How can HVAC systems influence our health?

14/01/2025

On a hot, humid day, one of the most refreshing moments is when you step into an air conditioned room or auto, right? And I think everyone can agree that weather has a profound impact on human health. This is what I am going to talk about now.

Let's concentrate on the effects of weather upon human life, the positives of air- conditioning and the side effects on it. With all three given, everybody can decide for themselves whether to use air conditioners as a way of dealing with the heat- related issues or not.

First, let’s start with the consequences from the big amount of heat.

As we know, our body shouldn't get too hot (or too cold). If your temperature rises too far, the proteins that build your body and run all of its chemical processes can stop working. The human body sheds extra heat in different ways, all of which stress the heart and cause different issues.

On a dry day, sweat pulls more than heat from the body—it also pulls out sodium, potassium, and other minerals needed for muscle contractions, nerve transmissions, and water balance. To counter these losses, the body begins secreting hormones that help the body hold onto water and minimize mineral losses.

Rapid rises in heat compromise the body's ability to regulate temperature and can result in illnesses, including dehidretation, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.

Temperature extremes can also worsen chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease and diabetes-related conditions.

Why Should You Be Concerned? People spend 60 to 90 percent of their time indoors. This is a scary statistic, especially when research has shown that indoor air quality can be five to 10 times worse than outdoor air quality. If your home has poor air quality, your health can suffer.

Indoor Air Quality: Reducing Health Risks and Improving the Air You Breathe

But you can improve air quality and safeguard your family’s health. In response to global warming, human beings have been forced to adapt. One adaptation to extreme heat events is the installation of air conditioning (along with heating and ventilation) in homes and public buildings across the world.

Now, let’s move on to the Positive Health Benefits Of Air Conditioning

Air conditioning has benefits other than simply keeping you comfortable in the summer and now I am going to tell you more about them.

• Prevention of medical issues

We said that It is possible that the heat will cause certain medical issues such as heart disease or immunological illnesses. Air conditioning is an effective method of preventing heat-related illnesses.

• Improved Air Quality

Using a combination of air circulation and filtration, air conditioners remove airborne pollutants. Allergic and asthmatic patients can benefit greatly from air conditioners because they reduce their exposure to bad factors.

• Better Sleep

A person’s internal body temperature influences the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. A cool environment while sleeping encourages the body to relax and makes it simpler to fall asleep. This promotes better sleep and enhances the overall quality of sleep for the person. Also, more and more machines are equipped with a night mode, which makes the air conditioner more quieter than it is during the day.

• Improved Efficiency

Working more effectively and making better decisions increases when offices are air conditioned. There is, in fact, a scientific basis for this claim. According to a Harvard study, students who lived in dorms without air conditioning during the hot summer months performed lower on cognitive tests than those who lived in dorms with cold central air conditioning. The energy expended by the body in an attempt to cool itself down shuts down our ability to reason and think clearly.

It is important to say that this only is true if your system is kept clean and your filters are changed on a consistent basis.

On the other hand Although air conditioning might be beneficial, Side Effects are also possible and I am going to have a look at them now.

Living in artificially controlled environments for extended periods of time can have adverse implications. So, here is how staying too much inside an air-conditioned room affect your health:

• Dehydration

An air conditioning unit can dry up the air inside your home. You’ll appreciate this if you live in an environment with high humidity and wish to lessen the amount of moisture in the air you breathe.

• Lethargy

People who spend a long period of time in an air-conditioned room tend to become sluggish and lazy. This is most common in places where the air conditioning is set to an extremely low temperature, such as hospitals. If you experience this, try to go out of the air conditioning on often and consider turning it up to a higher temperature setting.

 

Of course, it is up to you, but statistics show that more and more people in the world choose HVAC as a solution for the weather conditions. Overall, even with its negative aspects, HVAC can be extremely useful for people in helping them to improve their breathing, health and way of living.

However, as we said, to ensure that it is beneficial, the air systems need to be cleaned and checked on a regular basis.