Fully opening curtains on windows protects against illnesses

Why dark rooms hurt your health

Are you also one of those people who often do not fully raise their blinds or the curtains on their windows during the day or even leave them completely closed? Then you unnecessarily endanger your health and put yourself at increased risk for various diseases.

The University of Oregon scientists found in their current research that if people only partially open their curtains during the day, it increases the likelihood of various diseases. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Microbiome".

If people in their home do not properly pull up the curtains and so little sunlight gets into the rooms, it can lead to illnesses. (Image: RFBSIP / fotolia.com)

Rooms should let in sunlight

Partial pathogenic bacteria are killed by sunlight. A dark environment makes these bacteria thrive better. Therefore, researchers warn that it is important to open shutters and curtains during the day. The experts also warned about windowless offices where there is only artificial light.

Dust can make you sick

Many people spend most of their time in buildings where exposure to dust particles is unavoidable. These dust particles carry bacteria that can make people sick, study author Dr. Ashkaan Fahimipour from the University of Oregon. It is therefore important to understand how the properties of buildings in which we live and work influence the ecosystem and how this can affect health.

How did different levels of light affect bacteria??

For the research work, the scientists created eleven identical miniature rooms in which different light intensities were permitted. After 90 days there were twice the number of multiplying bacteria in the dark rooms. This indicates that dark rooms with little or no light are not conducive to human health. Pathogenic bacteria in dust particles can more easily multiply in the dark. This can lead to diseases in people who are in these rooms, the researchers conclude.

For buildings, enough windows should be installed

In the light of the findings of the current study, physicians hope that buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals and homes will be designed to give the rooms better access to daylight. This could reduce the risk of infections due to dust, says study author Dr. Fahimipour added. (As)