The hot, humid summer and early fall in the Dayton area doesn’t just make your hair frizzy, it has a negative impact on your health, too. Controlling your indoor humidity protects your health and helps you feel more comfortable at home.
Respiratory Complaints
For some people with asthma, high humidity alone is enough to trigger an attack. Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often find it harder to breath when the air is moist.
At humidity levels greater than 50 percent, mold and dust mites thrive. Dust mites, which build up in beds and other soft furnishings, can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms. Mold releases tiny airborne spores that irritate the airways and, like dust mites, can set off allergies and asthma symptoms. They also increase risk of upper respiratory infection even in people with no pre-existing respiratory health issues.
What’s more, certain bacteria, including pneumococcus (flu), streptococcus (strep throat), and staphylococcus (staph infection), survive longer in more humid conditions.
Less Energy
You’ve probably noticed you feel sluggish on humid days. It’s not your imagination and there’s a reason for this feeling. Your body cools itself by producing sweat, which creates an evaporative cooling effect as it dries. When the air is humid, sweat doesn’t dry as quickly. Your body ends up expending extra energy to produce enough sweat, yet you still feel hot.
To compensate, your blood vessels send more blood to your skin’s surface where it’s relatively cool. That reduces the amount of blood in your muscles. The combined effects of these responses leaves you feeling hot, sticky, and drained of energy.
Running your A/C more often can help reduces minor amounts of excess moisture in the air. If you have an older A/C, consider upgrading to one with a two-stage or variable-speed motor for better humidity control. If you notice signs of a serious moisture problem, improved ventilation or a whole-house dehumidifier can help.
For help with your home’s humidity issues, contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services in the Dayton area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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