Summary:
“Living in the UAE means battling extreme heat outdoors and freezing air conditioning indoors. This sudden temperature change can trigger thermal shock, leading to “AC sickness” and respiratory issues. This guide explains why this happens and how to stay healthy during the Dubai summer.”
It is a scenario every Dubai resident knows well. You walk out of your office or a shopping mall where the thermostat is set to a chilly 18°C, and you step directly into the blast furnace of a 45°C summer afternoon. Your glasses fog up, your skin feels sticky, and your body immediately starts working overtime to cool down. Ten minutes later, you get into your car and blast the A/C on maximum power, freezing yourself all over again.
A few days of this routine, and you wake up with a scratchy throat, a runny nose, and heavy fatigue. You might ask yourself: “How did I catch a cold in the middle of July?”
The answer usually isn’t a winter flu bug it is often a physiological reaction known as thermal shock. While air conditioning is a survival necessity in the UAE, the way we use it can wreak havoc on our respiratory health.
In this guide, we will explore the science behind summer sickness, how air conditioning affects your immune system, and how Call Doctor can help you recover without leaving the comfort of your home.
What is Thermal Shock?
Thermal shock is the primary keyword for understanding summer illness in hot climates. In a medical context, it refers to the physiological stress your body experiences when it is subjected to a sudden, drastic change in temperature.
The human body is designed to maintain a stable internal core temperature (around 37°C). To do this, it uses a complex system of regulation:
- In the Heat: Your blood vessels dilate (expand) to push blood toward the skin’s surface, allowing heat to escape. You sweat to cool down via evaporation.
- In the Cold: Your blood vessels undergo vasoconstriction (tightening/shrinking) to keep blood near your vital organs and preserve heat.
The Impact on Your Body
When you move instantly from a hot Dubai street to a freezing room, your body doesn’t have time to adjust gradually. This forces your cardiovascular and respiratory systems to switch gears violently.
This rapid switch causes significant stress. The energy required to adapt to thermal shock leaves your body fatigued. More importantly, this stress temporarily weakens your immune response, leaving an “open door” for viruses and bacteria to attack. It isn’t the cold air itself that makes you sick; it is the shock to your system that lowers your defenses.
The Phenomenon of “AC Sickness”
While thermal shock weakens the immune system, the air conditioner itself plays a major role in why you feel ill. “AC sickness” is a common term used to describe a collection of symptoms caused by spending long periods in artificially cooled environments.
Here is why your AC might be making you sick:
1. It Dries Out Your Defenses
Air conditioners work by removing moisture and humidity from the air. While this makes the room feel cool and crisp, it creates an extremely dry environment.
Your body’s first line of defense against infection is the mucus in your nose and throat. This mucus traps viruses (like Rhinovirus) and bacteria before they can enter your lungs. When you sit in dry AC air for hours, your mucous membranes dry out. Without this protective layer, your throat becomes irritated, and pathogens have a direct path into your respiratory system.
2. Recycled Air and Pathogens
In many high-rise buildings and offices in Dubai, windows do not open. This means the air you breathe is being recirculated over and over again. If a colleague sneezes, those airborne viral particles are sucked into the AC vent and blown back out across the room.
3. The Danger of Dirty Filters
If an AC unit is not maintained well, the filter and ducts can become a breeding ground for mold spores, dust mites, and bacteria like Legionella. When the AC is turned on, these contaminants are blown into the air. Breathing this in can cause allergic reactions, asthma flare-ups, and severe sinus congestion.
Identifying Symptoms: Is it a Cold, Allergies, or Thermal Shock?
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a viral infection and thermal shock irritation. However, the treatment depends on knowing what you have.
Symptoms of Thermal Shock and AC Irritation:
- Dryness: A persistent dry throat or dry cough that feels worse when you are indoors.
- Fatigue: Feeling unusually lethargic or tired, even after sleeping well.
- Nasal Issues: A runny nose (clear fluid) or severe congestion without a fever.
- Headaches: Caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the head due to cold air.
- Skin: Dry, itchy skin or eyes.
Symptoms of a Viral Infection (Summer Flu):
- Fever: A high temperature is usually a sign that your body is fighting a virus or bacteria.
