Pablo Luna
Your air conditioning unit is responsible for purifying the air inside your home. It is meant to make you healthy by ensuring you breathe clean air. However, sometimes an air conditioner serves the opposite of its purpose and might actually be making you sick. Properly functioning air conditioners are often not the problem, poorly functioning ones are.
The heat and humidity that an air conditioner is supposed to provide can be turned against you. The following are several reasons why your air conditioner might be making you sick:
Produces Cold Air
Your air conditioning unit is used for temperature control of the air that flows into the house. When the unit is flawed and mainly produces cold air, it will affect your health. One of the effects of cold air in a room is that it can lead to dizziness and sometimes headaches due to that congested feeling. Cold air reduces body temperature which also makes you more prone to catching diseases.
You should fix your air conditioner to ensure that you can increase the temperature of the air. When you are breathing clean, warm air, your health is all but assured.
Increased Air Circulation
An air conditioner will increase the amount of air circulation in a room. However, if your office or home is already home to bacteria and other pollutants, the air conditioner will increase their circulation as well, increasing your chances of getting sick.
The moisture in the air is vital for the development of bacteria but an air conditioner can help keep the air dry. The air conditioner is responsible for air quality improvements at home. On the other hand, dry air is not sufficient to address the root cause of mold or bacteria on surfaces. Some of the allergens in the room may remain settled until air circulation is increased by the air conditioner. They will result in breathing issues and respiratory diseases among other things.
It Harbors Disease-Causing Agents
An improperly maintained air conditioning unit is a perfect breeding ground for disease-causing agents like bacteria and mold. They can cause a wide variety of respiratory diseases for example asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
The way that an air conditioner works is by passing air over a condensation unit to cool it. If the air conditioner is damaged, it will leave too much moisture. The moisture is a conducive breeding ground for these diseases causing pathogens. Hence the need to regularly check and clean your air conditioner.
It Makes You Less Heat Tolerant
Many people who use air conditioners use them to cool the air in their homes. When you spend too much time in air-conditioned spaces, you start to lose your tolerance to heat. Therefore, spending time in a room with air conditioning leaves you feeling hotter than usual. Your body also gradually loses the ability to regulate temperature properly.
If you want to know if you are losing your heat tolerance, you should simply turn off your AC. If you feel too hot, then your air conditioning is making you more prone to sickness.
By Stuffing Your Nose
One common problem experienced by people with air conditioners is stuffy noses. It feels as though they have a cold every time you see them. The reason is that their air conditioner is allowing various elements into the air in their home. These particles take much effort for your nose to clean hence the stuffed nose.
Having a new and clean air filter in your air conditioning system should improve the air quality in your home. If that does not work, it may be another problem with the air conditioning unit.
It Makes You Gain Weight
Our body weight is vital to have proper health. You cannot be healthy if you are underweight or overweight. Staying in an air-conditioned house makes your body work less to regulate your temperature. These processes are crucial and use up a lot of calories, which you are not expanding due to your air conditioner.
Moreover, you are less likely to be active when you are in a comfortable room as opposed to an uncomfortable one. Most people also tend to eat more when it is cold hence your air conditioner can make you increase your weight.
To conclude, there are many ways in which a poorly maintained or even a properly maintained one can make you sick. The above points are only a fraction. It is better to have your health than to live in a comfortable home. You should make some changes if you think your air conditioner is making you sick. In some cases, you might need to switch it off completely.
