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Negative and dangerous effects of air conditioning on people's health
Although it apparently gives us the feeling or benefit that keeping our home cool is a health benefit, unfortunately it has negative effects and impacts and it is important that we consider them before using them in our homes or businesses both excessively and inappropriately. . Here we will see the negative effects of air conditioning and how to limit the possible damages.
This article is not intended to scare anyone, we only want to explain and try to understand that the quality of the air that circulates inside our home is important for our well-being and thermal comfort, and that the facilities we use for our comfort, in this case, focusing on how air conditioning affects people's health, has an impact and negative consequences that must be known and respected.
If you want to know in depth the world of air conditioning, we have an extensive article on the classification of air conditioning systems in buildings and their characteristics (Also the detailed article on portable air conditioning).
First of all, we would like to provide a generalized outline of the factors that can determine indoor air quality in a home:
Recall that studies have shown that people who spend more time in air-conditioned environments have greater use of health care services.
Another interesting topic that we must know is to seewhat are the thermoregulatory mechanisms in humans in the face of cold:
What are the negative effects of air conditioning on people
If you need the air conditioning to adjust "perfectly" throughout the day and combat that unbearable heat by being always fresh, we simply have to bear in mind that there are detrimental effects and even if we do not notice it at the beginning, we have created an environment with thermal discomfort unbalancing the thermohygrometric conditions that our body and organisms accept. And now, it's time to list them:
1. Dehydration
It is known that Dehydration rates are higher in air-conditioned rooms. Usually we end up dehydrated if the air conditioner sucks too much moisture into the room and we are not careful to hydrate ourselves.
It happens when the temperature is set too low, we feel too cool to have the feeling of wanting to drink water.
2. Headaches and migraine
Another unfortunate side effect of air-conditioned spaces, especially if not properly maintained, is their susceptibility to headaches and migraines when indoor air quality levels drop.
You could also end up with a bad headache if you are dehydrated as a result of being in a room or building for a long period of time. In fact, dehydration is an often overlooked trigger for migraines.
3. Respiratory problems
The respiratory symptoms affect the eyes, nose, and throat. Cold air can also affect the airway below the vocal cords and irritate the bronchial mucosa. They tend to appear much more in people who spend a lot of time exposed. These can include nasal obstruction, dry throat, or even rhinitis.
As found in research, 28% of those in air-conditioned buildings experienced rhinitis, compared to just 5% of those in naturally ventilated buildings. About 35% of people who lived in air-conditioned spaces had nasal obstructions, compared to just 9 percent in buildings with natural ventilation.
4. Asthma and allergies
The Air conditioning could make allergies and even asthma worse. While staying inside an air-conditioned space can be protective for some people who are sensitive to pollen or air pollutants, there are others who find a worsening situation.
The maintenance and cleaning of the air conditioning filters is important, otherwise we are at risk of being exposed to a large number of triggers and microbes. Is recommended to change the filter every year (Obviously we will have to see its use) or in each maintenance scheduled by the manufacturer.
Dust is the great enemy of many people, we remember that we have an extensive guide on tips on how to clean the house and disinfect it thoroughly with many useful tricks.
5. Lethargy
Although it is designed to cheer us up and refresh us in hot moments … it can have the opposite effect! Research indicates that people who live in air-conditioned buildings complain more of lethargy. In other words, it could be the culprit for your laziness and inexplicable slowness.
As one study found, if you work in an air-conditioned building you are almost three times more likely to complain of lethargy than if you are in a naturally ventilated space. (See report point 3)
6. Dry skin
When summer comes, excessive air conditioning combined with sun exposure can cause itchy and dry skin. Although other symptoms may disappear within hours of leaving the building, getting rid of a dry skin problem is not that easy. Depending on the severity of the dryness, it could take several days.
Researchers actually have a name for the symptoms of building-related health problems, it's called the 'sick building syndrome«.
Although it is a condition that involves the entire building, it is amplified with the use of air conditioning (AA) since we repeatedly circulate the same air through a space, which means that it is increasingly likely that we inhale something unwanted.
To understand the adverse effects on human health of the sick building We show a small infographic with the most frequent characteristics and symptoms so that we are aware of their importance:
We can understand more about the health of buildings from this article where we inquire further.
7. The dry eye
The dry eye can cause itchy and irritated eyes. They can also "burn" or sting. Sometimes it can be so bad that vision becomes a little blurry. And while these types of installations may not be a direct cause, it certainly helps. The problem seems to get worse when they spend long hours in an air-conditioned space.
