Infrared heater: health benefit or risk?

Are infrared heaters bad for you? Are they dangerous? Or do they actually have health benefits? Those who have experienced infrared heaters know first-hand the comfortable heat they create. Nonetheless, many still have doubts and fear that infrared radiation is hazardous to their health. After all, most associate the word radiation with negative things such as nuclear radiation or X-radiation. In this article, we demystify the effects of infrared radiation and tell you how it affects your body.

3 characteristics of infrared heaters

1. Infrared rays heat up bodies, objects and walls directly
2. Infrared heating panels don’t create air and dust circulation
3. The air won’t be heated which means the humidity level stays the same.

Are infrared heaters dangerous for your body?

No. Infrared radiation is not dangerous for your health. Infrared radiation is the same radiation emitted by the sun making us feel cozy on a sunny autumn day. They differ completely from X-radiation or microwaves. Many think since the sun is emitting UV-rays, which can be damaging to our skin, the dangers of infrared heaters must have the same since we claim that the heat is similar to the one from the sun. They are wrong. Firstly UV-rays have also health benefits besides its harms such as skin cancer or retina damage. It is our number one source of Vitamin D, can treat some skin conditions and has positive effects on people suffering from hypertension.

But that aside, the sun is emitting three different types of electromagnetic radiation: sunlight, UV-rays, and infrared rays. You wouldn’t assume that sunlight is causing cancer, would you? Amongst those three, infrared rays are responsible for the heat we feel which is the same feeling we get from infrared heating panels. Infrared heating system work with far infrared rays (infrared-C radiation). While long and intense exposure to infrared radiation can cause harm to the eye this is only the case for extremely hot occupational applications such as in the metal welding or glass blowing industry.

What are the health benefits of infrared heaters?

There are many reasons why you should use infrared heaters at home. Although it has many positive effects of infrared heating panels. On the one hand, the infrared heater prevents mold from forming on the walls, as it heats walls directly and keeps them dry. Moist cold walls are often the reason for spreading mold. Resulting health issues caused by mold can vary. They include headaches, respiratory disease, irritation of the mucous membranes and throat, joint problems, gastrointestinal problems, eczema, and laxity. With prolonged exposure to mold, these symptoms can become chronic.

Since infrared heating panels don’t heat the air, the humidity remains in the room. Dry air in the winter can dry out the mucous membranes, making us more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Did you know that actually fewer viruses survive in rooms with at least 30-40% humidity? Dry hot air can also make you feel sluggish and tired and is often the cause of headaches. Also, contact lens wearers feel more comfortable using infrared heating panels as the retina of the eye is not being dried out.

In winter, we tend to air our homes less, since it gets cold quickly takes long and lots of energy to heat up again. With infrared space heater, you can ventilate rooms without having to worry that afterward, it’s as cold as a refrigerator. Since the air is not heated but objects, most of the heat will stay in the room. Those suffering from allergies feel particularly comfortable in rooms that are heated with infrared, as there is no dust circulation. Convection heaters constantly stir up air and dust, which can easily lead to irritation. If you are allergic to dust and dust mites as well as if you have eczema or atopic dermatitis this may cause discomfort.

Infrared heating panels really do have the same effect as the sun in terms of heat. Infrared-C radiation penetrates the deep layers of the dermis and through that heating up our bodies. By heating up our skin our blood vessels expand and the blood circulation and metabolism is being stimulated. The absence of air currents can also have a positive effect on rheumatics and arthritics.

Are infrared heating panels a therapeutic appliance?

No, infrared heating panels are designed to heat in the most efficient way possible. However, they are not a therapy method but simply may have positive side effects on your health by eliminating the negative effects of convection heaters. Sure, its comfortable warmth can ease symptoms but it cannot cure and you should consult a doctor for an actual treatment. The above effects are through personal experience and our customer’s feedback.

If you are curious and want to experience infrared heat yourself, contact a Sundirect dealer near you to make an appointment in their showroom!