EU Staying warm: What does an unheated room do to your body? - Europeans prepare to die this winter

Staying warm: What does an unheated room do to your body?

The BBC's health and science correspondent undergoes an experiment to find out how a cold home affects him.

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Staying warm: What does an unheated room do to your body? - BBC News

archived 19 Nov 2022 04:17:02 UTC

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By James Gallagher
Inside Health presenter, BBC Radio 4

Mention deadly cold and I think of polar explorers with icicles dangling from their beards and mountaineers tackling the heights of Everest; of fingers turning black with frostbite and the chilling clutch of hypothermia.

So I was sceptical when I was asked to take part in a cold experiment that took place at just 10 degrees Celsius. Yes, 10C.

To me that's mild, nowhere near freezing and certainly no Arctic blast. Surely we'd have to go much colder before putting a strain on the body? I was wrong.

"It sounds mild, but it is a real physiological challenge," Prof Damian Bailey, from the University of South Wales, tells me.

He's invited me to his laboratory to explore the impact of cold homes on our bodies and why such seemingly mild temperatures can become deadly.

"Ten degrees is the average temperature that people will be living in, if they can't afford to heat their homes," said Prof Bailey.

And as I was about to find out, 10C has a profound impact on the heart, lungs and brain.

I'm led into the environmental chamber in the corner of the laboratory - it's all shiny metal walls and thick, heavy doors. In this air-tight room, scientists can precisely set the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels.

I'm hit with a blast of warm 21C air. The plan is to start at 21C, drop the temperature down to 10C and chart how my body responds to the chill.

First, I am wired up to countless state-of-the-art gizmos for the most in-depth analysis my body has ever faced.

My chest, arms and legs are dotted with monitors to track my body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

"You will look like something out of Star Wars," says Prof Bailey as another sensor and trailing cable is attached to my body.

A headset is fitted to monitor the blood flow in my brain just as the first beads of sweat breakout on my brow; an ultrasound inspects the carotid arteries in my neck (hearing the rhythmic whoosh of blood going to my brain is oddly reassuring) and I breathe into a huge tube that analyses the air I exhale.


The outfit was not a choice - the scientists needed direct access to the skin to conduct the experiment

The measurements are done. The scientists know how my body performs in a pleasant 21C. So the fans kick in and a cool breeze gradually lowers the temperature in the chamber.

"Your brain is tasting your blood as we speak and it's tasting the temperature and the brain is now sending signals to the rest of your body," Prof Bailey tells me.

The goal is to keep my core - that's my major organs including my heart and liver - at around 37C.

I was still unaware of the profound changes happening inside my body, but there were already clues on the outside.

By the time the room has dropped to 18C I was no longer sweating and the hairs on my arms were starting to stand up to help insulate my body.

"Science tells us that 18 degrees is the tipping point... the body is now working to defend that core temperature," Prof Bailey shouts over the droning fans.

Next my fingers turn white and they feel cold. The blood vessels in my hands are being closed off - known as vasoconstriction - in order to keep my warm blood for my critical organs.

This would happen even more quickly if I were a different gender.

"Women do tend to feel the cold more, because of hormones (oestrogen) their blood vessels in their hands and feet are more likely to constrict... and that makes us feel cold," says Dr Clare Eglin from the University of Portsmouth.

My first shiver kicks in at 11.5C as my muscles begin to shake to generate heat.

At 10C the fans shut down. I'm feeling uncomfortable, but not freezing as we repeated all the bodily measurements again at the lower temperature and it soon became clear I was wrong to doubt that 10C would affect me.

"The body is working jolly hard at 10 degrees," says Prof Bailey.



What shocks me is the change in blood flow to the brain and how much longer it takes me to complete a shape-sorting game.

I wouldn't want to be trying to do school homework in a cold room or to have this compound something like dementia.

"You're delivering less blood to the brain, so there's less oxygen and less glucose [sugar] getting into the brain and the downside of that is it's having a negative impact on your mental gymnastics," Prof Bailey says.

But my body is achieving its main goal of keeping my core body temperature stable - it's just having to do more work.

I'm pumping warm blood around my body more intensely with my heart beating faster and blood pressure also shooting up.

"That increasing blood pressure is a risk factor for a stroke, it's a risk factor for a heart attack," Prof Bailey tells me.

