6 Side Effects of Air Conditioners On Your Health
When the weather gets unbearably hot, you know very well you cannot live without the presence of an air conditioner. They are
If it breaks down and you require same day air conditioning repair to remain at a state of “just right”, you might be doing your body a disservice. Studies seem to confirm this as well; they reveal that people that work in environments that are over-conditioned go through immense fatigue and chronic headaches.
Other signs to look for include allergies, dehydration, and other potentially risky side effects like respiratory infections. Here are some of them.
1. Dehydration
You may not be aware that the side effects of air conditioners and
If the room has too much moving air, you need to hydrate as much as possible. It can also happen when the conditioning settings are very low, and you feel like you are too cold to drink any water.
2. Constant tiredness and other illnesses
If it is the middle of summer or a very hot day yet you are shivering at your desk, there is definitely something wrong with your body – and that leads to fatigue all of the time. If you work in an environment that has constant air conditioning, you notice that this may apply to you too – and it is not something that is farfetched.
People who work in such places will constantly experience migraines, and tiredness because the body is fighting to keep warm. You may not realize it unless it occurs to you, but respiratory illnesses are another hallmark of working in such a place, as well as challenges in breathing and irritation of the mucous membranes. That also means you become more vulnerable to catching a cold, the flu, or other sicknesses. It’s true that one of the worst side effects of air conditioners is the poor quality of the indoor air and the likely hood of getting sick because the germs are getting redistributed around the room rather than flying out the windows.
3. Drying out of the skin
Going hand in hand with dehydration is the increasing dryness of the skin. The body gradually loses its moisture content as humidity is sucked out, and when the skin does not have a consistent supply of moisturizers, you will start to suffer from cracks in the skin due to dryness.
In fact, there is a term for this condition – the ‘sick building syndrome’. Even though some symptoms and the side effects of air conditioners making you feel ill will generally clear up after a few hours, drying out of
4. Allergies and asthma
For people who suffer from asthma as well as allergies, staying for long periods in an air conditioned room can make their symptoms worse or trigger them. Of course, this will not apply to everybody, as there are people who find their problem decreasing when they are in an air conditioned room, but many also find their problem becoming worse.
On that note, it is very important to ensure the air conditioning system you use is properly maintained and cleaned. Otherwise, you risk exposing yourself and others to a host of microbes and triggers that will make you sick. The side effects of air conditioners on asthma and allergies can include coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose, and trouble breathing.
5. Increases the effects of chronic illnesses
In addition, air conditioning may be dangerous for individuals who struggle with chronic illnesses, as it can increase the effects and toll on their bodies.
For instance, the most notorious cases of AC problems are in people who suffer from low blood
6. The inability to handle heat
People who spend a lot of time in environments that are constantly air conditioned increasingly have little tolerance for summer temperatures. This may be due to the body going through a lot of stress as a result of moving to the hot summer air from the cool temperatures.
This leads to increases in deaths whenever heat waves occur – in fact, this figure now averages about 400 fatalities every summer. As you can see, the side effects of air conditioners can be harmful.
What makes air conditioners harmful to the environment?
It is now only beginning to emerge about the impacts of air conditioners on the environment, though the most important aspects to examine are the input and output.
For the input, you need to keep in mind that these facilities do not function on their own – they use electricity as a source of energy. That makes them indirectly detrimental to conservation of the environment, as many sources of electric power are not beneficial, such as those that use traditional fossil fuels.
These systems also release various gases into the atmosphere, including CFC gases – which have various protocols stamping tem out, such as the Montreal Protocol. These gases are partly responsible for the increasing occurrence of global warming as they are greenhouse gases, and therefore creating a cycle of damage to the environment in the long term.
To reduce the negative impacts, changes have been proposed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), using the Montreal Protocol as basis for reducing the negative effects of the gases these systems release. The main aim is reducing the pollution resulting from these conditioners, as well as other tools.
For instance, air conditioners that use alternative materials are in development, making them less harmful to the ozone layer and reducing the harm they are causing to the earth. If you are a homeowner and looking to install a cooling system for your home, it is a good idea to use newer cooling systems that use coolants that do less damage to the environment.
Installing a cooling air conditioning system in your home or office is not a bad thing, but you need to keep in mind the side effects of air conditioners and how it can damage your health. Because they have developed newer systems that are more efficient while being less harmful, it is better to go for these options if possible in order to improve your life.