Don’t lower air-conditioner temperature beyond 23 degree Celsius

It is one of those hot summer days when it is hot enough to fry eggs on the street, and you end up looking as if you have been sweating in the sauna. Your makeup runs, your hair looks seriously heat challenged and the fatigue that you are experiencing along with that sticky feeling makes you want to run home at the earliest.

Undoubtedly, the vagaries of summer have to be dealt with, but there is no reason why you have to wilt with the heat; so once in the cozy comforts of your room you switch on your air-conditioner and relax. It’s all the more tempting to keep the temperature well below 20⁰ C or even 18⁰ C.

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Health Risks Of Using air conditioners

But are you aware of the risks and dangers of being in the cooling comfort of an air conditioner in hot summer?

Before that let me relate my own experiences of sleeping in an air conditioned room.

Much to my chagrin, my husband has this annoying habit of keeping the a/c temperature well below 18⁰ C at night, especially in summer months. He always wakes up sniffing and coughing with a cold that lasts until midday.

I must admit though that he has a sinus problem and does get colds at frequent intervals but whenever the air conditioner is at such ridiculously low temperatures, he most certainly catches a cold.

Dry cough due to air conditioner

Sleep soundly without using the air-conditioner

Just a few weeks ago, I was suffering from dry cough and as you all know it’s at its worst during nighttime.

And most of the time, that incessant coughing, didn’t allow me to sleep a wink and I would wake up in the morning feeling awful.

Even after two weeks the horrid cough showed no signs of subsiding. On the contrary, it had worsened.

I never have the habit of gulping down any OTC cough syrup – I always rely on  home-remedies be it for cough, cold or any  minor ailment that bugs me and it always works wonderfully for me.

But this time, no remedy had any effect on me. Now since chronic cough is usually a symptom of far more dreaded diseases, all sorts of fearful thoughts started hitting my mind.

Nevertheless, I started pondering over what had aggravated this cough. After much thinking, I decided not to switch on the a/c for a few nights and see if this could help. So for a few nights, I totally avoided the a/c and managed with a ceiling fan.

Only on extremely hot and humid days did I put it on and that too not below 25⁰ C and for not more than 3 hours. Needless to say, my cough was gone within a week. BTW, here’s an interesting article on how to sleep comfortably on a hot night without using the air conditioner.

Do air conditioners cause respiratory illnesses?

I did some research and also talked to my doc and found a thing or two about how air conditioners can trigger respiratory illnesses. Apparently, as aircon rooms have low  moisture levels, they  tend to dry out the mucous membranes and irritate the throat.

Here’s what the doc had to say. It’s  highly recommended that you should not keep the temperature below 23⁰ Celsius neither should you inhale the cool breeze that comes from the A/C as it can even cause chest infection or bronchitis.

Moreover, switching from hot, humid outdoors in summers to the extreme cold temperatures of an air-conditioned room indoors, all of a sudden, causes extreme temperature changes which is detrimental not only to your health but also to your skin.

I also found out from this source that too much air conditioning can cause cold and flu-like symptoms, sinus problems, bloody nose, body aches, sore joints, arthritis and other problems affected by prolonged cold air exposure.

The body may also develop intolerance to warmer temperatures and heat and no longer be able to adjust properly to temperature changes, especially dramatic and rapid fluctuations.

Air conditioning is also suspected to be play a major role in soaring obesity rates  in America.

Don't sleep right under a fan.

I hate to have face a fan blowing air directly onto me.

Sleeping right under the fan should also be avoided as it can cause problems especially for those who are suffering from allergy or respiratory problems, according to my doctor.

Well, I don’t know about you but I simply can’t bear to sleep with a fan blowing air directly on me.

It doesn’t make me suffer from cold, coughs or any respiratory ailment but I do get aches and pains in my body after I wake up. If I cover myself with a blanket, it doesn't happen.

Well, it's a fact that if cold air blows on your body continuously for hours it causes muscle pain and stiffness.You should therefore, adjust the position of the fan in such a way that it should be pointing away from your body or else you should change the position of your bed so that the cold air does not irritate your muscles. 

Air from air conditioner can affect muscles.

Muscles need warmth; they constrict under cold conditions and become stiff and sore and are more prone to cramps and spasms. The effects of this direct air blowing, however does not necessarily produce the same kind of symptoms in all people.

Each person's body constitution is different. While the effects may be more pronounced in some people,  still others may experience little to no issues.

However people with arthritis and weak joints are more prone to it. If at all you have to sleep under such circumstances, make sure you are covered with a blanket.

Air conditioner effects on skin

Now, I always knew that air conditioner air is not good for the skin and makes it dry and prone to itching. It’s even worse for those suffering from eczema or psoriasis. It also does no good to the hair and leaves it dry and lusterless.

A trick to prevent the a/c from drawing moisture from your skin is to place a bowl of water when you are in an a/c room, thus reducing its drying effects on the skin. Also the use of a good moisturizing lotion is a must to prevent dry skin.

Better still, minimize the use of air conditioners or totally avoid it if you can -  the benefits are multiple; your health will improve, your skin & hair will thank you for it, you won’t get dry eyes, you will save on your electricity bill and last but not the least it’s an environment-friendly thing to do.