The blood itself is also changing "so it becomes a bit like treacle", says Prof Bailey, and this thicker gloopier blood also adds to the risk of a dangerous blockage.

It's why heart attacks and strokes are more common in the winter.


Prof Damian Bailey says "the evidence clearly suggests that cold is more deadly than the heat"

Fortunately, I started off with "fabulous vasculature", Prof Bailey tells me, but these internal changes are a risk to those who already have poor heart health and the elderly.

"The evidence clearly suggests that cold is more deadly than the heat, there are a higher number of deaths caused through cold snaps than there are through the heat snaps," says Prof Bailey.

"So I really do think that more recognition needs to be paid for the dangers associated with cold."

Cold favours viruses too​

The cold also lends a helping hand to many infections that thrive in the winter months such as flu. Pneumonia, when there is inflammation in the lungs because of an infection, is more common after cold weather.

It is easier for viruses to spread because we're more likely to meet up indoors with the windows shut and no fresh air to blow viruses away.

Cold also makes it easier for viruses to survive outside the body and cold air contains less virus-trapping moisture.

Dry air allows viruses to travel further distances, says Prof Akiko Iwasaki, an immunobiologist from Yale University. She has also performed experiments showing breathing in cold air affects how the immune system works in the nose.

Prof Iwasaki tells me: "At these cooler temperatures, your immune response becomes less active and this can allow virus to grow better within your nose."

What can you actually do about it?​

In an ideal world we'd all heat the room we're in to at least 18C. When that is not possible, Prof Bailey says "it's like preparing for a mountaineering expedition".

His tips are:

• focus on clothes that provide good insulation such as those made of wool
• gloves and warm socks are more important than a hat (but a woolly hat will help too)
• switch foods to a higher carbohydrate diet
• generate more body heat by moving around and not just sitting in a chair and watching TV.

As the weather gets colder, Matt Taylor and Colletta Smith share money-saving tips.

 

[Male Idiot]

I heard it is 15C and before that you can't keep up your core temperature. But that maybe without warm clothes or moving, like a guy sitting in a room in shorts.

Cavemen had furs and firewood. I am now happy Orbán didn't piss of Putin Daddy. The AC keeps the room at 20C. Why not 18? Because fuck the Ukraine and more importantly fuck the environment! Suck negro cocks climate goblin!

 

[WeedFaggot024]

literally just wear more layers.

 

[Sparkletor 2.0]

and hopefully any kittens and puppies are at least 8 weeks old, before that they can't regulate their body temperatures very well. Before 6 weeks of age they need an environment that is at least 70-72F. Hopefully the animal shelters will be ok. Nothing sadder than thinking of cats and dogs dying of hypothermia in a tiny metal cage. For any of the Euros out there, please consider contacting your local shelter to see what their situation is, and if it isn't good, if something can be done, please consider doing so. If the situation is hopeless, at least consider adopting a cat and/or dog and give them a home where they will survive the winter.

I agree. Without gas, how are we going to murder all the puppies and kitties?

 

[Ser Prize]

There's a reason so many things had such harsh crimes in medieval times: the peasants simply wouldn't stop doing it. Poaching, illegal wood harvesting, etc. And just like today, plenty of men charged with enforcing the lord's justice would look the other way if you cut them in. Get caught with a few rabbits you really shouldn't have? Give the man a couple to take home to cook, and next thing you know he didn't see anyone while he was out patrolling for poachers.

Peasants were allowed to hunt rabbits. They weren't allowed to hunt deer, though, IIRC.

 

[Cheesegirl78]

Lived in northern Maine when dad was stationed at Loring AFB.
Brutally cold winters, it got down to -72 degrees once with the wind chill.
We kids didn't give a shit, just threw on a few more layers and kept on having snowball fights and ice skating.

 

[postfeetpls]

Or you could have not goaded Russia into a war on your doorstep.

Reminded me of an article I read from some russian magazine about Europe starving to death, food shortages, empty shelves.
It's amazing how many people believe Europeans will literally freeze or starve to death without the vatniks

 

[Overly Serious]

Spent three winters in Korea, in the 70's and 80's. Lived downtown almost all the first time, lived downtown the entire second time. Would say Korean winters are much harsher than winters in the UK or most of Europe.

