Problems and diseases linked to the cold range from blood pressure increases and common colds, to heart attacks and pneumonia.Besides poor health, cold-related illness causes absence from work, social isolation, and sleep deprivation. It may lead to mental or stress related illness, with negative knock on effects for family and friends.
Who’s affected?
Those with existing health conditions are especially vulnerable to the cold. This includes physical conditions, such as circulatory problems, diabetes and arthritis; and mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety.
Respiratory conditions, like asthma, can be exacerbated by the cold, even more so if there are damp and mould issues in living spaces. This is often the case in under-heated, poorly ventilated homes.
People with certain disabilities, children and the elderly also fall into higher risk categories.
How cold is too cold?
If you have a central heating system, you may also have a room thermostat to monitor and control the temperature in your home – it sends a signal to the boiler telling it to switch off when the house is warm enough. It’s usually found in a hallway or sitting room.
Some modern heating controls now combine a heating timer and the thermostat, allowing you to set different temperatures for different times of the day.
