Air conditioners pass air through a cooling machine, unlike
fans which only circulate the air to make a room seem cooler. While this
mechanism makes an air conditioner more effective at cooling a room than the
fan, it also has several negative effects on your health. Though you may not be
able to avoid air conditioners entirely, it is best to use them minimally and
ensure that they are cleaned regularly.
Headaches
People who work in buildings with central air-conditioning
where the temperature is always kept very low tend to experience headaches
regularly. They are also more prone to fatigue and catch colds, coughs or the
flu easily.
Air conditioners suck the moisture out of the air, leading
to dry and flaky skin. If you spend a lot of time in air conditioned places,
make sure you drink plenty of water and moisturise your skin daily.
Chronic illnesses
If you suffer from a chronic illness, it will only get
worsened in the air conditioning. This is because air conditioners tend to
aggravate symptoms like low blood pressure and pain. They also make pain harder
to manage.
Eye problems
The dry air affects not only your skin but your eyes as
well, causing burning, irritation and the tendency of contact lenses to stick
to the eyes. Air conditioners can also aggravate eye problems like
conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
Lower tolerance for
heat
People who spend a lot of time in air conditioned rooms have
a lower tolerance for heat, since their bodies find it difficult to adjust to
hotter temperatures after spending so long in lower temperatures. This
intolerance can be inconvenient for people who live in warm climates
especially, since there will be times when they have to step out into the heat.
Respiratory problems
Air conditioners are not cleaned very often, and so they
tend to gather dust and mould, which they then circulate around the room. This
can not only aggravate allergies but also cause all sorts of respiratory
problems. Air conditioners also circulate other air borne diseases, helping to
spread them and infect several people simultaneously.
Noise pollution
Air conditioners are not silent machines, and depending on
the type they can emit anything from a low hum to a rattling growl. This noise
contributes to the ambient noise in the room, forming a sort of noise pollution
that can lower your productivity in the day and inhibit your sleep at night.

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