8. Infectious Diseases
Because the air conditioners dry out the nasal passages, can cause irritation to the mucous membranes and dry up the mucus. In the absence of adequate protective mucus, we become more vulnerable to virus attack. In fact, notorious microbes like the bacteria that cause legionellosis outbreaks, for example, thrive in artificial water supply systems, including those units and air conditioning systems.
9. Sweating and feeling dizzy
Due to the change of environment, those who go from a cold air to a hot one or vice versa, can provoke a vagal reaction. It is an exaggerated response of the autonomic nervous system, which manifests itself in a sensation of dizziness and sweating, which are generally subtle, but can become very intense.
10. Muscle contractures
The body's regulation mechanism is very wise and when excess heat naturally causes sweat to cool and preserve the balance in body temperature, but in the face of air conditioning, the body cannot adapt to the contrast of this artificially created environment. .
Is very important that the skin and muscles do not receive the direct jet of cold air, since our body reacts by causing a sudden muscle contraction that can cause us from torticollis to facial paralysis, in the most serious cases.
COVID19 and air conditioning
In the face of the Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic worldwide, many doubts are emerging as to whether air conditioning can reproduce the virus or increase our risk.
Although there are still many studies to be carried out, according to the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS) and the Spanish Environmental Health Society (SESA) have issued a document HERE to clarify the issue a bit.
To go straight to the point, on the concern that the virus reproduces in AA facilities, the document concludes that "it does not make any sense."
"The virus cannot reproduce without invading human cells, therefore cleaning ducts or changing outdoor air filters have no practical effect, except when it is appropriate to do so," according to the report.
As we can see in the last two most relevant articles, in our opinion:
- From Very Interesting from HERE
- From the Spanish Technical Association for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration from HERE
The main problem is the recirculation of the same indoor air. We must increase the ventilation of the outdoor air!
We must be aware and separate what is domestic air conditioning (in houses) from the industrial one (from large stores, airplanes, industry, offices, buildings, etc.) and always bearing in mind that, possible changes in the facilities - appliances, not It is always possible:
- Domestic air conditioning (Split or Multi-split devices): In general, the appliances are not prepared so that they can undergo changes in their mechanisms - installations and it is more difficult to add, for example, some type of «more powerful filter».
- Industrial air conditioning: Yes, there are more possibilities to make changes in the machinery - facilities. Admittedly, it is a significant expense and is not 100% possible.
When there are doubts about a topic, it is best to prevent if we are consistent and, as initial measures, we can:
- Avoid recirculation of indoor air. As for the individual systems (Split or Multi-split), they must be supplemented with fresh air from outside through the windows frequently during the day, for periods of 5 to 10 minutes. Again, this will be very difficult in summer and hot areas.
- Air purification and disinfection devices can be beneficial. This includes ultraviolet light (UVC) systems. Also, portable air cleaners and filters may help.
- Minimize the number of people within the same environment and space.
At the moment, and with what we know about the virus, we cannot comment much more if we refer to domestic air conditioning.
Tips to avoid getting sick from air conditioning
To avoid health problems linked to air conditioning In fact, we must follow some basic rules and that of course are based on consistency in the use of these devices:
- The operating temperature must be kept between 23 ºC and 26 ºC (24.5 ± 1.5 ºC) for summer and in winter, between 20 ºC and 24 ºC (22 ± 2 ºC).
- If it is decided to use on summer nights, it is not recommended that the ambient temperature is below 25 ° C, the irritative effects of cold air could appear on the respiratory mucosa.
- The vertical difference in air temperature between 1.1 m and 0.1 m above the ground (head level and ankle level) must be less than 3 ºC.
- The speed limit of air conditioning currents will be 0.25 m / s.
- Relative humidity must remain between 30% and 70% (more favorable between 45% and 65%).
- Adequate air renewal through natural ventilation both in the work spaces and in the home.
- The air flow must not be direct on people.
- Correct maintenance and cleaning of ventilation and air conditioning systems. (Check the filters every year or according to manufacturer's instructions).
- A reduction of 5 ºC with respect to the outside already provides a clear sensation of freshness.
- The great contrasts between exterior and interior are not good. A difference of more than 12º C in temperature with the outside is not healthy at all.
- Use of fans as a comfort option. The movement of air and the evaporation of moisture from our skin produces sensations of a drop in temperature between 3 and 5º C.
As a curious fact, we have investigated some manuals to see what they tell us about the use of the devices and the tips to avoid getting sick from cold air. Actually the indications are very brief, but we want to contribute them so that we have knowledge:
And remember that, although it does not affect our health, it does affect our pocket where we can achieve energy savings of even greater than 30% by setting the refrigeration temperature at 26º C maximum. For every degree that we reduce this temperature, energy consumption increases by 8%.
We can also improve electricity savings in summer with our extensive article or reduce its use through the advantages of using awnings.
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