My father-in-law is 82 years old and suffers from a heart condition.
- He takes a variety of experimental medications that have worked well for him.
He’s also on blood thinners. We live in an area that experiences especially long and brutally cold winters. The outdoor temperature is most often below freezing and can drop down to negative twenty-five degrees. As an older couple, my in-laws tend to feel cold. They set their thermostat at 78 degrees. Whenever we go to their house for family functions, we bundle up in our winter coats and boots and then strip down to short sleeves. The house always feels overheated. Everyone volunteers to carry the trash out to the garage for the chance to cool off. When the weather is cold, the air is naturally dry. With the heater blasting, the conditions inside the house are much worse. The lack of humidity makes the air feel colder and can cause some problems. Chapped lips, headaches, sore throats and itchy eyes are consequences of overly dry air. The air can dry out nasal passages and increase susceptibility to respiratory infection. Another concern is bloody noses. My father-in-law suffered a bloody nose that was most likely caused by insufficient humidity. Because of the blood-thinners he takes, we couldn’t stop the bleeding. We ended up calling an ambulance for him. Fortunately, my father-in-law was fine and able to return home that same day. One of his doctors suggested that we install a whole-home humidifier for my in-laws. I am now researching the different styles of humidifiers. I’ve been reading up on the benefits, and I think a humidifier is going to make a big improvement in their comfort and indoor air quality.