Is Air Conditioning Bad for Asthma

If you have asthma, extreme heat during summer can negatively affect your breathing. During the hotter months, you may sometimes want to stay indoors to avoid the hot temperatures and turn on the air conditioner. But wait, could this be doing you more harm, and is air conditioning bad for asthma? This article will address this question directly. You will learn more about asthma and its triggers, whether AC can help or harm people living with asthma, and how you can best manage your symptoms.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that can develop during childhood or adulthood and can vary in severity. It’s the most common chronic disease among children, and you may be at a higher risk of developing it if it runs in your family. Some typical asthma symptoms include the following:

Wheezing

Coughing

Chest tightness or pain

Shortness of breath

Trouble sleeping due to other symptoms

These asthma symptoms and resulting breathing difficulties occur due to inflammation and narrowing of the airways, as well as the presence of excess mucus. This worsens significantly and suddenly during an asthma attack, which is accompanied by the tightening of muscles, called a bronchospasm. In severe cases, asthma attacks can be life-threatening. Depending on the type of asthma, various factors can trigger an asthma attack, such as allergens, cold air, exercise, stress, pollution, and respiratory infections like a common cold or the flu.

Is Air Conditioning Bad for Asthma?

Whether air conditioning is good or bad for asthma depends on several factors, such as the severity and type of asthma you have, how low you set the temperature, and how well you maintain your air conditioner. For example, a well-maintained air conditioning unit with a clean filter can be beneficial for individuals with allergic asthma, as it filters out pollen and other outdoor allergens. Other potential asthma triggers, such as mold and dust mites, can also be prevented since your AC reduces humidity indoors.

While these may be ideal conditions for some and help reduce their asthma symptoms, others might feel that the cool, dry air exacerbates their symptoms, especially if the temperature change occurs too quickly and is too extreme. As mentioned, it’s crucial that you maintain your AC and clean the filter regularly, since it can otherwise lead to an increased circulation of asthma triggers in the air, such as dust, mold, and more.

How to Improve Asthma Symptoms?

While asthma isn’t curable, it can be managed with lifestyle adjustments, avoiding triggers as much as possible, and medications. For example, as discussed, using a well-maintained air conditioning unit on hot days can be good for asthma. Other, more general lifestyle changes can include engaging in physical activity, losing weight, and quitting smoking. Effective stress management and a healthy approach to sleep and diet are also crucial.

Additionally, individuals with allergic asthma may benefit from keeping windows closed when the pollen count is high, using clean HEPA filters, limiting outdoor time on days with high air pollution, and avoiding other potential triggers such as dust, mold, pet dander, and strong scents.

Finally, medications such as Singulair and Accolate can help you manage your symptoms in addition to an emergency inhaler. Be sure to watch out for side effects and work closely with your doctor to find the best treatment plan to keep your asthma from holding you back.