All living organisms need fresh air. Anyone can notice that in a stuffy room, efficiency drops sharply, concentration deteriorates, and the head starts to hurt. In a word, airflow is essential. But under certain conditions, another danger arises. So what is a draft?
About ventilation
Long stay indoors without access to fresh air negatively affects a person's well-being. And it's not a lack of oxygen - quite the contrary. The fact is that with breathing and from the skin of a person, a large amount of substances is released into the air, primarily carbon dioxide. With an increase in its concentration, fatigue and headache appear. Without access to fresh air, the symptoms will only get worse.
This is why ventilation is so important. It is necessary to spend it all year round 2-3 times a day. In the morning, this will help to renew the air that has stagnated during the night hours, and in the evening it will be better to fall asleep. But you need to do it differently depending on the time of year and weather. In winter, it is better to carry out intensive short ventilation. After leaving the room, you need to open the window and close the doorfor 3-4 minutes. This method will not work if there are plants on the windowsill that are sensitive to low temperatures, in which case they will get sick and may die. Well, for a long time, an open window gives a relatively small influx of air, but it cools the room much more. In addition, this style of ventilation can provoke a phenomenon such as drafts. And then the desire for he alth can turn into unpleasant diseases.
What is a draft?
Sitting in a room with an open window and door, those who are close to the latter have probably noticed an unpleasant chill going down their legs more than once. It makes you cringe and drink tea more often. This is a draft - a fast and usually cold flow of air between two of its sources. Sometimes you can not even notice it, if, for example, get carried away with work. But he still insidiously makes itself felt by local hypothermia and, possibly, subsequent diseases. That is why you need to provide good thermal insulation at home, carefully choose a place to sleep, especially for small children, and also make sure that cold air flow, for example from an air conditioner, is not directed at the legs, neck, torso during work.
When does it occur?
According to the laws of physics, the faster the air moves, the narrower the space it is in. When passing through an open window into a room, its speed increases. And the narrower the gap, the faster it will move - usually it reaches its greatest intensityjust above the floor and a little higher. If the windows are closed, but do not fit well to the frame, these gaps will still be blown. And it can be exacerbated by some other factors. Therefore, the first rule of ventilation is to open a window rather than a window. In the first case, the air will be updated faster with a smaller decrease in room temperature. And the second, according to the presence of other factors, is this: if the window is open, the door must be closed. This rule also works vice versa. It is especially important if the window is opposite the door. In the event that they are open at the same time, and a person is on the path of the flow for a long time, most likely, he will subsequently fall ill. By the way, the same effect can be obtained by sitting under the air conditioner. In any case, it is not surprising that in many countries, even warm ones, they are so careful about drafts.
What is dangerous?
So now it's clear what a draft is, but why is everyone so afraid of it? The fact is that it provokes a local decrease in temperature and, accordingly, local immunity. But it is actually dangerous not only for people. Animals and plants also suffer from hypothermia without good thermal insulation. And when repairing, it’s better not to forget what a draft is and how insidious it is.
For people and animals
For people, local hypothermia is primarily fraught with diseases such as colds, myositis or muscle spasm, as well as neuralgia. The people say so - "blown away." Depending on where a person has a weak point,a draft can "hit" the ears and nose, kidneys, pelvic organs, muscles, etc. A decrease in immunity can provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases, such as herpes. So do not underestimate the danger, even a common cold with insufficient treatment can cause complications.
Animals are also very sensitive to air currents. If there is a draft in the room, dogs, cats, birds, etc., can get sick if the resting places are not properly located. This is especially true of the latter, as well as short-haired pets and those who are generally devoid of hair. Drafts are also especially dangerous for those whose immunity is reduced due to natural causes - for very young or aged animals. Therefore, you need to make sure that the cage or bed is raised above the floor by at least a dozen centimeters - this will reduce the danger.
For plants
Most of the house flowers are very fond of fresh air. This is as important a factor as temperature, lighting, watering. But at the same time, the vast majority also cannot stand drafts, instantly shedding leaves and dying. The fact is that the high humidity around the flowers, coupled with the cold air flow, gives dampness, which is especially dangerous for young shoots and sprouts. To prevent such problems, you can pick up special greenhouses that are placed on the windowsill. It will also solve the problem of plant protection during short-term ventilation.
For repair
For manytechnological processes occurring during the renovation of the interior of the apartment, it is necessary that there was no draft in the room. This applies primarily to wallpapering, because due to the flow of cold air and uneven drying of the glue, they can begin to move away from the walls, which will negate several hours of work. That is why after this stage is completed, the room is locked for about a day, it cannot be ventilated.
Prevention measures
First of all, you need to pay attention to the thermal insulation of the room, if we are talking about a house. If possible, get rid of old wooden cracked windows with cracks, install new double-glazed windows. If any problems still arise, there are special linings on the window sill that protect against air currents. Similar ones exist for doors if they do not close tightly.
Next, you can change the flooring to a carpet or something similar. This additionally insulates the room, and also eliminates the gaps under the door. And although the care of such a coating is more laborious, he alth is worth it.
You should also pay attention to the air conditioner, if any. It must be located so that the air flow from it is not directed towards people. Ideal location - in the hallway or hallway, where no one is constantly.
One more thing - choosing the right clothes. Where there is no way to change the location of the table, for example, standing in the draft itself, you need to insulate. It is worth paying attention to the most vulnerable parts of the body- Legs and feet. Their hypothermia is fraught with colds, sinusitis and even toothache. In second place, especially for women, is the lower back. It is also worth protecting the neck, shoulders and ears, their hypothermia also leads to unpleasant consequences. And, of course, it makes sense to pay attention to your immunity - to carry out vitamin therapy and hardening.
Finally, the golden rule: if the window is open, the door must be closed. And vice versa.
Mistakes
Open windows and doors in front of them, contrary to popular belief, do not provoke drafts on their own. On the contrary - window leaves and narrow cracks are much more dangerous. Therefore, the so-called winter ventilation on modern windows does not allow you to safely renew the air if you stay in the room and do not close the door. Moreover, the speed of the draft will even increase. So a brief intense airing - especially during the cold season - is ideal.
Not opening windows is also a mistake. And it's not just about potential carbon dioxide poisoning. The fact is that stagnant indoor air is an ideal medium for the transmission of diseases by airborne droplets. Without long ventilation, one employee who catches a cold and comes to work in a day will infect everyone who is next to him. Therefore, even in the off-season, open windows 2-3 times a day for a couple of minutes is not a whim, but a necessity.
Be he althy!
