During the summer, the hot weather increases the demand for cooling devices such as electric fans. Compared to air conditioners, electric fans are more popular because they save electricity, are affordable, and are very suitable for use on days with fluctuating temperatures.
5 Dangerous Mistakes When Using Fans in Summer
However, not everyone knows how to use electric fans without affecting their health. If families make the mistakes listed below when using fans in the summer, they may face colds, strokes, or respiratory diseases.
1. Directing the fan towards your head or feet
According to general practitioner Bui Dac Sang (Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Association), the head and feet contain many nerves and blood vessels connected to the heart, spine, and brain… In the summer, families often direct the fan directly at their heads or feet, which is a very dangerous habit.
Directing the fan at your head can cause peripheral blood deficiency, leading to headaches.
Having the fan blow directly on your head while sleeping can cause peripheral blood deficiency, resulting in headaches. For patients with high blood pressure, this habit can lead to strokes.
Directing the fan towards the feet can harm the heart. When the feet are cold, the heart has to work harder to pump blood down to keep the feet warm, leading to fatigue and discomfort upon waking up.
Health experts recommend that during the summer, the fan should be placed at the side of the bed, at the midpoint of the body. The fan should be positioned away from the person, set to oscillate, and avoid directing continuous airflow at one spot throughout the night.
2. Using the fan right after coming back from the sun
When returning from a high-temperature environment, the body is sweating, and blood vessels are dilating… immediately sitting in front of the fan can lead to heat shock. Furthermore, the wind from the fan can hinder the sweating process, causing blood vessels to constrict suddenly, which is very dangerous and can lead to colds or even strokes.
Therefore, after returning from the sun, you should dry your sweat with a towel, then set the fan to the lowest speed and gradually increase it.
3. Sitting directly in front of the fan right after showering
According to practitioner Bui Hong Minh (Vice President of Ba Dinh Traditional Medicine Association, Hanoi), after showering, the body temperature decreases, and you should not immediately sit under a fan or air conditioner as it can negatively affect blood circulation, leading to slower blood flow to the brain, which impacts heart rhythm and blood pressure. Especially for those with weak health and resistance, sitting in front of the fan or air conditioner right after showering can easily lead to strokes.
4. Putting your face too close to the fan
On hot days, many people have a habit of sitting too close to the air conditioner or fan. However, sitting too close can cause your body to become chilled, making you susceptible to illnesses such as sneezing, runny nose, headaches, and sore throat… Additionally, sitting too close to the fan can quickly dehydrate your body, leading to thermal imbalance, headaches, dizziness, and even heat stroke.
The correct way to use a fan is to maintain a distance from it and not direct the airflow directly at your body.
5. Drinking ice-cold water while sitting in front of the fan
Drinking cold water while sitting in front of the fan can cause sore throat, fever, pneumonia, and respiratory infections…
In the hot season, many people have the habit of drinking a lot of ice-cold water and sitting in front of the fan to cool down quickly. However, this is a very dangerous habit. Drinking cold water when your body is hot can cause stomach and intestinal spasms, increasing the risk of acute abdominal pain.
Moreover, the wind from the fan will lower body temperature, leading to sore throat, fever, pneumonia, and respiratory infections… Therefore, when sitting in front of the fan, it is best to drink only plain or warm water.
