The National Institute of Hygiene PZH has been warning for many years that uncleaned air conditioning systems can be very dangerous to health.
Why disinfect the air conditioning evaporator?
ALERGIES:
Typical allergens include dust mites, pollen, dust, animal dander, molds, fungi and dander.
The air pumped through the air conditioner most often contains microelements of all these allergens.
INFLAMMATION OF THE UPPER AND LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACTS:
Inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tracts often results from air contamination of undisinfected air conditioning and from air conditioner temperatures set too low.
Particularly dangerous are very large temperature differences between the air outside and inside the vehicle, which occurs on hot days.
Such inflammations can lead to fungal pneumonia.
LEGIONELLOSIS
The disease manifests itself with a dry cough, fever reaching 40 C, breathing problems and impaired consciousness.
In addition, those infected also develop severe pneumonia.
The disease progresses very quickly and doctors have difficulty curing it, as the Legionella pneumophila bacterium that causes it is resistant to antibiotics.
It thrives in humid environments, such as poorly cleaned, undisinfected air conditioners.
TULAREMIA:
An acute and contagious bacterial disease, the symptoms of which appear suddenly approx.
a month after infection.
The most common visible symptoms are exhaustion, high fever, vomiting and rash.
HERPESVIRUSES:
These viruses cause conjunctivitis or chickenpox and herpes, for example.
They enter the human body through polluted air also pushed out by air conditioning.
MILDEW AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS:
The metabolic products produced by fungi and molds are among the most potent natural poisons.
Lighter-going fungal infections manifest as itchy skin irritation and respiratory problems.
Interestingly, fungi can wait in dormancy for up to 12 years until conditions for their growth improve.
GRYPA:
Flu symptoms are similar to the common cold, but more violent.
The most common are headaches and muscle aches, a severe runny nose, weakness and high fever.
Flu viruses also like to lurk dormant in our air conditioning and wait for a moment of weakness in the body.
BACTERIA:
Doctors report that 10 – 50% of the population carries the staph bacteria.
It may not give symptoms for years, until the body becomes weakened.
Then the bacteria causes skin infections (boils and abscesses), meningitis, pneumonia and even endocarditis.
Most often, infection occurs via the droplet route, as well as through air-conditioning systems.
