Overusing air conditioning can be dangerous. If the difference between outside and inside temperatures is too great, we can get sick very quickly. This is especially true when it’s 40 degrees Celsius outside and we enter a cool room, sweaty and wearing damp clothes. In such cases, illness is almost inevitable. “There is always some kind of pathogen responsible for this, either in the environment or within us. It can attack our body if our immune system is weakened for some reason,” warns Dr. Helga Kraxner. The assistant professor from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Semmelweis University adds that these pathogens can easily attack the upper or lower respiratory tract. This can lead to sinus or paranasal sinus infections, conjunctivitis, or middle ear inflammation. The condition can even progress to pneumonia. For this reason, the assistant professor advises against setting the air conditioner below 24 degrees Celsius.
When someone has a congested nose and breathes through their mouth, pathogens that would normally be filtered out enter the throat and larynx directly. This is why tonsillitis, throat infections, and laryngitis are more common in such cases.
For this reason, it is important to regularly and thoroughly clean air conditioners. If the equipment is not used for months, pathogens, bacteria, and fungi can multiply in the condensed water. When the device is turned on again, it will blow contaminated air into the room. The assistant professor points out that this can cause allergic diseases and even serious infections, especially if the immune system is weakened. In this case, sinusitis, middle ear infection, eye infection, or pneumonia may develop.
However, the allergologist also adds that there are patients whose condition can be improved by the reasonable use of air conditioning.
“People with pollen allergies can benefit from using air conditioning wisely, setting it to a moderate temperature, because the air filter in the unit can clean the air of pollen. “If, during allergy season, those affected turn on the air conditioning at home or in the car instead of opening the windows, it can reduce their symptoms because less pollen-contaminated air enters the interior,” explains Dr. Helga Kraxner. “Of course, this also depends on the quality of the air conditioner’s filter,” she adds.
The assistant professor also notes that it is important to take precautions in the car, as the air conditioning blows air directly onto our waist, back, sinuses, and ears, which can cause pain in those areas and even lead to facial paralysis. Furthermore, exposure to excessively cold air can lead to rheumatic and joint problems, warns the assistant professor.
Orsolya Dávid
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Photo by Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University; cover illustration: freepik.com
