Clearview National November 2017 - Issue 192 | Page 60

PROUD SPONSOR OF DOORS & WINDOWS
DOORS&WINDOWS
How
rooflights
can benefit
health
» » ROOF MAKER PIONEERS THE
manufacture of high-performance glass units
in overhead glazing structures. The company
has released information that explores the
surprising benefits of natural light, mainly
from sky lights, on our health.
Rooflights provide a number of health
benefits because they provide natural
ventilation and let the sun flood into a
home.
TREAT SEASONAL
AFFECTIVE DISORDER
Not getting enough exposure to sunlight
is thought to contribute to Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD, also known as winter
depression, which is estimated to affect about
six per cent of the UK population. Lack
of sunlight may lead to changes in brain
chemistry, such as lower serotonin levels,
which is linked to depression.
REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING
CANCER AND DIABETES
If you don’t get enough natural light at the
right times during the day, your body clock
can be disrupted, which can affect your sleep.
In the long term, this can lead to heart disease,
diabetes, cancer and mental illness.
STOP INFECTIONS
FROM SPREADING
Natural ventilation can help prevent
infections like the common cold from
spreading by diluting and dispersing the
microbes which cause them. Rooflights with
electric openings are great for providing
natural ventilation.
DEVELOP HEALTHY
EYESIGHT IN CHILDREN
Short-sightedness is increasing at an
unprecedented rate and could affect one third
of the world’s population by 2020. A lack of
sunlight is thought to possibly be contributing
60 » N OV 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
to the phenomenon, particularly in children,
by disrupting the production of dopamine
which helps the eyes develop properly.
MINIMISE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS
Mould thrives in poorly ventilated
conditions and can trigger allergy and
asthma symptoms. Improvements in natural
ventilation are estimated to reduce lung-
related illnesses by up to 20 per cent.
LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
The sun helps lower your blood pressure by
causing your blood vessels to widen when it
hits your skin. High blood pressure is a risk
factor for developing heart disease, so research
is underway into whether sunlight can help.
REDUCE INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
Mechanical ventilation, such as ceiling fans,
can lead to a build-up of indoor pollutants
released by cleaning products, paints, air
fresheners, furniture and office equipment like
printers.
This can irritate the eyes, nose and throat
and cause headaches, dizziness and tiredness.
An opening rooflight provides natural
ventilation and is a great alternative to air
conditioning.
STRENGTHEN YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Opening the window to allow the sunlight
to hit your skin directly helps your body
make vitamin D, which has all manner of
health benefits from strengthening your
immune system to keeping your bones
strong.
DID YOU KNOW
• Rooflights let in up to three times more
natural light than standard windows.
• The sun’s UV radiation is made up of
different wavelengths (UVA, UVB and
UVC) which affect the body in various
ways. Only UVA and UVB reach the
earth and affect parts of the body like
the eyes and skin. UVA makes up about
95 per cent of radiation which reaches
earth.
• Indoor lights are not bright enough
to give you the health benefits you
get from natural light. Brightness is
measured in lux and a normal light
bulb only has about 250 to 500 lux,
while sunlight has between 50,000 to
100,000 lux.
https://roof-maker.co.uk