Water and hydration: how does dry air from air conditioners and heaters in the office affect the need for water?

Modern IT offices and home workspaces are often equipped with climate control systems. Air conditioners and heaters effectively maintain a comfortable temperature, but at the same time severely dry out the air. Under such conditions, indoor humidity can drop below normal, which directly affects the condition of a person who spends eight or more hours a day in front of a monitor.

Due to dry air, moisture evaporation from the skin surface and through the respiratory tract occurs much faster, even if a person is not engaged in physical labor. The body loses fluid imperceptibly, which gradually leads to latent dehydration. The first symptoms are dry eyes, a sore throat, and a mild headache, which many mistakenly write off as fatigue from complex code or bugs.

To compensate for the impact of climate equipment on the water balance, experts recommend revising the usual drinking routine. First, you should increase the daily water intake by about ten to fifteen percent during the heating season or the period of active air conditioner use. Second, it is useful to use desktop air humidifiers right in the workplace.

In addition, you can follow simple rules for preventing dryness: