Why Does Air Conditioning Make You Cough?
Air conditioning makes your throat hurt.
What’s wrong with it?
When you’re inside an enclosed space, like a room or house, there are some things that can cause your throat to hurt:
• Too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. CO2 causes the mucus in your lungs to become sticky and hard. When you breathe in too much CO2, the mucus sticks to your nasal passages and throat.
• Your body temperature rises when you breathe in cold air. Cold air increases the amount of water vapor in your blood stream, which can irritate your nose.
• A cold wind blows through the open window of your home. Wind blowing through windows can irritate your throat if you have asthma.
How Can I Prevent My Throat From Hurt?
1. Don’t smoke!
Smoking is one of the main reasons why your throat hurts. If you don’t want to get cancer, quit smoking now!
2. Use a humidifier or dehumidifier at least once a week!
This will help prevent your throat from hurting.
3. Make sure you have a clean filter on your furnace.
Filters can get clogged with dust, mold, and grime. This stuff can enter your lungs when the furnace blows air into the room.
4. Keeping the windows closed will stop cold air from blowing into the room.
If you have an open window, close it right now!
5. Avoid using heaters if you don’t have to.
Using a heat source can irritate sensitive lungs.
6. If you’re sleeping on couches or bean bag chairs, this can increase the amount of dust in the air.
This stuff can make you have a sore throat when you wake up. Use pillows and blankets instead, so that you don’t sleep directly on the furniture.
7. Don’t dry your clothes outside if there is a chance that the wind could carry the dust into your house.
This dust can irritate your respiratory system.
8. When you get home, take off your shoes and leave them by the door.
This will cut down on the amount of dirt that gets brought into your house!
Why Does Air Conditioning Make Me Cough?
During the hot summer months we crank up the air conditioner to stay cool. The cold air helps keep us from sweating all over our furniture and carpets. It’s easy to forget that air conditioners can make you sick if you don’t take a few precautions.
1. Keep the air filter clean
2. Don’t use a lot of moisture in your house
3. Make sure your cell phone doesn’t overheat
4. Take your shoes off when you get home
How Can I Get Rid of This Blocked Nose?
Blocked noses are common during cold and allergic seasons. You can try these remedies to get rid of clogged noses:
1. Saline nasal spray helps remove extra mucus from your nose.
Put a few drops in each nostril and lean forward slightly.
2. Take a steamy shower or soak a washcloth in hot water.
Hold the washcloth on your face to help relax the muscles in your nose.
3. Try one of these home remedies:
* Boil a half cup of water and add a pinch of baking soda to it.
Sources & references used in this article:
New perspectives on basic mechanisms in lung disease. 4. Why are the airways so vascular? by J Widdicombe – Thorax, 1993 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
A home is not a house by R Banham – Art in America, 1965 – courses.arch.ntua.gr
ERS guidelines on the assessment of cough by AH Morice, GA Fontana, MG Belvisi… – European respiratory …, 2007 – Eur Respiratory Soc
Ventilation system, indoor air quality, and health outcomes in Parisian modern office workers by D Vincent, I Annesi, B Festy, J Lambrozo – Environmental research, 1997 – Elsevier
