2016-17 has been the coldest winter I know of on Vancouver Island; I’ve been here since winter ’86-’87. Moreover, I’m not the only one who thinks so. Against the cold, we naturally set the heat higher, which dries the air.<\/p>\n
Normally, winter here brings mild, moist air; this winter, being so cold, has resulted in a dry indoor environment. At the same time, there have been bad colds around, from one of which I’m just recovering.<\/p>\n
I’ve experienced malaise even beyond the cold symptoms that seems to me related to the electric heat. In response, I’ve researched the idea, and found that, indeed, dry air itself can hinder health, by the following means:<\/p>\n
When I was a kid in the Maritimes, we had a humidifier; otherwise, for weeks at a time, the indoor air would be too dry from heating. Using a humidifier on Vancouver Island, especially during winter, would typically be hard to imagine. However, this winter, we likely would have done well to.<\/p>\n
I hope next winter we return to mild, wet conditions. However, I might need a humidifier on hand, in case not.<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
www.mayoclinic.org<\/a><\/p>\n www.nhs.uk<\/a><\/p>\n www.nycfacemd.com<\/a><\/p>\n