“My throat is white”… After going on a trip and sleeping with the air conditioner on, I was hospitalized. What happened?

The story of a woman who was hospitalized with severe tonsillitis after sleeping with the air conditioner on during the vacation season has been revealed. She said she felt as if she had COVID-19…

According to the British media outlet Mirror, Liana Foster (24), who lives in London, England, had the worst time in Turkey. She was hospitalized despite having just slept with the air conditioner on due to the hot weather at her travel destination.

After arriving in Turkey on the 16th of last month, Rihanna slept in a hotel with the air conditioning turned down. On the morning of the second day, Rihanna woke up feeling unwell, but did not seek any special treatment. As time passed, her condition worsened. Rihanna explained, “It was as if I had COVID-19,” and “I felt lethargic, my throat hurt, my body was shaking, and I couldn’t eat or drink.” At night, she would wake up with a sore throat and pain.

The next day, Rihanna opened her mouth and looked down her throat, and there was a white, inflamed lump. She eventually went to the hospital, was diagnosed with tonsillitis, and was admitted to the hospital. She couldn’t even take oral antibiotics, so she had to get shots twice every three days. It was reported that she recovered after a week of antibiotic treatment.

“I was told I had really bad tonsillitis,” Rihanna said. “They said it was most likely due to the air conditioning.” She added, “I’ve had tonsillitis before, but never this bad.” She added, “If the bacteria goes down my throat, it can travel to my heart and other organs.”

The inside of the air conditioner is a good environment for mold and bacteria to grow… It comes out with the cold wind and causes infection.

If you manage your air conditioner unsanitarily, you can suffer from respiratory infections like Rihanna. The filters and heat exchangers inside the air conditioner are a good environment for mold and bacteria to grow. When the air conditioner is turned on, this mold comes out with the cold wind and floats in the air and enters the human body. It causes a musty smell, so if you smell something when you turn on the air conditioner, there is a high possibility that there is mold.

If you are infected with a fungus, you will experience various symptoms similar to a cold. You will experience chills, fever, stuffy nose, vomiting, diarrhea, and a sore throat with a sore throat. If your sore throat is severe, you may suspect tonsillitis, which the woman in the story had. Fungi easily cause respiratory diseases in people with weak immune systems and respiratory systems. If you have tonsillitis, you will suffer from coughing, high fever, and even have difficulty swallowing food properly due to the sore throat.

You should clean your air conditioner filter with detergent at least once every two weeks… What should I do when traveling to a place where cleaning is difficult?

To prevent infection, it is good to make it a habit to clean the air conditioner regularly. At least once every two weeks, the filter should be cleaned with a special detergent or vinegar. However, like the woman in the story, it is virtually impossible to clean the air conditioner while traveling. In situations where cleaning is difficult, ventilation and humidity should be managed to minimize infection.

First, it is better to avoid the habit of closing the door before turning on the air conditioner. Since mold is emitted in large quantities when the air conditioner first starts operating, it is necessary to open the window for about 5 minutes. Periodic ventilation is also necessary. When the air conditioner is used for a long time, the respiratory mucosa dries out, reducing resistance to bacteria.

It is also important to control humidity. Mold grows best when the temperature is 24~25℃ and humidity is over 80%. When humidity is high, the human respiratory system becomes weaker. The respiratory mucosa swells easily and secretes more mucus, reducing the ability to expel bacteria and mold when they enter.

To reduce mold growth, do not turn off the air conditioner immediately after use, but run the fan function for about 10 minutes to dry the inside.