Is Living in a Cold Home bad for our Hearts?

A home that is troubled by sub-temperatures can affect many aspects of our physical and mental health. It can be the cause of various heart conditions developing and a factor that worsens existing conditions. So, cold homes really can be bad for our hearts!

One of these impacted conditions could potentially be cardiovascular.

What is a cardiovascular condition?

Cardiovascular disease or CVD is a generalisation for conditions that affect the heart. Sadly, CVD is one of the biggest causes of death and disability in the UK.

Types of CVD include:

• Coronary heart disease
• Strokes and TIAs
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Aortic disease

Why does living in a cold home impact our hearts?

Consistent cold air can inflame the lungs and impede the function of the body’s circulation.

All it takes is the temperature to drop below 12*C for the cold weather to impact our health. It can also depend on where you live in the UK and on the quality of your home’s insulation.

Our blood vessels and the Cold

The heart and blood vessels are constantly adapting to the environment and the inner workings of our bodies. This keeps the flow of blood running to different parts of the body to ensure they are getting oxygen and nutrients.

When we become cold, our nervous system will act to prevent our core body temperature from dropping and keep our vital organs functioning.

During cold periods; the blood vessels in our skin, fingers, and toes become narrow, so we lose less body heat. This narrowing, known as vasoconstriction, causes more pressure on the rest of the circulation leading to the heart working harder to pump blood around. This can increase heart rate and blood pressure.

Although this is a normal process; the extra strain can lead to heart symptoms for those who already have an existing condition.

What can be done to protect our hearts in the winter cold?

Here are some quick tips we can employ in our everyday lives that help protect our hearts from a cold home, courtesy of the British Heart Foundation (BHF):

1. The busiest room in your home should be kept to a temperature of 18*C. This is easier with good-quality insulation. Layer up when at home with socks, jumpers, dressing gowns, and blankets. A hot water bottle is the perfect way of keeping warm in bed at night.
2. You can also wear a few thin layers, rather than one thick layer. This traps the heat.
3. If you can, keep moving while you’re indoors. This will build up your core temperature and boost the immune system.
4. Eating warm meals and healthy hot drinks gives your body the energy it needs to keep you warm. Homemade vegetable soup can be a healthy meal. BHF have a list of healthy dinners you could make on cold winter nights.
5. If you have angina, loosely wrap a scarf around your mouth and nose to breathe in warm air. This may help to reduce your symptoms when they worsen in the winter.
6. If you feel a cough or cold coming, try to get plenty of rest and drink a good number of fluids. Seek advice from your GP or pharmacist if you plan to take any over-the-counter medicines. These may not be suitable with other medications you are already taking.

Upgrading your home’s efficiency

The energy efficiency of your property could be the leading factor causing a cold home. Depending on its age, it is possible that your insulation could be poor quality and allowing large amounts of heat to escape from your property.

As well as insulation problems, an old inefficient boiler model will cause problems for you. An out-of-date system may be struggling to heat your home, therefore a newer model or renewable heating system could be needed.

Government help for households with chronic health conditions

Financial stress can lead to fuel poverty, making it almost impossible for vulnerable households to maintain the right amount of heating they need to stay healthy. For this reason, the Government has introduced schemes that can help people living with chronic health conditions affected by cold temperatures to make their homes more energy-efficient and lower energy bills.

What is the ECO4 Scheme?

The Energy Company Obligation is a government-backed scheme that obligates energy suppliers to provide consumers living in fuel poverty with home energy upgrades that ease their financial stress.

What is the Great British Insulation Scheme?

This scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency of homes across England, Scotland, and Wales. This is done by installing insulation measures such as cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, and loft insulation.

What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Old inefficient boilers can be upgraded to modern energy-efficient models with this scheme. Households that qualify can receive financial help with the scheme and begin to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.

Summary

Our body’s natural response to low temperatures and a cold home can cause extra strain on our hearts leading to heart conditions and worsening existing ones.

Cold homes can be a product of various factors such as property insulation quality, fuel poverty, and even heating system inefficiency.

With some simple everyday practices and government-backed schemes aiming to improve home temperatures and efficiency, we can actively protect ourselves from the cold