How to avoid air-conditioning diseases in summer?
Aug 08, 2024
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Due to the hot and humid weather that continues for days, air conditioners are often used all day.
Air conditioners have now become a necessity in the summer because they have dehumidification functions as well as cooling.
However, as the use of air conditioners increases, more and more patients complain of air conditioning diseases. Heat diseases caused by summer heat should also be careful, but special attention should also be paid to air-conditioning diseases called 'summer colds'.
Cooling disease can be said to be a syndrome that shows symptoms such as body aches, coughs, and abdominal pain caused by cooling.
Not only air conditioners but also fans can be a cause. There are various factors that are thought to be the cause of air-conditioning diseases.
Moon Sung-jin, director of the Department of Family Medicine at Seonam Hospital, said "Because we are adapted to the heat in summer, our body cannot respond easily when our body temperature suddenly drops due to excessive cooling." As a result, the body's homeostasis is broken due to severe temperature differences."
In addition, ventilation is often not performed to maintain a low indoor temperature, which can cause headaches, dizziness, coughs, sore throats, and body aches.
In the case of women, menstrual pain may become severe or menstrual irregularities may occur, and people with sensitive stomach or intestines may develop symptoms such as indigestion and abdominal pain.
In particular, people suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes are more vulnerable, and elderly people who are accustomed to natural winds may experience symptoms of air-conditioning diseases due to excessive fan winds.
If you have an air-conditioning disease, you usually need to improve the indoor environment without any special treatment and symptomatic treatment for a cold. When you have symptoms, you should warm up your body and get enough rest. Drinking warm water or tea is also helpful.
Director Moon Sung-jin said, "If symptoms such as runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, indigestion, diarrhea, etc. are severe, symptomatic treatment such as taking medicine may be performed. If a high fever or pneumonia is suspected, visit a nearby hospital or clinic and receive an accurate diagnosis through a specialist."," he said.
Prevention of air-conditioning diseases is paramount. Among them, the indoor temperature should be well adjusted to the appropriate temperature. Of course, the easiest precaution is to reduce the use of air conditioners.
Manager Moon Sung-jin said "It is recommended to stop for about 30 minutes after one to two hours of operation rather than keeping the air conditioner on continuously."
Although our body has the ability to control the body, it is difficult to maintain homeostasis when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference increases, so we should not set the temperature of the air conditioner too low. First of all, it is recommended that the indoor temperature should not fall below 22℃ as much as possible, and between 22~26℃ is appropriate. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor should be within 5-6℃, and it is also a good idea to lower the set temperature at first and then slowly raise it. It is recommended that the humidity be maintained at 50-60%.
It is also good to avoid direct contact with the cold air from the air conditioner. If you always go to an air-conditioned space such as a cafe or a movie theater, an outerwear or a blanket that can be covered is helpful to maintain body temperature.
Manager Moon Sung-jin said, `It is better to avoid enjoying too cold food and cold water in summer, and not to cool your abdomen when you sleep.'"Moreover, it is better to avoid excessive drinking, and getting enough sleep, proper exercise, and nutrition to prevent your immune system from falling is also helpful for health care in summer." he advised.
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