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The Role of Air Conditioning in Coping with Allergies and Asthma |
 When you battle a big health problem like allergies and asthma, it is easy to develop a few myths about what sets off your symptoms. When you have a particularly bad episode of symptoms of allergies and asthma, you may take note of everything from what you wore, to what building you were in to what you ate last to who you were with to try and figure out what set off those miserable allergy and asthma symptoms. This is not entirely unreasonable. Until you know specifically what you are allergic to, you have to suspect everything from your breakfast to the family pet as being possible culprits in causing your allergy and asthma symptoms.
One part of our environment that a lot of allergy and asthma sufferers suspect may have a negative impact on their health is air conditioning. But is there any truth to the idea that air conditioning can be the cause of allergy and asthma symptoms acting up? In theory, air conditioning should be helpful to an allergy and asthma sufferer. If the filters and vents of the home are kept clean, air conditioning should be a friend to you especially if your allergy and asthma symptoms are triggered by pollen or other airborne allergens that affect allergy sufferers so much in the springtime.
There are aspects of air conditioning, however, that could be a negative for an allergy and asthma victim. The same air conditioning that might block out allergens from outside can recirculate allergens that originate indoors. So if the things that trigger your allergy and asthma symptoms are pet dander, dust mites or mold spores, those things can be stirred up by air conditioning and then circulated into the air you breathe. If that sets off an allergy and asthma episode, you have good reason to suspect that the air conditioning is your enemy.
In public buildings, air conditioning also circulates any other germs or other contaminants that come form other people. It is entirely possible for someone in another part of the building to carry in something on their clothing like cat hair or cigarette smoke that can be picked up and carried in the air conditioning for you to breathe. If your allergy and asthma is triggered in a public building, just about any allergen imaginable could easily find its way to you. That kind of threat is what makes allergy and asthma sufferers wary of air conditioning entirely.
There is also reason to believe that in the summertime, the sudden change of temperature can be a cause of an allergy and asthma attack. When you spend time in the heat of the summer, the pores of your skin open up to take in more air. So when you walk into a very cold building, your skin is much more receptive to allergens in the air. In addition, medical professionals often warn that this kind of sudden shift in temperature is not good for people who have compromised immune systems. And in that allergies and asthma are problems that originate with immune system issues, it is smart to avoid the kind of sudden change of temperature that very cold air conditioning can introduce.
While it is not always possible to control your environment, you can change how you handle the air conditioning in your home. If your working environment causes problems with your allergies and asthma because of the air conditioning, you can at least alert your supervisor. It could be that the temperature could be adjusted or other things can be done to avoid triggering an allergy and asthma problem while at work. By knowing what triggers your allergies and asthma, you are at least starting with solid information that you can use to do all you can to avoid situations where your symptoms occur. That is all we can do as allergy and asthma victims because it is a battle you must engage in every day.
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