- Body Aches: Severe muscle pain.
- Colored Phlegm: Yellow or green mucus typically indicates an infection.
If you are unsure, it is always safer to get a medical opinion. With Call Doctor, you don’t need to guess a professional can assess you at home.
Why Dubai Residents are at Higher Risk
The risk of thermal shock is unique to regions with extreme climates. In milder countries, the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures might be 5 or 10 degrees. In the UAE summer, the outdoor temperature can reach 50°C, while malls and offices keep interiors at 18°C or 20°C.
This 30-degree temperature differential is massive.
Additionally, the lifestyle in Dubai revolves around the indoors during summer. We move from air-conditioned apartments to air-conditioned cars, to air-conditioned offices. We rarely experience natural fresh air or ambient humidity from June to September. This constant exposure to artificial climates makes the respiratory system highly sensitive.
Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Their bodies cannot regulate temperature as quickly as a healthy adult, making them more prone to catching summer colds and respiratory infections.
Practical Tips to Prevent Thermal Shock
You cannot avoid the heat in Dubai, and you certainly cannot live without AC. However, you can change your habits to minimize the impact of thermal shock on your body.
1. Create a “Buffer Zone”
Do not rush. If you have been walking outside in the heat, do not walk immediately into a freezing room. If possible, spend a few minutes in a shaded, non-AC area (like a building lobby or waiting area) to let your body cool down naturally.
When getting into a hot car, open the windows for the first few minutes to let the hot air escape before blasting the AC on your face.
2. Adjust Your Thermostat
Setting your AC to the lowest possible number is a bad idea. Try to keep your home temperature between 23°C and 25°C. This is cool enough to be comfortable but not cold enough to cause severe vasoconstriction.
3. Hydrate More Than You Think
Since AC pulls moisture from your body, you need to put it back. Drink water constantly throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. This keeps your mucous membranes moist and effective at trapping germs.
4. Carry a “Summer Layer”
It sounds contradictory to carry a jacket in summer, but it is essential in Dubai. If you are going to the cinema or a mall, bring a light sweater or scarf. This extra layer protects your skin from the direct blast of cold air and helps your body maintain its core temperature.
5. Use a Humidifier
If you wake up with a dry throat every morning, the air in your bedroom is too dry. Using a humidifier can add moisture back into the air, soothing your nasal passages and preventing morning congestion.
6. Clean Your AC
Ensure your home AC units are serviced and cleaned every 6 months to remove mold and dust. This is vital for maintaining good indoor air quality.
How to Treat AC Sickness
If you are already feeling the symptoms of thermal shock or a summer cold, you need to focus on rest and rehydration.
- Warm Fluids: Drink herbal teas with honey to soothe a sore throat.
- Saline Sprays: Use a nasal spray to moisturize dry nasal passages.
- Steam Inhalation: Inhaling steam can help loosen congestion.
When to Call a Doctor
While many summer sniffles go away on their own, some can turn into bronchitis, sinus infections, or severe tonsillitis. You should seek medical help if:
- You have a fever above 38°C.
- You experience shortness of breath or wheezing.
- Your symptoms last longer than 3 days without improvement.
- Your child or an elderly family member is refusing to eat or drink.
The Call Doctor Advantage
When you are suffering from thermal shock, the worst thing you can do is go back out into the heat, drive to a clinic, sit in a freezing waiting room, and then drive back home. This cycle of temperature changes will only prolong your illness.
Call Doctor solves this problem.
Our licensed doctors and nurses come directly to your doorstep anywhere in Dubai. We can check your vitals, diagnose whether you have a simple allergy or a bacterial infection, and administer medication while you rest in your bed. We also provide IV drips for dehydration, which is a common complication of summer illnesses.
Conclusion
Summer in Dubai is beautiful, but it requires care. By understanding the risks of thermal shock and taking small steps to manage your environment, you can protect yourself and your family from respiratory issues.
Don’t let a summer cold ruin your plans. Stay hydrated, adjust your AC, and listen to your body.
Feeling the symptoms of “AC Sickness”? Don’t brave the heat to visit a clinic. Contact Call Doctor today at 0800 200 400 or book online. We bring quality healthcare to your home, so you can recover faster.
