With the desert heat, the use of air conditioning has increased, and experts have issued a series of warnings.

In these days when the effects of the summer heat are felt intensely and desert temperatures are prevalent, air conditioners play an important role in our daily lives. However, it has been noted that improper use of air conditioners can lead to health issues.

Medical Park Karadeniz Hospital’s Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Tevfik Özlü, who warned about the problems that air conditioners can create due to hot weather, stated that it is impossible to be without air conditioning during hot summer days, but certain health issues can arise from air conditioning, and that air conditioners must be used correctly.

“Regular maintenance and filter changes are necessary”

Özlü emphasized that air conditioners must first undergo regular maintenance and have their filters changed, saying, “The room should not be cooled suddenly to very low temperatures; it should be cooled gradually over time. Ideally, the room temperature should be between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is important not to let the temperature drop below these levels. Sometimes, temperatures are lowered to 17, 16, or even 14 degrees. These temperatures are not favorable from a health perspective. Moreover, the air conditioner is meant to cool the room, not the individual. Therefore, one should avoid standing in front of the air conditioner’s fan. The direct airflow from the air conditioner should not hit a person. The air conditioning system recycles the air in a closed system; it takes the air from inside, cools it, and returns it back inside, without changing the air with the outside. Consequently, after a while, the air can become polluted. Therefore, while the air conditioner is running, it is necessary to open a door or window to allow the exchange of indoor air with atmospheric air. Otherwise, indoor air pollution can occur. If these precautions are followed, many issues with air conditioners can be avoided,” he said.

“A large container of water should be available in rooms with air conditioning”

Prof. Dr. Özlü noted that the humidity in the room decreases and the air dries out when the air conditioner is running, stating, “This situation can pose a risk. An ideal relative humidity level should be around 60-70%. To achieve this, keep water in the room. Have large containers of water so that it can evaporate and raise the humidity level in the room. If these precautions are not taken, problems related to air conditioning can occur. The most common issues we see are headaches, muscle aches, and muscle spasms. Additionally, dryness of the skin and mucous membranes can lead to illnesses like colds, pharyngitis, and sinusitis. It can even lead to pneumonia. Especially if used in a crowded room, if there is a patient with a respiratory infection in that room, unfortunately, the infection can spread to healthy individuals through the air conditioning. Particularly, if a person sleeps in a room with air conditioning and the fan is directed towards them, they may wake up with aches and pains. If there is a rheumatic condition, it may be triggered by this situation,” he explained.