Depending where we lived, heated through various means, but always dressed warmly. At one place had steam heating with local charcoal/coal as the fuel. At another place used a charcoal/coal heater, with ventilation. Note - Korean charcoal/coal at that time was very high-sulfur. You'd buy a metal chimney before heating season started and by spring the sulfur would eat holes in the chimney. At another place we used kerosene space heaters. We would go to the bathhouse downtown for our baths/showers, which was kept plenty warm.

First thing people in this fix should do is to seal the windows, using plastic sheeting. If not affordable, at least put cloths/rags at the bottom, where the window opens up. Weatherstripping around doors isn't pricey and can help. Leave one window openable. Don't fuck around and not ventilate - carbon monoxide kills.

Depending where you are, you get a space heater, electric, kerosene, or bottled gas. May need to keep just one room warm and pretty much live in that room. Many, many Koreans lived this way in the winter.

People are endlessly inventive. Surprising how inventive people can be when they need to be.

I used to put bubble wrap over my windows in Winter. Had some mates who worked at a place where there were vast sheets of the stuff going spare so I got it off them after deliveries. Just taped it over the windows with duct tape. Now this did mean that I couldn't see the view out of my window... which was also a positive.

I can't help but wonder who or what the article is even for? It doesn't read like giving you any real or actionable advice that isn't common sense caveman level instinct, it's not informing you of any practical methods or alternatives, nor calling you into action to yell at UK and Yurop leaders to solve the fuel and power problem before it's too late...

There's a reason it doesn't offer any solutions. Its purpose is to prime people for the government's own solutions. Which could be energy rationing. The BBC do this often - start promoting a crisis ready for some government measure to solve it. Back in the day there was a sudden rash of stories about GPs earning sky-high amounts. (Which was a distortion for a number of reasons but the largest of which factoring in "dispensing practices" which owned a pharmacy on premises). After a few weeks of this the government announced their new payment system for GP partnerships which significantly reduced the compensation GPs got for their work (for the burgers, GP = doctor). The whole thing was basically laying the ground for the public to be unsympathetic to doctors speaking out against the reduction in their earnings.

That was the early 2000's. Same as it ever was.

Watch for government policy announcements in a week or two.

 

[WonderWino]

First thing people in this fix should do is to seal the windows, using plastic sheeting. If not affordable, at least put cloths/rags at the bottom, where the window opens up. Weatherstripping around doors isn't pricey and can help. Leave one window openable. Don't fuck around and not ventilate - carbon monoxide kills.

On that note lots of dollar stores sell winterizing kits for windows for very cheap this time of year. Like $1 - $3 per kit. Dollarama has tons of them in stock. Basically its just sheets of plastic, double sided tape and some stuff to stick in the cracks of the windows to seal them up better. It can take a bit of practice to do it right but its worth the effort and really helps keep the cold out, especially in older houses. Also, if you run a hair dryer over the plastic after the window has been finished it'll shrink the plastic a bit and make a tighter seal. I recommend using a scalpel to remove the excess bits of plastic so they don't catch on anything and damage the seal if anything gets torn

I usually spend less than $20 a year on sealing up my windows and it saves me at least a few hundred dollars in heating per year. At this point probably far more considering how expensive its getting. The cost is absolutely worth it

 

[Grub]

Here you go eurocucks. You're welcome.

 

[.iota.]

People have absolutely died from hypothermia at 50-60 degrees F.

One of the theories is that your brain thinks, "It's not that cold, I can tough it out."

It is that cold and if you're lost in the woods, it's time to seek shelter and fire.

in wilderness medicine, there's a concept known as "the umbles". it's a list of signs that indicate the onset of hypothermia. as the temperature drops, your body will burn more calories, specifically carbohydrates, which causes a drop in your blood sugar. initially, you'll experience irritability (grumbling). as your body begins to shunt blood from your extremities to your core, you'll experience difficulty with fine motor skills (fumbling with objects). as it progresses, you'll have difficulty articulating words (mumbling). as it becomes life-threatening, you'll experience difficulty forming coherent thoughts (more severe mumbling) and performing gross motor skills (stumbling and tumbling over terrain). all of this can occur at temperatures well above freezing, especially with a wind-chill.

tl;dr: if you're in the wilderness when it gets cold and you or a friend start grumbling, fumbling, mumbling, stumbling, or tumbling over things, immediately add layers, find shelter, build a fire, and eat or drink something warm.

