Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that makes breathing a difficult task, and the symptoms of this condition tend to worsen when the weather is hot and humid. This is why having air conditioning in your home is so important in the summer months. If your AC stops working, it could make it even harder for you to breathe, and this is why you should call a company that offers 24-hour AC repairs in your area.
Why Heat Makes It Hard To Breathe
There are a number of triggers that can cause the symptoms of COPD to worsen, but being in hot, humid environments is one of these. This is typically a trigger you can control, because you can go in your home and turn your AC on. Staying in an air-conditioned environment can help keep your breathing passages open, and this can help you find some relief.
Humid environments tend to cause body parts to swell, and this is one of the reasons heat triggers the effects of COPD. While researchers are not exactly sure of all the other reasons heat makes respiratory conditions worsen, research does show that people with respiratory conditions are more likely to seek emergency help during times when it is extremely hot outside.
Living in a house that is hot and sticky is not healthy for anyone, but it is especially dangerous if you suffer from COPD or any other type of respiratory illness.
What You Can Do To Stay Cool
Living with COPD may require some lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and staying in cool places, but this can be hard to do if your AC stops working. If this occurs, your best option is to call a company that offers emergency AC repairs. There are companies that provide these services 24 hours a day, and they will come to your home as quickly as possible to get your system running again.
In addition to getting emergency repair services, you may also want to plan on having an AC company perform routine maintenance on your AC system each year. The best time to do this is just before summer begins, because this could help you avoid outages.
During AC maintenance, a technician will examine all the key components of your central AC system. They will recharge the system with coolant if needed, and they will replace any parts that are not working, or that look like they will need to be replaced very soon. For more information, contact a company like Elite Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Other Tasks That Can Help You Breathe Easier
Keeping your AC system up and running well could help you breathe easier, but you should also take the appropriate steps needed to keep the air in your home clean. Indoor air pollution is another trigger of COPD, and indoor air can be polluted by mold, dust, pet dander, and smoke.
To improve the condition of your indoor air quality, you may want to:
- Keep your house clean
- Keep pets outside
- Prohibit smoking in your home
These tips can help your air stay cleaner, but an AC repair company can also help with this. You can hire them to replace your air filters on your AC system regularly, and you can also hire them to clean your air ducts. These tasks will help your indoor air stay cleaner, and this too can help you have an easier time breathing while you are at home.
Your doctor can help you with medication for your health problem, but a 24-hour air conditioning repair company can help you keep your house cool during the summer months. If you would like to learn more about this, contact an AC repair company today.
