CHENNAI:S Megha* is a 28-year-old employee of an IT firm in the Born and raised in Bengaluru, Megha has been living in Chennai for the last five years. While she likes living in the city, there is one time of the year that she does not look forward to — the summers.
“I used to suffer every summer because I had other priorities over getting an air conditioner,” she said. “This year, summer has barely started and it is already getting so hot. So I saved up money to buy an air conditioner and now I’m all set. I will work out in an air-conditioned gym, travel to work in an air-conditioned cab, sit in a cool air-conditioned office and come back home and sleep in a cosy, cool, air-conditioned room.”
While Megha is ecstatic at the prospect of being in air conditioned spaces all day, doctors warn that it is not ideal to be in an air-conditioned environment for prolonged periods of time.“It is important to keep cool in the summer but that need not necessarily be by sitting in an AC room through the day,” said Dr Jaichitra Suresh of SIMS Hospital. “Some amount of exposure to the sun is necessary. This need not be in the afternoon when the heat is harsh but rather in the evening when it is cooler. Staying indoors is desirable when it is very hot but it is not necessary to sit in an air-conditioned room. It will also help to wear cotton clothes and have fluids like fresh juices and so on.”
Doctors emphasise that being in a closed, air-conditioned environment can also lead to a number of other health issues.“The issue with an AC is that the same air is circulated which can lead to allergies and skin issues,” said Suresh. “Further, it is essential to keep yourself hydrated because when it is cool, our thirst response is not strong. And when we move from an air-conditioned room to the hot environment outside, it can lead to dehydration.”
Apart from allergies, respiratory problems, too, spike during the summer.“I have had a terrible cold and cough for the last two weeks,” said A Kumari, an employee at a BPO. “It just refuses to go. And it is not just me, everyone sitting around me has the same symptoms and issues. It is like we’re passing it on endlessly.”
Doctors said this phenomenon is not uncommon, especially in offices where people sit in close proximity to each other and have to spend long hours at a desk in an air-conditioned office.“An AC is used in a closed space, which increases the chance of cross-infection,” said Dr A Shaukath Ali of Apollo Hospitals. “It is important for those using an AC to clean the filters once every three months. Most people do not do this and it becomes a breeding ground for infection. The number of respiratory infections that crop up during summer is significantly higher than what comes to us during other seasons.”According to the doctor, patients suffering from arthritis and spondylitis, staying in a very cold, air-conditioned environment is not advisable as it will only aggravate their joint pains.