Air conditioners, which are one of the indispensable parts of the summer months, allow us to breathe comfortably, especially in the scorching heat. The unconscious use of air conditioners can harm our health. Therefore, there are some situations that we should be careful when using air conditioners.
As a result of unconscious use of air conditioners, it can be experienced with low back, neck, back and muscle pains. It even invites many diseases, from infections and allergies to serious health problems such as pneumonia.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Dr. Emine Bukan Arıca also warned those who use air conditioners by saying, “The reason for muscle stiffness and spasms, which are quite common especially in summer months, is the wrong air conditioner use.”
“TURN OFF WHEN SLEEPING”
Arıca, who also recommends turning off the air conditioner while sleeping at night, if possible, “We don’t notice the cold air flow coming to the same spot for a long time while we sleep at night. But the spasm that develops in the neck muscles, which are exposed to cold air all night, manifests itself in the morning as the inability to move the neck. For this reason, the air conditioner should be turned off completely while sleeping or a thin sheet should be used to cover the whole body.
BALANCE THE DIFFERENCE IN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE
Pointing out that the neck, waist and back regions sweat in hot weather, which causes the muscles to relax, Arıca said, “Meanwhile, when the sweaty areas come into contact with the cold air, by entering an environment where the air conditioner is cooled, the door to muscle spasms is opened. For this reason, one of the factors to be considered in the use of air conditioners is the very good balance of indoor and outdoor temperature.
It is necessary to be careful that this temperature difference does not exceed 10 degrees. For example; Arıca says that if the temperature is 40 degrees outside, the air conditioner should be operated at 30 degrees, and notes that acting in this way will protect the individual from muscle stiffness and severe pain.
EXISTING DISEASES EXPAND THE PROBLEM
While only muscle spasm is a very painful condition; Stating that if this is accompanied by disorders such as underlying neck hernia, calcification, spinal curvatures or fibromyalgia, eclipses will become inevitable. If the individual also has a migraine-type headache complaint, recurrent neck spasm or stiffness can trigger migraine, causing the attack to be more severe and last longer.
IT CAN GET CHRONIC
Stating that medical treatment, exercise therapy or physical therapy programs are applied in patients who apply to the doctor with the complaint of neck and back pain, Arıca said, “In patients who require treatment, different methods come to the fore according to the severity of the complaint. It is aimed to ease the patient’s mobility by eliminating the complaints with painkillers and muscle relaxants. In addition, physical therapy methods aim to regain the patient’s mobility as early as possible. Another treatment method is exercise and light-paced swimming.” He says that it is beneficial for individuals with recurrent pain complaints throughout the summer to apply to a health institution before the problem becomes chronic.