Is It Possible For My Air Conditioner To Give Me Headaches?
Believe it or not, air conditioning can actually be the cause of headaches for some people.
Cold Air Can Cause Dehydration
Did you know that your air conditioner not only cools the air in your home but also acts as a large dehumidifier as well? Yep!
While lowering the overall humidity indoors is a good thing during the hot summer months, lowering it too much can cause dehydration which will in turn lead to head aches.
Even mild dehydration can cause headaches so be sure you drink plenty of water even though you are inside your cool home.
Another option is to have a humidifier installed that will work with your HVAC system to keep your home at a constant humidity level.
Cold Air & Blood Vessel Contraction
If you keep your home too cool, it can actually cause the blood vessels in your head to start to contract causing a headache.
Most home cooling modes are set anywhere from 69-72 degrees.
If you have your thermostat set much lower than this, try turning it up a few degrees to give your head a break.
Mold & Other Pollutants
Mold is well known for causing headaches if the concentration is high enough.
Your HVAC system can be a prime spot for mold growth in the summer due to it’s damp, cool conditions.
The most likely place for mold to grow is on your evaporator coil which sits on top of your furnace.
This is the part that creates condensation, cools down, and cools the air in your home.
While the condensation largely drains out of your system through a condensate drain, your coil will still remain damp while your air conditioner runs.
A good way to combat this would be to have a UV germicidal lamp installed.
These lamps ultimately kill any bacteria and viruses via ultra violet light.
