Breathing strange. If it because of wood burner?? - please help...

[Melon1]

Hi

I am so miserable right now and just wish this HA would leave me alone, so I can get on with my life... I have had so many illnesses with HA and I now am so worried with this most recent bout that I am starting to make myself properly ill, mentally and physically.

Early last year, I decided to get a wood burning stove to help with gas bills etc and loved the idea of a real fire during the winter months to snuggle up to. Well, we got the fire mid Jan and have lit it every night. Some nights smoke has blown back into the room as the draw on the flue has not been great, especially on cold, still nights. Anyway, I have had a sore throat for the last three weeks. It seems to be worse when occasionally smoke fills the room. When I open the glass door, a small amount of smoke can get into the lounge when I am putting on more logs, but this has not really bothered me. It is a very efficient stove and when it gets to a certain heat, the logs almost combust!

Last night, smoke filled the room and I had to open both my lounge windows. It burned my throat and made me cough. I have made the mistake of googling 'are wood burners harmful' and my god I wish i hadnt!!! I have now found out that wood burners omit really harmful particles and gases, way more harmful than cigarettes! It has completely freaked me out and I have now read articles on how the smoke can damage your childrens lungs and development, cause lung cancer etc. I am completely gutted and broke down into a complete mess when my husband returned from the pub last night as I just kept thinking I am poisoning my children... and each other!!

My husband just looked at me as if I was completely mental. He said people have been having fires for hundreds of years and his parents did and there is nothing to worry about. But seriously these articles have really frightened me. I now think that as I have lit the fire every night for the last month, I have inhaled particles deep into my lungs which will never come out and now I am destined to get lung cancer! I spent a lot of money on this fire and am so sad about it...... I now that I can now never use it again! My husband is really pissed off with me. He knows that he cant use it or I will freak out and I am making his life miserable. He took our children swimming this morning and I spent the morning googling and getting so anxious about our fire. I burst into tears when he got home... again!

Over the last few years I have tried so hard to live a healthy life to try to avoid diseases etc.... I think a symptom of my HA. I do loads of exercise, eat healthily, drink in moderation (kind of), don't smoke anymore... Used to.... I only used natural organic products on my skin and natural cleaning products. So, the fact that I did not research wood burning stoves has infuriated me.... I so wish that I had chosen a gas one instead with no emissions.

What does anyone think of my situation..? I really need some advice from someone who knows about this kind of thing.; I am so worried I have done some long term damage to me and my family.

Thank you so much.
XX

[swanlinnet]

It is true things outside of us do effect our health. For example, air fresheners' are the biggest culprit of all if you have a sensitive chest.

I suppose it's learning what does effect our body outside of us and eliminating it.

I suffered terrible asthma until I discovered it was caused directly by having air fresheners in the house.

Hope this helps a bit.

Vince :)

[Melon1]

Guess it must be the fire then..... my husband seems fine with it... but am just worried about the articles I have read about the toxins in smoke...

Have heard about people being allergic to air fresheners..

Just wish that someone could say that wood burners are safe... does anyone reading have a wood burning stove?

Thanks Vince

x

[Danii]

I lived in a house with a wood burning stove, and I have asthma, and it did not affect me. This is because I have mild asthma though, its only triggered by a severe illness.

I've heard of peoples lungs being irritated by wood burning stoves (usually the smoke and what type of wood they were burning), dust, animal dander, so it is possible it could irritate your lungs i'd assume, but I dont know how sensetive yours are. Smoke isnt good for anyones lungs period though, as far as it blowing back into your house.

[sebinkent]

Inhaling smoke is never going to be a good thing for your lungs but the occasional bit of smoke from a wood burner entering your room is inevitable and not going to cause you problems. As your husband says, people have been having open, wood fires in their homes for centuries! I grew up in a farm house with a big log fire in the sitting room that we lit religiously every winter and we never had any problems. It would be a great shame to stop using your wood burner.

Check out this link:

http://www.kulekat.com/woodburners/prosandconsinstallingwoodburningstove.html

[bettykitten]

You should have your chimney lined and the flue mended! It IS dangerous and carcinogens will be leaking into your house if you have a dodgy set-up. Sorry if that sounds alarming but it's true. My uncle installs these things for a living and they need to be done properly. Smoke filling your room is not a good sign. Don't use it again until it has been looked at!

[mikewales]

With a wood burner, you shouldnt have any smoke escaping into the room, it should all be taken out by the flue / chimney, even when the door is open. This is why people in the past who had open fires used to get the chimney swept regularly as it needs a clear path to cold air for the hot fumes and smoke from the fire to be effectively sucked out.

I would get in touch with whoever fitted the burner and tell them to come back and do it properly !