷🕷

[Izb1]

Hi Alice, I dont like the heating on but also dont like the cold, its hard to get it right. I use radiator humidifiers, they are like little pots that you fill with water and hang on the rads, it helps to put moisture back in the air. Its a good job that I am nearly always warm as my house is so cold, I usually put the heating on for 30 mins at a time just enough to warm the lounge which suits me. I also open all the windows doors even if its only for 10 mins each day, just to put fresh air in the house, if its too stuffy I start coughing. Lets hope we dont have a bad winter x

[Alice70 in reply to Izb1]

Hopefully we have mild winter ,izb1 where did you get radiator humidifiers from

[Izb1 in reply to Alice70]

I ordered then from Amazon, easy x

[Izb1 in reply to Alice70]

I find them helpful when I am stuffy to put vicks or olbas oil in to help with the breathing, when the heating goes on and the water warms up it steams into the room x

[Gladwyn in reply to Izb1]

What a good idea! I'm going to copy you 😀

[Grayjay]

Glad I'm not on my own on this one. Since the cold weather has started we have to have the heating on so I'm looking for a happy medium.( No seance jokes please)

It certainly seems like humidity is the solution. I'll look into buying one or two.

God bless and breath easy.

[Pwkav1]

Hi i had hib bacteria for 3 years almost kept colonising. Gave in endless sputum tests. Kept giving me doxycycline didnt work for me. Was sent to the hospital who put me on Azythromycin 500mg for 9 months. The bug has finally gone. I feel like a new person. Hope this helps. Karen. Xxx

[Alice70 in reply to Pwkav1]

Hi pwkav,I'm fed up with the hib bacteria ,if just taken three weeks of doxycycline, I'm still not sure the hib has gone ,sent in another sputum monday ,results tomorrow ,I am feeling a bit better though ,I dont think doxycycline are working as well on me lately, I waiting for results ,then I can go on the azythromycine I have been given 250mg

[Pwkav1 in reply to Alice70]

Every single sputum test i gave in had the hib bacteria heavy colonisation. Thats why was given 500mg Azithromycin. Hope yours works did have to take for months tho. And did work. Do you know how you got your infection. I was told they dont know, seems to be more in people with asthma. Good luck. Karen xxx

[Titian8]

I like myself to be warm but house to be cool. Central heating makes the place stuffy and air dry. My radiators are set to 17 if very cold (I live in Scotland) and only increase the temperature if anyone visiting.

However, the perfect solution which works for me is a heated throw. They are terrific and can be set to different heat levels according to preference. So my heating is either very low or off but I'm cosy on the sofa with my lovely warm throw and I breathe much better.

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Titian8]

Does the cold air not hurt your lungs though? I have an electric blanket and heated throw on my bed but I can feel the cold air when I breathe. Right now it’s 11.3 in the bedroom and 14.3 in the rest of the house, though I’m currently leaning against the heater so I’m feeling warm enough 😊 I might need to turn around and bake the front of me in a moment! But the cold air hurts my nose when I breathe in and I can feel it in my lungs. Having a dehumidifier has really helped though, at least it’s not so damp indoors.

[Titian8 in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

It's funny isn't it how we all differ. I feel better in cool air and a centrally heated house makes me feel worse.

I usually only use the heated throw in the evenings for watching tv or reading and never have the radiators on in my bedroom. I read somewhere it's best to take a hot bath before bed and this together with coolness of the room aids sleep.....it sure works for me.👍

[Alice70 in reply to Titian8]

Going to look into heated throw

[Titian8 in reply to Alice70]

I bought mine on Amazon for £50 but know you can get them in many shops in the High Street.

[judg69]

I have to have a cool room with air moving to sleep and actually at all times. Ceiling fans and an air purifier are great at keeping the air circulating. If it is truly cold I turn on my heated throw ( I sleep in a recliner as I breathe better if my upper torso is somewhat raised). Been doing this for 7 1/2 years. Best Wishes, judg69

[mike012j]

As long as you don’t have it to high it’s fine and very comfortable I have found my breathing easier xx

[mike012j in reply to mike012j]

Mike the same age x

[Lutontown]

We humans, and me in particular, have a very small temperature comfort band. And, normal central heating is quite zonal, particularly if your home has poor insulation. The thermostat is set to a temperature but has a switch on-switch off space which makes it feel cold whilst it's waiting to switch on and then too warm when waiting to switch off. In the summer, and the whole fabric of the house is all at say 22 degrees C, then we all feel comfortable and not stuffed up. In the winter, the radiator may be at 70 deg C, and the north wall is at 10 deg. And your floor may be even colder, particularly if you have a floating floor and the wind is blowing under the floor through the air bricks.

I remember when I was young, and before central heating was around for most, leaving the living room where there was a glowing red hot fire, and the room at probably 30 deg. C, and going to my bedroom which was not far above freezing, and having to undress to get into 'jamas and then into a freezing bed.

The answer is have a heating system where the walls, floor and ceiling are all at a comfortable temperature... If you could afford it. Alternatively move to Tenerife, but you may still need air conditioning in the summer to cool and in the winter to warm at night.

And good luck with your heating bills. We are on a fixed tariff until June '22. Hope the gas supply is sorted by then.

[Alice70 in reply to Lutontown]

Thank you for your reply,I'm still struggling with the thermostat temperature, let's say I turn it to 21 house heats up for a while then when it turns of its self the temp stays at 21 for hours makes me feel really colds what I do is turn it up to 22 ,my brother thinks I have thermostat in the wrong place,I have it on inside wall in the living room were I sit,some say I've got it in the correct place ,some say to put it in the coldest place in the home,my living room does have a suspended floor,this must be the reason why it is wormer in the kitchen that doesn't have suspended floor,I also don't think I have no cavity sealing, do you no the best place to put thermostat thank you Alice

[Lutontown in reply to Alice70]

The thermostat should be in the coldest part of the house, and not near a radiator. This is usually the hallway if you have one. Do you have a thermostat you can move about the house i.e. a wireless one? And do you have thermostatic controls on you radiators? If the temperature in your home stays constant for long periods, that should be good because it indicates you have good insulation.

Do you know if your house has cavity walls? I think all houses built after the 1940's had cavity walls. Our 1988 house is of timber framed construction, so has brick outer walls with a gap filled with insulating material and a stud wall inner. We also have 10 1/2" of insulation in the roof. Also, double glazing throughout. So overall, not too bad, but still got a floating floor which is cold, as most of the floor area is laminate hard flooring.

Nothing is perfect, unless you can afford a sophisticated form of heating system.