Visiting grandma was the highlight of Alison’s summer each year since she was a baby.
Even as an adult, she still kept the tradition whenever possible.
She’d plan the visit despite running a busy real estate firm in another city. Her grandma was always waiting for her with open arms during each visit. But, last year was the first time she wasn’t sitting outside waiting for Alison. When her granddaughter pulled up at the driveway, she got concerned seeing the empty poach seat. After letting herself in, she found her grandma in bed because she had an awful sore throat. The house was chilly because the AC was turned up. Alison rushed to the thermostat to turn it down and started tending to her grandmother. It was in the middle of summer, so her grandmother wanted cooler air from the HVAC system. But, by increasing the output, she had put her health at risk. The cool air from the powerful AC unit had caused her to catch a cold and get a sore throat. Her grandmother was shocked that the air conditioner could cause her to fall ill. Alison drove her grandmother to the doctor and explained what had happened with the cooling unit. The doctor advised her grandmother to avoid cranking up the smart AC, especially at night. It was better to endure a little heat that has frequent infections. The HVAC system was producing too much dry air that would continue to harm her health. Additionally, he insisted they get an HVAC expert to check the unit and do regular maintenance as a preventive measure. At times, dirt tapped in the air filter would contribute to sore throats. The best way to prevent this in the future was to have the filters cleaned regularly.