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How do Air Conditioners in the Home affect our Health?

Thermal Comfort / Air / Climate

Turning on the air conditioning (especially early in the summer) should be avoided.

Here is how the AC impacts our health:

1. Headaches
The cold draft blasted by the air conditioner is linked to headaches and migraines.

2. Nasal passages and breathing difficulties
The dry air from the AC unit can dry and irritate the nasal passages. This could lead to difficulties breathing. In some cases, the AC use could worsen the symptoms of people with asthma, especially if the filters are not regularly maintained..

3. Dehydration
The AC reduces the humidity in the air to cool it down. This draws moisture from the skin and eyes leading to dehydration and dry, possibly itchy eyes. Drinking more liquids is important.

4. Allergies
The AC can become a breeding ground for microbes and a distribution center for viruses. The filtration needs to be maintained and ductwork cleaned out. Ultraviolet lights can be used to reduce bacteria, mold and viruses in the system.

5. Reduced heat tolerance
The use of AC reduces our heat tolerance. This could lead to a major discomfort when we need to be outdoors and not in an air-conditioned space.

6. Fatigue
The cooler air blasted by the AC lowers our metabolic rate, which makes us feel fatigued. The recirculated air, as opposed to fresh air, also leads to fatigue as well as reduced focus and productivity.

In addition to our health, the AC is bad for the environment and for our pockets. It requires a significant amount of energy and it is costly. The running air conditioning pollutes the air by releasing refrigerant in the atmosphere.

The main takeaway is that the use of air conditioners has a lot of negative effects on our health.


Learn about the practical alternative options on "How handle the hot summers without the use of air conditioners at home" in this guide:
https://www.holistichomesarchitecture.com/guide-how-to-handle-the-hot-summers.html

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Ana
Ana Koleva Miller, RA, NCARB, Fitwel Amb.