Air conditioning has earned an unfair reputation, where it’s frequently touted as bad for our health. Yet a properly maintained, modern air conditioning system can actually be good for our health, even helping to save lives and improve life expectancy.
Reduction in heat-related illnesses
Vulnerable people such as the young or elderly, or those with health conditions and compromised immune systems, often find it hard to regulate their body temperature. This makes them prone to heat stroke during hot weather.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency and can even cause death. In the USA alone, more than 9,000 deaths from heat stroke were recorded between 1979 and 2013, with experts claiming that the real figures are likely to be much higher.
Having air conditioning systems installed in buildings regulates the temperature and can, therefore, reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Combat respiratory problems
Air conditioning units remove pollutants and contaminants from the air, such as dust mites, mould spores, pollen, mildew and bacteria. Many of these can trigger allergy reactions in those who suffer from asthma or other respiratory problems.
It’s estimated that someone in the UK has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack every 10 seconds, with three people dying each day in this country from asthma. Life-threatening attacks may be stopped in their tracks with the installation of air conditioning.
Filter airborne viruses, germs and bacteria
We tend to think of air conditioning as being a luxury in homes, but in a medical setting, such heat regulation systems are imperative. Air conditioning purification units are installed in hospitals to help prevent the spread of infections, diseases, viruses, germs and other toxins.
The units work by filtering out contaminants so that they don’t spread from one part of the hospital to another. In fact, air conditioning has even helped to combat deadly malaria in tropical locations where this disease is rife.
Studies demonstrate that high-quality HEPA filtration systems for use in hospitals are 99.95% efficient at preventing the transmission of airborne diseases. By reducing the spread of contaminants, vulnerable patients increase their chances of survival. Indeed, researchers have proven that infant mortality is reduced in those settings that have air conditioning.
Without air conditioning in hospitals, sick people would struggle to maintain their temperature, often exacerbating their illness. Scientists have discovered that being in an air conditioned environment can help people to fight off infections and recover from illnesses much quicker. In particular, cardiac patients, those suffering from head injuries or burns, have difficulties maintaining their core body temperature, and are said to benefit from being in wards with controlled air units.
Crucially, healthcare workers will quickly suffer fatigue if they work in an environment that isn’t temperature controlled to a comfortable level. Scientists have proven that when we get hot, the body focuses all of its energy on trying to cool down, adversely affecting our ability to think and reason. This increases the risk of making poor decisions and losing our ability to concentrate. For medics making life-changing decisions about a patient’s care, there’s really no margin for error.
Medicine
Air conditioning isn’t just vital for patient care, it’s necessary to maintain the correct conditions for medicines and medical equipment. For example, consistent and stable temperatures are needed for accurate testing in laboratories, and so without air conditioning in place, advances in medicine wouldn’t happen.
Many medicines also need to be stored at certain controlled temperatures so that they don’t spoil, and this is where air conditioning comes into play.
Medical equipment and machines also require controlled temperature conditions to function effectively – air con has even been used to aid developments in surgery and surgical procedures.
If you want to protect the health of those who use your premises, take advantage of the high-quality air conditioning services available from GREE UK.