 

[Garm]

Here you go eurocucks. You're welcome.

I want to complain about this but this is actually clever.

 

[Grub]

I want to complain about this but this is actually clever.

It's pretty good except for using gutters as ducting. You'd be better off just spending the money to get some flex ducting or even some solid ducting. Gutters are usually aluminum which has a much lower melting point than steel.

 

[Butterschmalz]

It doesnt matter if you freeze in winter as long as you can show the Russians "wo der Hammer haengt".

 

[Snekposter]

Peasants were allowed to hunt rabbits. They weren't allowed to hunt deer, though, IIRC.

Well, just hand over a haunch to the guy, then. Free venison is a good reason to let a poacher escape the death penalty, after all.

Reminded me of an article I read from some russian magazine about Europe starving to death, food shortages, empty shelves.
It's amazing how many people believe Europeans will literally freeze or starve to death without the vatniks

Its amazing how many Europeans believe that, too, judging by this article. One can only hope...

Here you go eurocucks. You're welcome.

Oil heating? In Europe? My man, they can't do that. Do you know how polluting heating oil is? HOW DARE YOU!

 

[Manul Otocolobus]

I used to put bubble wrap over my windows in Winter. Had some mates who worked at a place where there were vast sheets of the stuff going spare so I got it off them after deliveries. Just taped it over the windows with duct tape. Now this did mean that I couldn't see the view out of my window... which was also a positive.

This is honestly an inspired idea. Not only is it an increase in surface area, it include a second dead air space, being the bubbles. I wouldn't doubt that it is actually more effective than the thin plastic sheeting most places use. It would make for an interesting study.

 

[WelfareNiggerQueen]

F Eurocucks they literally have 0 survival skills. Well at least the "smart" ones according to this article.

I like the Winter because I save a lot on my energy bill with turning off the A/C. I have a lot of blankets so when I get home I just retreat under the giant pile and become a comfy moth while watching anime or playing vidya.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

Laughs in Arctic Survival School and Poor White Trash Background feats.

It's interesting their doing the test to see what happens to the unprotected human body.

However, the room is designed to STAY cold.

There might be a lot of people playing Crisis on old rigs to keep their little tiny Europoor hovel warm. You can put on socks and boots, put on your big boy pants, maybe a t-shirt and flannel shirt.

I'm not talking a scarf, gloves, and hat indoors, I'm just talking dressing for the season.

Winter is where you break out the ugly sweater even when you're inside. When you break out the fuzzy socks and the heavier jeans (Yes, Virginia, they make jeans in a heavier denim to stay warmer).

I can remember the snow in Germany, out in The Gap. How cold it was outside (Spit on the ground and the frozen saliva bounces) and the fact you could get frostbite in minutes on a cold night if you weren't properly protected.

A lot of people don't know, even if you wear the soft knitted mittens/gloves, you need the hard exterior shell to keep the wind from cutting through. Wear the leather/canvas/nylon glove shells, people. The scarf also goes over your mouth and nose so you aren't pulling in ice cold air into your lungs. Breathe slow and steady, give the air time to warm. Don't eat a half hour before going out into the cold, because the body moved the blood to the torso for digestion.

Do NOT put alcohol in your water to keep is slush or liquid, now you've got below freezing water in your canteen or thermos and are fucked when you drink it.

Inside, boil an egg or something. Don't do the 'open the over door' because that's not as good as boiling an egg.

Fuck, I used to have to get up before the girls of the family, wake up my brother, we'd cut the firewood and carry it in, start the fire in the wood stove, put the teakettle on top of the wood stove. We'd have cold and frost on the inside of the window.

Of course, now my house is at a nice 74F in the winter.

