[Kok! Health] "If you turn it on too much..." Safe Use of Car Heaters in Winter

As the weather rapidly gets colder, more people are turning on the heater while driving. However, excessive use of the heater can cause dryness and even lead to traffic accidents, so caution is necessary.

Professor Shim Kyung-won of the Department of Family Medicine at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital advises, “When turning on the heater while driving, it is important to carefully follow precautions such as humidity control and ventilation.”

The heater, which emits hot air to raise the temperature inside the vehicle, dries out the interior. As indoor humidity decreases due to heater use, symptoms such as itching and aging caused by dry skin, respiratory immune decline due to dryness of the respiratory mucosa, and dry eyes can occur. Additionally, low humidity inside the vehicle can cause static electricity during winter.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to humidity management inside the vehicle when using the heater. Using a car humidifier or placing well-cleaned tangerine peels or wet towels inside the car are also effective methods. Depending on symptoms, appropriately using moisturizers, artificial tears, and masks can also help prevent dryness caused by heater use.

Also, when getting into a car on a cold day and turning on the heater, body temperature rises rapidly, which can cause drowsy driving. The interior temperature of the vehicle should be maintained at a slightly cool level of 20 to 23 degrees Celsius.

Many people also fail to ventilate properly as cold winds blow. However, ventilation is even more important in winter when the heater is on. Especially when smoking while driving, the concentration of fine dust inside the vehicle worsens drastically, so it is essential to open the windows periodically for ventilation.

Professor Shim Kyung-won emphasized, “I hope everyone regularly checks the health of their respiratory system, skin, and eyes, and prepares countermeasures when using the heater to ensure healthy driving.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.