It’s hard to imagine your home or office space without cooling during the hot summer months nowadays. While it’s extremely uncomfortable to walk around in your working shirt in summer it’s not the worst problem you can experience. Humidity and heat are sometimes unbearable and can cause a lot of health issues for sensitive groups of people. There are great benefits in using the air-co, especially if you and your close ones fall into these categories. However, there are some risks associated with it as well that you need to be aware of.
First and the most obvious benefit of air conditioning and allergies is obviously comfort. No sweating and drowsiness, sticking to your working chair or an overall unpleasant feeling in your office or home, regardless of the outside temperature.
- Air conditioning helps in reducing heat stroke risks as AC as protection against heatwaves and high temperatures. These are the key factors claiming hundreds of lives across the U.S. yearly, especially in the greater risk groups. Children under the age of 4, senior citizens over the age of 65, overweight people, and people with certain conditions are at a greater risk of suffering consequences from extreme heat. As heat expands blood vessels it consequentially affects the heart rate and the blood pressure, putting a lot of stress on the organism. Typically physicians recommend hydrating and staying in chilled spaces during the heat peaks.
- Battling allergies and asthma can both be easier with the help of air conditioning. For asthmatic patients, air-co lowers the humidity in the operating space, helping their battle with the attacks. This also leads to the reduction of dust mites and mold that can also cause problems. During the blossoming season when allergies peak your air-co is the first line of defense against the nasty pollen. If you are allergic to ragweed, your doctor is probably going to advise staying in as much as possible. When it blossoms to avoid exposure and air-co’s filtering systems helps with that.
These were the main advantages of the air conditioner but here are some cons to consider when using the cooling as well.
Side Effects of the Air Conditioner
- For people spending a lot of time indoors, where air-co is running, there is a risk of developing sick building syndrome. This is actually a series of symptoms that can occur and they include:
- Nausea
- Feeling of dizziness
- Itchy eyes and dry throat
ventilation and HEPA and carbon filtration can help to reduce the risk of developing these symptoms which is why those spaces where there is no flow of fresh air are at greater risk.
- If not maintained properly, air-co systems can become a dangerous source of bacteria, mold, and fungi. If moisture starts accumulating in the coils of the system when the cooling is on, it can lead to the development of mold and fungus. The next thing that happens is this harmful material is blown in the living space, jeopardizing our health. When these microorganisms enter the human system they can cause problems such as pneumonia and even Legionnaire’s disease which is radical inflammation of the lungs caused by bacteria legionella.
How to Avoid Issues?
Firstly, take good care when adjusting the temperature on the cooling. Make sure the temperature difference is not radical as it can cause a shock to your body. This is especially important for the young ones and other sensitive groups, so take your time to adjust before exiting your apartment, office or car. The next thing is maintaining the air filter and the vent system. If left unattended air filters and filthy vents are the sources of many problems and can cause health problems. Get in touch with our experts for the maintenance of your air-co system with the latest equipment to improve the quality of the air and reducing the risks to your health.
