Indoor air: what is the danger of lack of oxygen in an apartment
Winter is associated with freshness and a healthy blush. However, only if people spend the whole day outdoors or find time for physical activity. Stuffiness and dryness are inevitable in apartments and offices during the heating season, especially if people use air conditioners and do not risk opening the windows. Prolonged stay in such rooms contributes to the development of respiratory diseases, decreased immunity and dehydration of the skin. How stagnant, stale air affects beauty and health and whether it is possible to correct the situation is described in the Izvestia article.
Keep your lungs healthy
In winter, convectors and central heating batteries dry the air very much, and many people do not open their windows for fear of catching a cold. However, they get the opposite effect — over-dried air harms the respiratory tract and the condition of the skin.
— The key to health is also the humidity of the air, and its indicators decrease if the room is too dry, — says Denis Prokofiev, a general practitioner, cardiologist, holder of the status of "Moscow doctor". — The minimum humidity in the room should not be less than 25%, and in the ideal ratio this indicator is 45%.
Moderately humid air allows you to get rid of viruses and bacteria that are constantly flying in the air, and has a beneficial effect on human mucous membranes.
— Do not forget that all airways, especially the upper ones, are lined with epithelium, which normally should be constantly moistened. Dry air, of course, leads to disruption of their work, and our body becomes very susceptible to viruses," continues Denis Prokofiev.
Thus, the living room should be constantly ventilated and humidified during the heating season. The expert recommends using a conventional household humidifier or climate control systems that maintain humidity, disinfect and humidify the air for these purposes.
It doesn't matter how far away the humidifier is from a person, Prokofiev believes. The calculation is carried out depending on the square meters of the room that is supposed to be humidified. Depending on the area, a device with a certain capacity and volume of water is selected.
— In no case should breast preparations be poured into the humidifier and essential oils should be added to the water, warns Dr. Prokofiev. — As a rule, distilled or purified water of ordinary room temperature is used. Otherwise, the particles of the sprayed solution will enter the respiratory tract and cause unpleasant consequences.
Ventilate so that your head doesn't hurt
Stale air in unventilated rooms affects not only the respiratory system, but also the cardiovascular system. If the amount of exhaled air exceeds the amount of oxygen, then hypoxia develops in the body. According to the standards, the minimum allowable oxygen content in rooms is 20.5%.
—Lack of oxygen affects the brain and the functioning of the cardiovascular system, causing rapid heartbeat - tachycardia," says Prokofiev. — Symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and high blood pressure appear. Therefore, it is necessary to ventilate the room.
The best option is to leave the room or office for literally 10 minutes, leaving the windows open. The cardiologist advises repeating this procedure every hour.
— Ventilation will allow us to replenish the proportion of oxygen in the air, — emphasizes Dr. Prokofiev once again. — The gas exchange between the air outside and what is inside is important. This simple procedure helps, as they say, to bring in a fresh stream and remove stuffy air from the room.
How to get rid of dryness
In conditions where heating is running intensively and air conditioners reduce humidity, the skin begins to lose moisture faster, warns Anna Matveeva, a dermatovenerologist and trichologist at the Scandinavian Health Center. There is a feeling of tightness, peeling and itching. Lips crack, jams appear in the corners of the mouth; hands turn red and become covered with microcracks, especially if a person often washes his palms and uses antiseptics.
"People with atopy, eczema, rosacea, or just sensitive skin often have an exacerbation in winter, because the protective barrier is already weakened, and there are more and more irritants," warns Matveeva.
The trichologist advises to take into account that in frosty weather, the hair becomes duller, breaks more often, and becomes more electrified. The scalp suffers from dryness and itching. Women also complain that their hair is greasier at the roots and dry along its entire length. Anna Matveeva associates this paradox with the reaction of the scalp to over-drying and frequent hot styling. Therefore, the expert also advises not to overheat the room and maintain a comfortable humidity. At home, it is better to turn on the humidifier in the bedroom at night.
— I would like to say separately about household irritants: in winter, flavorings, aggressive household chemicals, and "odorous" sprays often worsen the situation. Their negative impact is especially felt in the office. The fewer irritants, the better for the skin," explains Anna Matveeva.
From an expert's point of view, the basic thing that many underestimate is hand protection. It is necessary to wear gloves on the street, apply cream to the skin after each wash and be careful with antiseptics. These basic measures greatly reduce the risk of cracks and irritation.
Why you need to moisturize your skin
In order not to lose beauty in the cold, it is important to maintain the protective barrier of the skin, try to retain moisture in it. You should take special care of your appearance in winter.
— First, a gentle cleansing of the skin, without aggressive ("creaking") effects, — says Anna Matveeva. — If the skin dries and turns red, then you do not often need to use scrubs and products that contain harsh acids. After cleansing, apply a moisturizer. This should be done immediately after washing or showering, while the skin is still slightly moist. This way you better "lock in" moisture and prevent dehydration.
With pronounced dryness, light hydration alone is not enough. The dermatovenerologist advises applying another, denser layer of protective cream on top. Special attention should be paid to the risk areas — these are cheeks, the area around the mouth, hands, elbows. "The principle is simple: the drier and more sensitive the skin, the more comfortable care products with a denser texture are for it," explains Anna Matveeva.
Hair needs a gentle wash in winter, but not after a certain time, but according to need. After each wash, the doctor recommends applying conditioner along the entire length.
— With severe dryness and electrification, indelible protection "for length and ends" helps, — continues Matveeva. — If you have complaints about itching, dandruff and soreness of the scalp, it is better not to try to "fill" the problem areas with oils, but to think about the care separately. In the case when unpleasant sensations persist for weeks, it is more reasonable to seek help from specialists.
The dermatovenerologist considers the habit of applying care products at the last second before leaving the room to the street to be the main mistake when caring for oneself. It is better to do this in advance so that the product has time to absorb and form a protective layer. "And gloves, a scarf, a collar and a hood work no worse than cosmetics in the wind, because they reduce skin contact with cold and wind," the expert believes.
After the street, it is important not to increase stress on the skin, Matveeva emphasizes. For example, you do not need to warm up with very hot water: such a shower and washing often increase dryness and irritation. It is better to gently cleanse the skin, apply the necessary means to it — moisturizing and activating protective layer.
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