Winter coughing.

Been coughing for weeks now- both got a bad cold nearly 3 weeks ago- then had to go on emergency grandkid sitting trip to UK and are now back, still coughing. Not relevant for me, but OH says that ACE inhibitors and related medication, can exacerbate coughs and keep them going for much longer. Olbas oil inhalations still the best remedy to help. Better get better soon before they all arrive for Christmas (can't wait, but need to be fit and strong to make the best of it all).

Soutra had all the tests for asthma which were negative. I do have an inhaler for when the cough gets too much. Since moving the drying to the spare bedroom the coughing is down by at least 50%. I'm pleased to say.

There is that new Dettol additive that is supposed to get rid of all bacteria, but you add it to the final rinse [like conditioner] and it bothers me that it's still on the fabric afterwards.

I read about this the other day; we do dry stuff on a rack on the landing as the warm air rises up to there, but mostly tumble dry it in a condensing dryer.

MIL's house was always very damp as she had no central heating. She used to put pots of crystals around which were supposed to attract the damp, they were always full of water and looked very suspect, probably full of germs and spores. She had asthma and DD2 always used to wheeze more when we stayed there.

DH (who professes to know about these things ) says bedding and towels should be washed on at least a 60C wash, anything less does not kill off the bacteria.

DD suffered from a persistent cough during the winter when she lived in a damp cottage which also had mould in the bathroom. I kept telling her not to dry her clothes in front of the radiators but she was a bit strapped so didn't want to use her tumble drier. Last winter she was really poorly so this year, now that she has moved on to the farm with us, it will be interesting to see what happens. Her mobile home is dry as a bone, as is our wooden frame bungalow so with no damp or mould she should be OK.

There's been a bit in the papers recently about aspergillosis being on the increase due to people drying their clothes indoors.

I read that recently as well. I can't dry my clothes in the utility room because the dog is always running in and out so the drier tends to end up next to the big radiator in the hall. I do have a dehumidifier next to it so there shouldn't be to much moisture in the air, though. I don't think it's the moisture from the clothes but the fact that we wash things on lower temperatures and don't kill off all of the bacteria, compounded by the fact that our houses are now so well insulated that there's nowhere for the stale air to go.

Asthma?

Hadn't actually thought of spores floating about in the air!

I wouldn't have thought breathing in the evaporated water would make you cough. Isn't moisture in the air a good thing with central heating? I think it is the spores, which would be visible, that were bad for you.

I have also heard that it is fungi that gives us allergies in the winter. Me, I find cold damp air outside, is what makes me cough.