Does Air conditioning Cause Any Health Problems

You woke up this morning and the temperature is reading 37.8◦C, yes it’s a heat wave, its like you and Mr. Sun had a misunderstanding the other day and now he’s coming against you in all his scorching glory, but you’re not bothered, you have one trick up your sleeve that Mr. Sun didn’t anticipate; Air Conditioning.

WHAT IS AIR CONDITIONING

An air conditioning system is a system that has one primary purpose; it takes warm or hot air from the atmosphere in a specified area and replaces it with cooler and more humid air. Really an Air conditioning system has one main purpose to reduce unfavorable temperatures. Generally, our bodies are most comfortable when the air inside our homes is within a degree or two of a steady 24◦C during the hot summer months. Air conditioning which was at some point available to a select few (The affluent), has now become a ubiquitous commodity everyone owns to deal with the occasional heat waves that occur every now and then. To some air conditioning is more than just an appliance, it has really become a part of our everyday lives, we use it in our cars, in the office, at home and really anywhere we have one whether there’s a need to do so or not.

APPLICATIONS

Air conditioning has various real-life applications. Air conditioners do not just cool air, they help to control temperatures. A complete system which comprises of a heater system, an air conditioning system, and a ventilation system is usually referred to as HVAC. An HVAC helps in complete temperature regulations of specified systems, whether by making them cooler in adversely hot climate (Common in summertime) or making them hotter in adversely cold climate conditions (Common in winter time).

air conditioning repair

It is, however, important to note that Air conditioning applications are not just for residential and human comfort, there are other industrial processes where cool temperatures are required and therefore Air conditioning is utilized examples are; Nuclear facilities where temperature is

kept at 20◦c until a reaction occurs, Mines where temperature is cooled from 55◦c to a more tolerable 28 C, Processes where extremely high levels of air cleanliness are required for the success of the process, Data processing centers, Cold room ( For meat storage) .e.t.c.

HEALTH EFFECTS

The Health Implications of Air conditioning vary, some people are negatively affected by it while some are not. Not properly doing air conditioning service could lead to serious health issues such as a stiff neck, a runny nose, sore throat e.t.c. Air conditioning has a positive effect on

people suffering from Asthma and other allergies, Air conditioning is also favorable to old people during intense heat waves.

A lot of times people lower their temperature settings well below the acceptable temperature for a healthy and comfortable environment which is 22◦C, this creates uncomfortable spaces that are favorable to thermal shock.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard for comfortable warmth is 18◦C for normal healthy adults who are well dressed. If you happen to be having respiratory problems , they recommend no less than 16◦C, and the sick and disabled or very old and young, the minimum of 20◦C.