Air conditioners can indeed be a lifesaver in assisting to battle hot homes. These devices can become some of the best friends we’ve ever had while enduring humidity and heat. There’s nothing quite like switching on your air conditioner after a hard day at the office and feeling the cold air on your body.
But whether you’re a heavy user of your air conditioner, or turn it on sparingly, it’s great to be in the know about what your air conditioner may be doing to your health without you even knowing it.
The truth that your air conditioner might be causing unexpected health side effects will come as a massive shock to you. Who knew your A.C. could be raising your blood pressure?
Scroll through the article below for possible air conditioner side effects you must be aware of, as well as some tricks for getting around them.
While this doesn’t mean you should start to fear your air conditioners, it is excellent to know the possible dangers so we can stay in control of your health!
Air Conditioner Side Effects
1. Breathing Problems
The primary issue with having an air conditioner blast cold air into your humble workspace or abode is that they are not frequently cleaned as thoroughly as they should be. Not changing the filters may cause many different kinds of fungi and bacteria to pile up.
Air conditioners can also be a breeding place for black mold, due to the substantial amount of moisture that accumulates from condensation that’s created with all the cool air that passes through.
All these microorganisms living comfortably in your air conditioner can potentially lead to respiratory issues.
A quick solution for this is to make sure your air conditioning unit is cleaned frequently and that the filter should also be changed every regularly.
2. Dizziness and Headaches
That congested, stuffy, headachy feeling you get after being in an air-conditioned building all day long isn’t just you. The fact is, it may be that the air conditioning is the culprit.
Research in the IJE (International Journal of Epidemiology) links working in office spaces with central air conditioning directly to neurological and constitutional symptoms such as headaches and fatigue(1).
Try increasing the temperature up on your air conditioner so that you’re not freezing. Another solution would be to take frequent breaks to step outside for fresh air and to allow your body temperature to get back to normal.
3. Nasal Passages and Dry Skin
Another reason spending considerable bonding time with your air conditioner should be lessened due to the damaging effect it has on your skin.
Being that the cold, dry air causes the skin to lose its intrinsic moisture, the more time you expose air conditioning, the dryer your skin can become.
To fix irritated skin, make sure you’re keeping hydrated with lots of water and using a preferred moisturizer.
4. Heat Intolerance
While many people aren’t fans of extreme heat, the way to tell if you are heat intolerant is if you can’t be comfortable in hot weather.
Individuals who spend more time in air-controlled climates become more intolerant of the summer heat. The sensitivity stems from moving your body from cold climates to the sweltering outdoor air.
The most excellent way to prepare your body for the hot air is to try opening the window or using a fan instead. Who knows — you may find it more pleasant than air conditioning.
5. Symptoms Of A ‘Cold’
According to Oxford Journals(2), individuals who spend excess time in air-conditioned climates tend to require a massive amount of health care services for symptoms of flu or cold.
To make sure that you’re not making weekly trips to the physician, make sure all aspects of your room, car, and workspace are cleaned regularly. That includes the curtains, carpets, and anything in your space that might cause dust to accumulate, especially the air conditioner.
6. Weight Gain
Air conditioning can help keep our bodies at a temperature where we feel pleasant enough not to hit the gym or move much at all. This then causes us to burn fewer calories than we would normally burn in a natural climate where our bodies have to work to adjust to the environment.
When it’s sultry outside, people tend to turn on their air conditioner and enjoy the air rather than head out and exercise. People also tend to consume more food when it’s cold, which might be the case when one switches on the cold air in their abode.
7. Raised Blood Pressure
The temperature in which we live can impact our blood pressure and our overall health.
This is precisely linked to the small arteries in our skin constricting to prevent loss of body heat. In turn, this creates resistance to blood flow and increased blood pressure.
Those who deal with hypertension can avoid this impact on the blood pressure by avoiding cold climates and using air conditioning sparingly.
Knowing the possible side effects of using an air conditioner too much can help you to avoid them altogether!
