Air Conditioning and Health: Dry Throat, « Summer Colds » & the Right Reflexes

A 19°C office, an icy car, a night under the AC — and you wake up with a scratchy throat and blocked nose in mid-August. AC doesn't make you sick per se, but it creates the conditions. Here's how to enjoy it without the damage.

• 💨 What AC really does: it DRIES the air (and your mucous membranes) — dry membranes defend less well against viruses. It's not « the cold » that makes you sick, it's the disarmed membrane + viruses circulating in a closed space
• 🌡️ The 7°C rule: never more than a 7°C gap with outside (32°C outside → AC at 25-26°C, not 19°C). Repeated thermal shock tires the body
• 💧 The AC hydration reflex: dry air dehydrates you without visible sweat — the diluted INTI bottle on the air-conditioned desk is as vital as on a terrace. Bonus: the ginger-lemon bite soothes the throat AC dries out
• 🚗 In the car: AC never aimed at the face, and 5 min of open windows before turning it on
• 🛌 At night: better a fan + pre-cooled room than AC blowing on you all night

Smart AC: max 7°C gap, never direct flow, maintained filters (a dirty filter = a microbe nest blown into the room), and continuous hydration — dry air pumps your water silently. The throat ritual: a sip of diluted INTI when it scratches. ⚠️ Persistent cough, fever or flu-like symptoms after exposure to poorly maintained AC: see a doctor — some bacteria (legionella) nest in neglected systems.

❓ FAQ

Does air conditioning make you sick?

Not directly — but it creates the conditions: dried air weakens mucous membranes (which defend less well against viruses), the closed space circulates microbes, and repeated thermal shocks tire you. The right reflexes: max 7°C gap with outside (32°C out → AC 25-26°C), never direct flow on the face, maintained filters, and continuous hydration (dry air dehydrates without visible sweat) — a diluted INTI bottle (0% sugar) also soothes the dried throat. ⚠️ Persistent flu-like symptoms after poorly maintained AC = see a doctor.