I was in seventh heaven when a new air conditioning (AC) system was installed in my home about one month ago. I pictured myself enjoying the coolness with fewer allergy symptoms while it was sweltering outside.

Our new system is under warranty so I wasn’t concerned the first time it went on the fritz. But I was beginning to feel I knew the repairman like a friend after four house calls to fix our defective system.

The whole experience has made me appreciate the benefits of AC for me as an allergy sufferer. Leaving windows open is not an option for me as I live in the country with all kinds of pollens swirling around outside. However, I discovered that AC doesn’t treat all allergy sufferers as well.

Some have an increase in their symptoms because their AC system must operate in a closed environment meaning contaminants in the air continually are recirculated. This includes pollens and all kinds of other allergens. The effects are worse if the home is well insulated.

Contaminants trapped in your indoor environment include:

•Synthetic fibers from carpets and furniture fabrics
•Chemicals contained in building materials including formaldehyde
•Cleaning and personal care products
•Insecticides and pesticides
•Gases produced by water heaters and cooking appliances including carbon monoxide (CO), which is potentially lethal
•Fumes produced by combustible agents including tobacco products and wood burning fireplaces
•Pet dander and dust mites
•Contaminants introduced from outdoor air, including pollen and radon gas.

Allergy symptoms that AC might exacerbate

Central AC systems can cause or exacerbate a variety of allergy symptoms including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, respiratory congestion and shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches and fatigue.

How to reduce the effects of central AC on allergies

Good filters that are changed or cleaned regularly are important to minimizing the effects of central AC on allergies. We change our filter every month but again we live in a rural area which makes this even more important.

Air filters are designed to remove contaminants from indoor air. Air filters vary in effectiveness and price. Regular filters are fiberglass and polyester media and are low cost. Some recommend more expensive filters for allergy sufferers that will trap more contaminants.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are often recommended for allergy sufferers. HEPA filters are single-use, disposable filters constructed of a dry-type filter medium with a minimum particulate removal efficiency of 99.97%.