Once the summer heat comes knocking on the door, air conditioners start their work. With the cool air often come runny noses, allergies, and at times flu-like symptoms, which raises the question, “Can an air conditioner make you sick?” The simple answer is no, but it can certainly help facilitate an unfavorable environment. Let’s take a closer look.
Causes and Symptoms of Air Conditioning Sickness
Can AC make you sick? Simply put, the unit itself is doing no harm. It’s when the unit meets bacteria, mold, and mildew that air conditioning sickness symptoms start to arise. When it comes to bacteria, and viruses, they tend to favor cooler air, and if particles are present in the air, your AC can circulate these particles throughout the home. In this case it’s the particles that are in the air that would make you sick. Same goes for circulation of allergens, like dust, that could have come into the home.
Plus, when air conditioners pull air over the coils to cool, condensation is produced. Anywhere there is moisture, especially if not properly maintained or handled, there can be mold. Mold in air conditioner sickness plays a big role. By breathing in mold spores, you’re ultimately affecting your respiratory system. This typically leads to symptoms like stuffy nose, headaches, difficulty breathing, among others. And if you struggle from respiratory issues (like asthma) to begin with, you typically have an increased risk of experiencing symptoms.
How Your AC Increases the Risk of Infection
Dirty Air Filters
At times, people can ask the question, “can air conditioning make you cough?” and simply put, yes, it can. Lots of larger particles are often trapped inside the air filters, but depending on the MERV rating of your filter, smaller particles can still get through. When air circulates, it can pick up smaller particles like germs, off of larger particles like pet dander, and further circulate them within the home. Depending on your sensitivity, these particles can lead to symptoms like coughing.
Mold
Due to the increased level of moisture and humidity inside the unit itself, AC ducts and vents are a common ground for the breeding of mold spores. If not properly handled, mold can spread and also start growing on your filters, which can then lead to air conditioning sickness.
Temperature Related
The human body has an optimal functioning temperature, if constantly exposed to a direct stream of cold AC air, it starts trying to protect itself, and symptoms like shivering can appear. Plus, the AC removes heat and humidity from the environment and pulls it into itself, leaving the surrounding air dry. Dry air is often not favored by the respiratory system and can lead to an onset of symptoms.
What You Can Do About AC Sickness
One of the easiest things you can do is to stay on top of maintenance. This includes:
Timely filter changes
On average, that’s every 90 days (or approximately every 3 months). But if you have pets in the home, or existing respiratory issues, we recommend changing your filter more frequently to help prevent symptoms of air conditioning sickness from arising.
Regular maintenance and cleaning
Professional service not only helps you keep your system running smoothly and save you money in the long run, but also detect problems like mold early on.
In addition to maintenance which can help control your indoor air quality, be mindful of your indoor air temperature and keep temperatures at a comfortable level. If you’re walking around the house and sniffing, it may be time to turn the thermostat up a few degrees to avoid the AC cold and jitters.
Final Thoughts
So is air conditioning bad for you? We hope we were able to shine a bit of light on the question at hand. Don’t stress if you start experiencing air conditioning sickness symptoms. Start by turning off your unit. If symptoms don’t improve, schedule a visit with your doctor. Remember, air conditioners don’t cause sickness, they simply interact with the environment in ways that can make us sick. Fill in our contact form or call us today at (888)334-1612 to schedule a cleaning service and bypass all the unfavorable air conditioner side effects before they arise!
