It’s normal to think “Am I allergic to air conditioning?” when it’s a hot summer day. You’re not alone if you turn on the air conditioning to relieve yourself of the heat and find yourself experiencing allergy symptoms.
However, you’re not actually allergic to air conditioning. Instead, you may be experiencing allergy symptoms due to pollutants or pollen in the air which is being circulated by your air conditioner.
Symptoms of air conditioning sickness
Inhaling airborne dust particles can cause allergic reactions, and other health issues.
Symptoms of air conditioning sickness can include:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Watery eyes
- Digestive issues
Most modern air conditioners have powerful filtering systems which trap harmful bacteria, preventing them from being spread around your home and office.
However, there can be a few reasons why you still notice your allergies being triggered – most commonly that your older system just doesn’t have the same technology.
Other causes of allergy symptoms
Dust Mites
Dust mites are commonly found inside homes and other buildings. They measure around one quarter, to one third of a millimetre, but are too small to see with your eyes
They usually live in warm, damp environments, and can breed inside your air conditioner. Their bodies and waste can cause allergic reactions, especially in a warm, humid house where they can survive all year.
Pollen
Pollen comes from plants, but can get inside through open doors, and tracked through shoes or clothes. Allergies from pollen are extremely common and can lead to hay fever, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes.
Pet Hair
Pet hair can be circulated through the air through air conditioning units, resulting in allergy symptoms.
Excess pet hair floating around can be minimised by regularly washing and brushing your pet. However, if this doesn’t help, you may consider getting allergy vaccinations.
Improving indoor air quality
Experiencing allergy symptoms isn’t fun. Taking steps to reduce the impact of allergies can help significantly.
It always helps to remove dust and debris from around your home or office space. This includes in and around your air conditioning unit, as well as cleaning your outdoor unit, if you have one.
Dirty or clogged filters could be causing bacteria to build up, triggering your allergies, and causing other health issues. That is why it is important to remove any debris or dust build up inside and outside of the unit. This stops dust from being pulled into the air conditioning unit and blocking the filters.
To ensure your system is running at peak performance, we recommend regular cleaning and inspection at least once a year, conducted by an air conditioning specialist.
Removing standing water, water damaged materials and wiping down wet surfaces, this can significantly prevent the growth of mould and bacteria and eliminate dust mites.
Do you find yourself your allergies exacerbated by air conditioning?
Don’t just put up with it. First, speak with a health professional to ensure your allergy symptoms aren’t being caused by something more serious.
Speak to our team today about scheduling regular inspection and clean and breathe easy!