Hints and tips up to "Holy shit, there's frost on the floor!" conditions:

• Put up a new door seal. Your door seal gives it up after about 3-5 years. If you can feel a breeze or if you hold a match/lighter near the door and the flame moves, your seal is broken.
• Put plastic over the window or do the above hints. The bubblewrap one is pretty good.
• Wrap all pipes.
• Fuzzy pajamas to walk around in
• Thermal underwear under clothing. Take them off in the bathroom at work and put them in a backpack.
• Grabbing your scarf and gloves should become habit as you leave the house. Gloves with a hard-shell.
• Thin blankets or sheets over doorways to rooms you don't use that much.
• Slippers by the bed so your feet stay warm.
• Move pet-bed by the water heater.
• Hold off on your shower until after the house heats up a little.
• Buy a nice comfy robe. Keep next to bed.
• Hang thicker curtains in the winter.
• Let the faucets drip so you don't end up with busted pipes.
• Oil the keyholes in the doors. WD40 is fine. The mechanism can freeze up.
• Oil hinges since you're at it, you lazy fuck.
• $20 rugs on the floor.
• Now's the time to put up that cool tapestry you bought of Sonic chasing Tails on the wall to provide further wall insulation. (Yes, I've put blankets on the walls)
• Make your attic venting is good. Make sure no squirrels built a nest in it.
• Sprinkle salt on your steps when they start getting icy. Not tablesalt but good ol' sea salt.
• Put layers on your bed. Add an under-sheet. If you can afford it, get a thinner comforter one size bigger than your bed and put it under the sheet. Use a top sheet, a thinner blanket, then two or more blankets.
• If it's REALLY cold, do not go the full thermals and the like. Use the thin night-clothes (if it's really bad, you'll find out that male nightgowns are handy as fuck) or sleep nude. You don't want sweat getting between the blanket layers and freezing. (Yes, that is a thing)
• You know those flat bottles, usually old whiskey 5ths? Fill them with scalding hot water, put them in a nice thick sock, put it in bed with you when you first go to bed. A hot water bottle is fucking great to help warm up the bed and keep your core temp up.
• Put socks on the baby. Sleeping mittens if you have them, dress the baby in layers, or put the baby in bed with you. I know they so don't do it because some of you fat fucks roll over on them, but the baby can't regulate their temp.
• If your apartment doesn't have heat, cover the vents. You don't want heat escaping that way.
• There's nothing wrong with putting a sheet or blanket over the outside doors. Do you want to survive the cold winter under the new King or do you want your corpse to look good?
• Hot, high carb meals. That's one thing I learned.
• Booze is 'false heat' and actually makes you colder. Hot tea and coffee. What's that, you don't like that? Well... suck it up, buttercup. Hot soup is good too.
• Flour or corn starch to 'thicken' watery canned soup. Add in some pepper and salt. You get everything you need, plus the flour/corn starch. Now, I prefer sorghum flour.
• Good breakfast is corn meal/cream of wheat. You can put an egg on top if you want. Also, Eggie in a Basket, which is a lard fried piece of buttered bread with an egg in the cut-out middle. Good, quick, has what you need.
• A good cordaroy or denim jacket with a fleece lining is really good. Cuts the wind and helps you stay warm even if you're wet.
• If there's snow on the ground and it's a bright day do NOT use sunglasses. The visible light will be cut down, your pupils will get big, and the UV will rip up your eyeballs. Put one wrap of a loosely knit scarf over the eyes.
• Check your vehicle's emergency kit.
• Make sure you have emergency blankets and a change of clothing in your vehicle
• Half a half-dozen white candles in your trunk
• White candles being burned can help warm the room. Small room, and not much, but it does help.

I know a lot more, but I doubt any of you will need to build an igloo or an emergency crawl shelter and use a candle to heat it, or to how to properly melt snow into water without ending up with the particles.

 

[Overly Serious]

This is honestly an inspired idea. Not only is it an increase in surface area, it include a second dead air space, being the bubbles. I wouldn't doubt that it is actually more effective than the thin plastic sheeting most places use. It would make for an interesting study.

Just watch out for damp if you do it for very long. My flat used to get a bit muggy if I had heating on as well. Though fortunately (kind of) I usually didn't.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

Just watch out for damp if you do it for very long. My flat used to get a bit muggy if I had heating on as well. Though fortunately (kind of) I usually didn't.

A dehumidifier run at certain times is really good. You don't want lungs full of moist warm air when you go outside and take that first breath of ice cold air.

Good way to end up with a chest cold. (Fuck you, it's an old's wives tale but I'll believe it over The Experts(TM) nowadays)

 

[Spit bucket]

Having a cold room helps sleep but a sub-zero room makes a permanent sleep.