There is no second opinion that cooling is one of the most essential and important comforts for any person. On hot summer days, a person may not be able to survive properly without an air conditioner. Where cool air can bring you comfort, it can help in treating various illnesses as well.
Some people have assumptions that air conditioning can cause some serious issues and one of their main and most frequently asked questions include, does humidity affect blood pressure? Well, this guide is here just to address this topic.
Can high temperatures increase your blood pressure
High temperature or heat during the hot summer days can rapidly increase blood pressure.
Researchers claim that during the mid-summer days when the body tries to radiate, the blood flows as much as twice its normal flow rate in the skin. This thing causes our heart to beat at double speed to provide enough blood to the body which eventually leads to high blood pressure.
Can humidity cause high blood pressure
High temperature only affects blood pressure when combined with the high rate of humidity in the air.
On mid-summer days when the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity in the air can be as much as 60% to 70% which is not so good for a person’s blood pressure.
The more moisture or humidity is in the air, high are the chances of experiencing high blood pressure and heart attacks. Although it cannot affect easily, people with the below-mentioned factors can have more risks:
- People above 50 years of age.
- People who have lungs, heart, or kidney diseases.
- Aged people who eat food with low sodium.
- Overweight people.
Why is air conditioning good for high blood pressure
Air conditioners are installed in our rooms and offices to deal with heat and humidity while making the environment extremely convenient and comfortable for humans.
As said earlier, extreme heat and high levels of humidity are probably the only and most common factors that cause high blood pressure. Air conditioning can keep humidity at a level that is best suitable for humans to survive.
Air conditioning can only cause high blood pressure if your AC is keeping humidity at a high level which is not the case if the air conditioner is in good condition.
Some people with high blood pressure problems claim that they feel quite better and comfortable while living inside an air-conditioned room.
Can air conditioning cause some diseases as well
An air conditioner cannot cause diseases because it is totally good and healthy for the human body. An air conditioner can cause some minor issues such as a dry throat or a stuffy nose. This happens as the humidity goes extremely down in the air and you stay inside the air-conditioned room for a very long time. Well, this issue can easily be treated by drinking a good amount of water to balance the humidity level in your body or skin.
An AC can only become a cause of some disease if you don’t take care of its cleanliness and maintenance regularly. An AC without being clean can get contaminated with dirt and debris which can produce germs combined with the air conditioner’s gases and water. Bacteria can develop in the unit and the air coming from AC can bring them with itself and get inhaled into your body. Keeping your AC clean means that it is safe and healthy for you in almost all aspects.
Does high blood pressure have any bad effects on the heart
Constantly experiencing high blood pressure can badly affect your blood arteries while compressing and making them lose their elasticity. With narrow arteries, the flow of blood and oxygen will decrease to some extent that will make it difficult for the heart to meet its necessities. These are the major factors that cause various kinds of heart diseases. Some of the major issues and heart disease that occur due to high blood pressure include:
- Angina or in simple words, chest pain.
- If arteries are compressed completely, heart muscles will begin to stop because of no oxygen which can eventually lead to a severe heart attack.
- Your heart may keep on working but not to its full extent. As it will not be able to pump enough blood to all parts and organs in the body, this can affect different body parts while resulting in heart failure as well.
Major signs of high blood pressure
Air conditioners are good for high blood pressure and you can simply get an idea by the below-mentioned signs that indicate the increasing blood pressure. When asked for a survey to a group of people, most of them say that they have never experienced any or some of these signs while sitting in an air-conditioned room:
- Swelling extremities.
- Cramps or spasms in muscles.
- Damp, sticky, and cool skin at the same time.
- Excessive sweating or not a single drop of sweat at all.
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Rapid pulse rate
- Disorientation
- Dizziness
- Confusions
How to lower high blood pressure immediately
Whether you live in an air-conditioned room or without an AC, knowing the techniques to lower high blood pressure in an immediate manner is necessary so that you can deal with it in all conditions. Below are some tips that can help you decrease your blood pressure immediately:
- Stop whatever you were doing and just lie down on a flat surface. Take deep breaths and don’t talk too much during the process.
- Try to calm down and get included in things that make you calm. If you have high blood pressure, relax while distracting your mind from all worldly issues and activities.
- If you are in heat, let the sweat dry a bit and enter an air-conditioned room. Cool air will soothe your body and will gradually lower your blood pressure as well.
If your BP is not going down even after doing all this, contacting a doctor is essential because having high blood pressure for a long time can cause some serious issues that are mentioned in previous sections.
Dr Joe Strachan is a Paediatric Intensive Care (CHiP) expert