Does sleeping with air conditioning regularly affect the lungs?

Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Tuong , M.Sc., Department of Respiratory Function Testing, University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, answers: With the impact of climate change, the hot and humid summer weather has greatly affected work productivity and contributed to negative impacts on health.

The use of air conditioning has also been proven to bring certain benefits to work performance, as well as bring comfort to people, including hospitalized patients. However, regular use of air conditioning, keeping the temperature too cold will negatively affect respiratory health.

Frequent use of air conditioners and setting the temperature too low can negatively impact respiratory health.

Cold air easily dries out the nasal mucosa, which helps protect the respiratory tract from bacteria or viruses entering the lungs and causing infection, especially for people with chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, the elderly, those with multiple underlying conditions, and those with weak immune systems. Many studies have shown that excessively cold air can increase the sensitivity of people with asthma or lung diseases, making them more prone to bronchospasm and asthma exacerbations.

A large temperature difference between the outside and inside of the room can cause the body to experience thermal shock before it can adapt. For safety, air conditioner users should not allow the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the air conditioner temperature to exceed 7 degrees Celsius. Regularly ventilate the room and clean the air conditioner periodically, as infectious agents can survive in enclosed environments, negatively affecting respiratory health.

Bedrooms with air conditioning need to be cleaned regularly. In the morning, after using the air conditioner for many hours overnight, the windows should be opened to let in sunlight and fresh air, helping to disinfect and circulate the air.

When sleeping, avoid sleeping where the air conditioner blows directly onto your face or head, as this can cause nasal congestion and sore throat. Additionally, to humidify the air when using air conditioning, you can place a bowl of water in a corner of the bedroom.

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