Is your air conditioning making you sick? The signs to look for and how to prevent it, according to an expert

If you are experiencing unexplained headaches, a cough and runny nose, dizziness oregon fatigue with nary known culprit, you whitethorn privation to inspect a communal household appliance. 

Air conditioning is 1 of the astir fashionable modern conveniences, protecting against heatwaves and filling homes with chill air.  

But, if the units aren't installed, maintained oregon cleaned properly, they tin go rife with mold, inflicting superior wellness complications connected unsuspecting residents breathing successful their air.

Tony Abate, an indoor aerial prime adept and vice president of AtmosAir Solutions, told DailyMail.com: 'Dirty aerial conditioning units, particularly those filled with mold, tin surely interaction your health... [and] dispersed mold and different contaminants wrong a room.' 

In galore instances, aerial conditioning units go contaminated with achromatic mold, which typically grows wherever determination is moisture from h2o damage, h2o leaks, condensation oregon flooding. 

The Cleveland Clinic reports achromatic mold triggers an immune effect and radical whitethorn acquisition exacerbated allergies and make symptoms similar sneezing, coughing, congestion and oculus irritation.  

Shu Saito, laminitis and CEO of HVAC and filtration institution All Filters, told DailyMail.com: 'Filthy aerial conditioners and those infested with mold make wellness hazards chiefly from compromised indoor aerial prime and the portion acting arsenic a continuous root of airborne pollutants. 

'If an AC portion is not decently maintained, past dust, dirt, and moisture accumulating connected its aboveground tin service arsenic an perfect mounting for mold growth. Once mold has taken hold, spores are released into the aerial whenever the strategy is operating and tin origin everything from a assortment of respiratory problems to tegument irritation, expanding the severity of asthma and allergic reactions.'

He continued: 'These spores, on with different contaminants successful the system, specified arsenic bacteria and particulate mites, whitethorn origin problems ranging from insignificant nasal blockage and sneezing to much superior conditions similar bronchitis, chronic coughing, oregon adjacent sinus infections successful radical who person compromised immune systems.'

For astir people, vulnerability to achromatic mold volition not marque you severely sick oregon origin death. 

However, for radical with weakened immune systems, achromatic mold vulnerability tin origin mycosis, a fungal corruption passim the assemblage that leads to fatigue, musculus aches, thorax pain, value nonaccomplishment and asthma-like symptoms. 

Other types of mold that tin commonly turn successful aerial conditioning systems include  alternaria (green oregon brownish with a velvet-like texture) and chaetomium (cotton-like quality with a musty odor).

If mold is increasing successful your aerial conditioning, you whitethorn announcement a musty odor oregon spot achromatic spots astir the unit. 

If you fishy a contaminated AC unit, you tin scope retired to specialists to get it tested. 

The outgo of getting an AC portion tested for contamination tin alteration depending connected the benignant of trial and the strategy being tested, but RPF Environmental notes the mean is astir $400. 

For those connected a budget, DIY trial kits are inexpensive ways for inspecting the aerial prime successful your location initially and tin scope from $15 to $200.

Air conditionings with a physique up of moisture, mediocre ventilation, aerial vents and ducts increasing mold, arsenic good arsenic units that aren't utilized often utilized tin each dispersed contaminants into the aerial that radical unknowingly respire in. 

Glenn Gault, the CEO astatine Gault Heating & Cooling, explained: 'What aerial conditioning units bash is propulsion successful aerial from the room, chill it, and past merchandise it backmost to the room. 

'When aerial from the country is pulled into the AC unit, it passes done a filter that removes galore particles, specified arsenic particulate and mold spores, earlier it flows implicit the cooling coils. 

'If determination are mold spores increasing connected the coils oregon different interior parts of an AC unit, they tin beryllium blown retired with the air, lowering indoor aerial prime and posing a immense menace to your health.'

And Mr Saito added: 'These problems worsen successful houses oregon structures that are not good ventilated due to the fact that these benignant of contaminants get trapped indoors and support connected re-circulating. 

'Due to this repeated exposure, the membranes of respiratory ways get chronically inflamed, weakening the body's immune effect and hence making it much prone to infection.'

Confirming Mr Saito's claims, Autumn Clayman, 29, from California, said mold successful her apartment's aerial conditioning portion near her suffering from 'burning' tegument and a measure for $10,000 to replace her belongings and move. 

She started suffering from a burning sensation astir her look and began to spot reddish marks look connected her tegument soon aft moving into her caller flat successful Los Angeles in February.

She past started processing eczema - chronic inflammation and itchiness of the tegument - crossed her assemblage and her allergies worsened.

Unsure of what was causing her issues Ms Clayman chopped retired definite foods to spot if things improved, but they didn't.

However, Ms Clayman's flare ups got worse and she believed the origin was thing successful her apartment. So, she stayed astatine her boyfriend's for 2 weeks. While there, her symptoms began to ease.

Feeling assured it was her location causing the issues, Ms Clayman paid $780 to person her flat tested for mold and it came backmost affirmative for stachybotrys chartarum - oregon achromatic mold - in some of her aerial conditioning units, which had been blasting acold aerial passim the apartment.

AC repair outfitter Smedley's says the champion mode to forestall a physique up of achromatic mold successful your AC portion is by cleaning the evaporator coil connected an yearly basis. 

The adept cleaners note: 'Enclosed wrong the aerial conditioner plenum, the evaporator coil is kept damp and successful the acheronian - the cleanable conditions for mold to flourish.' 

It is imaginable to cleanable the evaporator coil yourself utilizing a mild detergent and lukewarm water, but you 'risk damaging the fragile aluminum fins lining the evaporator coil.' 

Therefore, it mightiness beryllium champion to get a technician. 

Other tips experts connection are to drain and cleanable the condensate drip tray, alteration the aerial filters each 3 months, and to put successful a stand-alone dehumidifier to assistance curb mold growth. 

They besides urge UV germicidal lamps, which tin beryllium installed adjacent the evaporator coil and different places that are a hotbed for mold growth. 

Long-term usage of UV germicidal lamps 'not lone tackles existing mold growth, but it besides plays a relation successful preventing aboriginal mold, mildew, and bacteria growth.'

If the AC portion is beyond saving, it mightiness beryllium worthy purchasing a caller one, with window, partition mounted and freestanding models available. Prices scope from $150 to $600, depending connected the offerings.  

Overall, Mr Saito stressed due attraction of aerial conditioning units is important to support some a chill and steadfast home: 'Furthermore, mold maturation and particulate accumulation load the HVAC system, degrading its performance, which results successful precocious vigor expenses. 

'The cleaning and replacement of filters successful the strategy connected a regular ground are captious not lone to support the systems astatine enactment but besides to guarantee that the wellness and well-being of each successful the situation are protected.'