Summers in El Cajon make air conditioners a requirement for many homeowners who want to escape the season’s hot, humid air. However, if you notice that you have a dry, scratchy throat while in your home, you may wonder, “Can air conditioners give you a sore throat?” Learn the answer to that question and more with the HVAC experts performing air conditioning repair in El Cajon, CA.
Why Does My AC Make My Throat Sore?
The air conditioning process changes your indoor air quality by improving the air clarity, cooling it down, and removing moisture from the air. The system forces hot air outside and recycles already-cooled air to lower its energy costs. These events can cause some people discomforts like:
- Throat or mouth dryness
- Itchy skin or eyes
- Muscle soreness
While these discomforts may occur sometimes, you shouldn’t suffer continuous health issues while using your air conditioner. Some reasons an AC unit might cause overly dry air include:
1. Improper Installation
Proper air conditioning installation ensures that your system fits your home and has no problems with air circulation. A poorly installed AC may not move air around its insides as it should, causing stagnant areas where mold, fungi, and bacteria can thrive. These microbes can make their way into your home, making you or your family members sick.
2. Poor AC Maintenance
Air conditioners require regular maintenance to keep them working at their maximum ability and without any potential health risks. Without regular maintenance, coils and other internal components can collect excessive moisture and bacteria. Besides hosting the perfect breeding grounds for mold or mildew, excess moisture can cause rust or other damage inside your AC.
3. Not Enough Fresh Air
Many homeowners close the vent control on their air conditioners believing that it’ll help them keep their houses cooler. In fact, it does the opposite, making it easier for stagnant air to build up in your unit and reducing the moisture in your interior air. By opening a closed vent control, you give your system and your home the ability to control fresh air.
4. Ductwork Damage
Damaged ductwork leaves room for dust, dirt, and debris to blow into your home, lowering your air quality and making a mess in the process. In addition, a broken air duct can make the perfect home for insects or rodents. Check your ductwork regularly to ensure that everything stays in good shape.
5. Dirty Air Filters
Air filters collect everything from pet hair to bacteria. Failing to regularly change out your air filter can force your system to work harder, causing drier air.
How Can I Stop Having a Sore Throat from My AC?
If you’re asking, “Can air conditioners give you a sore throat,” you probably already have respiratory problems you suspect your AC caused. After troubleshooting air conditioner problems, you can focus on other ways to keep your home comfortable and your throat from scratching, itching, and hurting.
1. Treat Your Sore Throat
You can immediately relieve your sore throat by staying hydrated, taking over-the-counter allergy medications, and using throat lozenges. Drink hot tea or soup to coax your throat into feeling better. If cold foods feel better on your throat, enjoy a non-dairy popsicle or other frozen dessert.
2. Schedule Routine Maintenance
The number one way to prevent air conditioner problems consists of a regular AC maintenance schedule. Professional HVAC contractors know how to keep your unit running without a hitch while ensuring that it provides you with clean, comfortable air. You can practice some routine maintenance yourself, including:
- Keeping the area around your AC clear of debris
- Changing out air filters regularly
- Vacuuming vent covers
3. Enjoy Fresh Air
Going outside and breathing fresh air offers many benefits other than a clearer throat. Since your air conditioner recycles cool interior air, you lose the healthy balance of oxygen to carbon dioxide and other gasses that make up the air around you. If you don’t feel like baking under the sun, open your windows or, at the very least, make sure to open the vent control on your air conditioner.
4. Use Your Air Conditioner Sparingly
Many homeowners leave their air conditioners running all the time, increasing the chance of dry air inside their homes. Change things up by raising the temperature a few degrees when you leave your home for work or other long periods. You can also turn the air conditioning off during the cooler periods of the day, such as early in the morning or after nightfall.
Using your air conditioner less can improve your indoor air quality and make your sore throat disappear.
5. Avoid Using Strong Cleaners and Scents
Keeping a clean home often involves the use of many different types of chemicals. From the solution you use to mop your floor to the cleaning agents you use in your tub, these cleaners often have strong chemical smells that can irritate your throat. Many homeowners use room sprays, candles, and oil diffusers that can add to the irritants in the air.
When cleaning, ventilate your home by opening windows so the smells don’t hang around your house. If you choose to use a fragrance spray or candle in your home, opt for something that doesn’t have a highly chemical smell so that you can enjoy the scent without the sore throat.
Enjoy Properly Conditioned Air with the HVAC Experts at Maximum Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning in El Cajon
When homeowners ask, “Can air conditioners give you a sore throat,” it’s often because they’ve experienced consistent sore throats every time their AC kicks on. With regular air conditioner maintenance and inspections, many AC problems that cause sore throats won’t occur. Homeowners can also practice measures on their own to improve their health and comfort.
At Maximum Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, our HVAC technicians work closely with homeowners to address any questions or problems they have with their AC. If you need AC maintenance or repair in El Cajon, CA, call (619) 949-1379.