Asthma and Allergies - Can Air Conditioning Make Your Allergies and Asthma Worse?

I remember growing up, my mother was very selective when we were to use our air conditioning in our home or the car. We could afford it but my mother was a firm believer that fresh air was natural and good for you. I thought she was a little wacko but that was her belief system. It is very possible there is something to that fresh air theory after all these years.

Most people live and work in buildings that are loaded with pollutants like ozone, toxic chemicals and toxic mold. The funny thing is, a lot of us get sick because of these toxic environments. Now, lets look at air conditioning because it can create the phenomenon known as "sick building syndrome." There never was "sick building syndrome." before air conditioning. So that is a plus for why air conditioning can make your allergies and asthma worse.

Next, we need to deal with the bodies response to temperature changes when dealing with asthma and allergies. Most people who have impaired immune systems can not tolerate this rapid change to our bodies temperature change. Heat causes your pores to open in order to cool the skin and keep your bodies temperature from getting too high. However, it also allows your skin to better absorb things around you in the air like fungus and bacteria that is in the air. In other words, if you walk into an air-conditioned building room on a hot day, you could be more exposed to particles that are not filtered out by the skin due to the open pores. That is why our mothers always told us to take a cold shower before getting out of the hot shower. Might be an old wives tale, but it works for me.

There have been studies done that show that people working in air conditioning are more likely to suffer from more frequent respiratory infections than those who breathed fresh air every day.

Remember, fresh air is good for you. A good example is to go to the beach for maybe one hour. The difference is you are exposed to fresh air from the ocean. The sinus's start to open and you feel better. Try it, if you live near a beach like I do. That is why I live in South Florida because I can go to the fresh air at the beach. In fact, the beach was great this morning and I feel much better than when I got up this AM from my air conditioned home. Everyone that tries it is amazed how much better they feel.

In conclusion, fresh air is good for you, as long as it is not polluted. Try to get as much fresh air as possible. Air Conditioning is OK when it is hot, but try to continue to get clean air. Open the window in your car instead of running the A/C next time. Remember, there was no "sick building syndrome" before Air Conditioning. Going to the beach is healthy for you because there is more oxygen by the water, try it. If your Asthma or Allergies get worse from fresh air, the odds are it is polluted and you need to see your Doctor for medical advice. If your Asthma or Allergies condition is serious, never do anything without your Doctors permission first.

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