9 Dangerous Side-Effects of Too Much Air Conditioning We Should Know

Since the invention of the air conditioner, people find it hard to get by without owning one, especially with the drastic heat that comes along with climate change. Surviving summer is almost impossible without the aid of air conditioning. However, if you rely on it for long periods of time, you must be prepared for the damaging effects it can cause. These effects could be anything from annoying to potentially risky. Keep an eye out for headaches, lethargy, dehydration, and allergies.Upper respiratory problems or even spread infections like Legionnaires’ disease may be due to air-conditioned spaces.

When the temperature rises it could become truly uncomfortable and in many hot countries, airconditioning serves as a lifeline. In households with children and elderlies, they provide necessary ease throughout the hot seasons. Unfortunately, we must understand that too much use of air conditioners can pose as great threats to our health. Here are the harmful effects we’ve listed from using too much airconditioning;

1. Lethargy

Unexplained sluggishness and laziness were found to be associated with people who have air conditioners in their houses or offices according to a research. If your space is overly airconditioned up to the point that you are shivering, you might be one of those who experience nearly thrice as likely to complain of lethargy than if you’re in a naturally ventilated space.

2. Dehydration

The potential to be dehydrated is higher in rooms that are running on AC for long hours. Since air conditioning draws too much humidity from the room and you neglect your water intake, you are setting yourself to be dehydrated. This is possible since the temperatures low and your body does not feel the need to drink since you are feeling way too cold. Also, let’s admit it when the temperature is cool we tend to move less as well.

3. Dry And Itchy Skin

Researchers also came up with a name for symptoms of your health niggles being linked to your building – the “sick building syndrome”!while other symptoms may disappear in a couple of hours of your leaving the building, soothing a dry skin problem isn’t as easy as that. Depending on how severe the dryness is, it could even take several days. This becomes way worse in the summer. Excessive air conditioning combined with sun exposure can cause itchy and dry skin.

4. Headaches

Nobody wants headaches, that’s for sure. unfortunately, this is one of the most common side-effects of staying in an airconditioned room for a long time. If the AC is not maintained properly, is your susceptibility to headaches and migraines when the indoor air quality levels increases. Mentioned above, the possibility of you getting dehydrated could also lead to headaches. As a matter of fact, dehydration is an often overlooked trigger for migraines.

5. Increase of Respiratory Symptoms

People who spend a lot of time in places that are air-conditioned tend to crop up much more Upper respiratory symptoms in the eyes, nose, and throat compared to those who spend time in non-air-conditioned places. The symptoms commonly included are a nasal blockage, a dry throat, or even rhinitis. A surprising study claims that 28 percent of those in air-conditioned buildings experienced rhinitis compared to just 5 percent in naturally ventilated buildings. About 35 percent of people in air-conditioned spaces had nasal blockage against just 9 percent in buildings that had natural ventilation. This is indeed another alarming reason why you should take it easy on the use of airconditioning.

6. Infectious Diseases

Do you know that since air conditioners dry out your nasal passages, they can cause irritation in your mucus membranes and dry out the mucus? Well, yes, they do!Lacking adequate protective mucus leads to the increase of becoming more vulnerable to possible various virus attacks.In fact, notorious microbes like the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, for instance, thrive in artificial water supply systems, including those in air-conditioning units and systems

7. Worsens Allergies and Asthma

You might think that cold temperature will be better for skin conditions yet allergies and even asthma could even get worse if exposed to AC that is not properly cleaned or well maintained you run the risk of exposing yourself to a host of triggers and microbes. Sur, it is more beneficial to stay indoors for people who are allergic to pollen and or other air pollutants but an unsanitized AC might do more harm than good.

8. Inability to deal with heat

Since the AC messes up with our natural body temperature those who spent a lot of time in an air-conditioned environment become increasingly more intolerant of hot summers. The stress on your body from moving from a cool environment to the smoldering outdoor air is the main cause of this intolerance. This leads to an increase heat-related deaths during heat waves, which now averages at 400 deaths each summer. Now you can account this as to why so many elders pass away during summer.

9. Breathing Issues

You get stuck in traffic during a sweltering heat in Summer and you thank the universe for having air conditioning in your car. Little did you know that they are the worst offenders for circulating germs and micro-organisms that cause breathing problems. An alarming research at Louisiana State Medical Center found eight types of mold living inside 22 out of 25 cars tested. These can lead to circulate air-borne diseases such as Legionnaire’s Disease, a potentially fatal infectious disease that produces high fever and pneumonia.

We may not be able to live without air-conditioning but remember to use it properly. There should be constant maintenance and sanitary procedures to keep. It is advised that you ventilate the room every 3-4 hours to avoid getting headaches and dry nose. It’s unwise to endure a headache at the expense of cool air. Your body still needs fresh air that only a good ventilation can provide. So always be careful and mindful towards your health!