Does anyone know of any health effects of keeping your house too warm?

Question

My poor neighbors always seem really sick in the winter. The temp. of their house never drops below 70. We keep our furnace on 64 or 66. We visit with them daily and hardly ever catch what they have. Does the higher temp. allow germs to breed more fully in the warmer atmosphere? I have searched the web for an answer and have not found anything out. Hopefully someone can shed some light on this subject.

Answer 1

Warm dry air in a home leads to drying of the nasal passages and skin. The nasal passages are moist to help catch things that we breathe in that you don't want to get into your lungs (virus, bacteria). While most germs are spread from contact with your hands rather than through the air germs prefer to live in a warmer climate than a cooler one.
Tell your neighbors to lower their thermostat to 67 and wear a sweater. They will save some money and probably only get one or two colds this winter.

Answer 2

Yes, germs are more prevalent in warmer temps. Also, the air is dryer causing dry skin and sometimes a cough. But 70 degrees isn't too warm - perhaps there is poor ventilation in their house. Stale air can cause a multitude of airborne illnesses.

Answer 3

A house should not be overly heated. Germs do breed more in a too hot house and you can breathe better when it is not so hot.

Answer 4

Hospitals are cold for a reason - decrease of infection - if you can take the lower temps, you better off in more way than one

Answer 5

One needs to drink more water because of dryness created by high heat

Answer 6

when you have extre clothes on in the house you open your pores, so that when you go out side you pick up more germs and you loose body heat because your pores are still open.

Answer 7

if your house is too warm while you are trying to sleep you don't sleep as well....maybe the poor sleep makes them more suseptible to different virus's and bactaria