Is Your Heating Secretly Harming Your Health? A Pharmacist Reveals the Hidden Dangers

So, the temps have finally taken a nosedive, the fleeting Indian summer waved goodbye, and yep, most of us have capitulated—central heating is back on. But did you ever stop to wonder if that cozy blast of warmth could be messing with your health? Ian Budd, a savvy prescribing pharmacist from Chemist4U, suggests that for the unlucky 21 million UK allergy sufferers, turning the heating back on might actually kickstart an annual unwelcome ritual of sniffles and sneezes. It turns out, those radiators aren’t just pushing out heat—they’re stirring up dust, pet dander, and all sorts of invisible irritants that love the dry indoor air. Crazy, right? Before you reroute to the medicine cabinet, there’s some clever housekeeping you can do to dodge those allergen ambushes. Curious about how your heating habits might be betraying your nose and lungs? LEARN MORE.

The temperatures have dropped, the Indian summer has been and gone and most of us have caved and stuck our central heating back on.

In case you didn’t know, there is actually a ‘right’ time to put your heating on, and if you haven’t already, you should think about doing so quickly, before it gets colder and your home becomes vulnerable to frozen pipes and more.

However, if you find yourself starting to feel unwell around this time every year, it could actually be linked to your central heating, according to Ian Budd, prescribing pharmacist at Chemist4U.

In fact, if you fall into one particular group of people, your heating could be having a detrimental effect on your health without you even realising it. That’s if you’re one of the unlucky 21 million people to suffer from allergies in the UK.

Most people turn their central heating back on in October (Getty Stock Images)

“As the temperature starts to drop and we start turning up the thermostat on central heating, many people with allergies find their symptoms getting worse, even though outdoor pollen levels are dropping,” Budd explained. “Understanding what is causing this in your home can help you know where to start in prevention and relief.”

The pharmacist says as hot water flows through the radiators and they warm, up, the stir up dust, pet dander, mite debris and other allergen particles.

“In particular, indoor heating creates dry air, which causes the faecal remains and exoskeletons of dust-mites, which a lot of people are allergic to, to disintegrate and become airborne,” Budd explained.

“Radiators often accumulate dust during the ‘off-season’. When your heating switches on, the airflow can re-suspend this dust into the breathing zone.”

One third of people in the UK suffer from allergies (Getty Stock Images)

And, perhaps worst of all, if filters are poorly maintained or not cleaned, they can act as ‘allergen pumps,’ meaning your symptoms could worsen when your heating system reboots after its summer break.

“People with known allergies, like dust mites, pet dander, indoor mould or asthma may see symptoms spike when you turn on the heat. Homes with carpets, heavy curtains, lots of upholstery or poor ventilation are more likely to harbour high levels of settled allergens,” he Budd said.

But fortunately there are a few things you can do to get ahead of the allergens, like dusting and vacuuming behind radiators before turning on the heating, as well as cleaning vent covers and replacing filters.

Meanwhile you can control the humidity in your home, aiming for around 40 to 50 percent humidity, as low humidity can make allergens more irritating, but too much can encourage mould and dust-mites to thrive.

There are several things you can do to get ahead of allergens (Getty Stock Images)

If you really suffer with allergies, it can be helpful to keep soft furnishings to a minimum, as heavy curtains and upholstered furnishings can trap dust-mite debris. Using dust-mite proof covers on mattresses and pillows, as well as washing bedding weekly can also help keep allergens out your bedroom.

Ventilation is also key, which means airing out your living space by opening the windows once a day all year round, and most importantly, act early as soon as your symptoms start to flare up.

“Allergy flare-ups when the heating goes back on are rarely caused by new triggers. They’re usually due to settled dust and dander being disturbed as warm air starts circulating again,” he said.

“If symptoms do appear, simple pharmacy treatments can help ease the reaction, such as daily non-drowsy antihistamine tablets, a nasal spray to calm inflammation, or allergy eye drops for irritation.”