[esteem_lover]

I think we are confusing dehumidification with dehydration. AC cannot dehydrate a person. well put by ascertain.

[sj_koova]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I think we are confusing dehumidification with dehydration. AC cannot dehydrate a person. well put by ascertain.

You have put it right.
Automatic Climate Control should give some relief right?

[autoenthusiast]

Originally Posted by jango

On Long drives i too have experienced a bit of nausea and head ache when driving continuously with the air cons on. However i have never felt dehydrated so far.

Jango, the headaches could be due to using internal circulation continously and carbon dioxide build up. When you are in a clean area use the external air intake so that you get fresh air entering the cabin. Don't use this if you are behind a vehicle bellowing dust, but preferably on a long empty clean stretch of road.

[Porus]

Acceptable Answer to all mentioned problems :-

PREMIUM Drinking Water : ALways carry a Brand name water bottle ( Bisleri or Himalaya. If you carry normal water bottle then human tendancy to have pepsi/coke/lemonade /<insert any money spending habit here, including smoking ( This is for GTO)

Personally i do not feel the A/C dehydrates you at least in the city driving. If you have the A/C cooling more than necessary then you will have to make pitstops at the local restaurants/sulabh facilities for obvious reasons.

For long drives ( 2 hours plus ) I would suggest Switching the A/C Compressor on /off at discretion and comfort.

Of course i ensure i have a bisleri bottle at all times and keep sipping every now and then as need arises.

[rrs1951]

Agree with acsertain & Porus. On a recent trip from Mumbai to Goa and back, I had kept the AC on all the time to a comfortable level. However, I would change the air intake knob position from "recirculation" to "fresh air" from time to time. I had also taken plenty of breaks for the reasons stated by Porus. There were no headaches or other ill-effects at the end of the journey.

[ramkya1]

Hai PPL,

There's enough evidence out in the web to prove that air-conditioning dehumidifies and can have an effect like dry skin. Which means it sucks water molecules / vapour away and out form the environment which means from the human body which breaths vapour out, sweats it out etc., On long drive there's a good chance to become dehydrated if you do not take in large amounts of fluid.

I guess its a trade off between being dehydrated in the sun, which is much more severe and being dehydrated by the A/C. The point I was thinking over and what many people have brought out is the need to re-hydrate ourselves with water / balanced liquids etc., on long drives.

The points about re-circulationa and fresh-air are also very important in long drives, need to let in clean fresh air.

Thanks for all the inputs.

--Ramky
=====

[siddartha]

you do feel very thirsty if you have been in a car for a long with the a/c on full time.

[appuchan]

This is not specific to a/c. Any sort of air blowing on you will dehydrate you. This happens even with a normal fan. Many of us work in an airconditioned environment. But we dont feel unusually thirsty because it is central airconditioning and there is little chance of air blowing on you directly. But in a car or in a small room this may not be the case.

[BenjiRoss]

There are several issues in this situation and everything has been rightly pointed out:
1. Dehumidified air by most ACs - tends to dry skin and also the drier the air you are in, the more your 'insensible' water losses are (invisible sweat evaporating)
2. Air flow. Flowing air evaporates more water (insensibly) than still air from your skin and can dehydrate you.
3. Less 'drinking'. Very common if you are feeling comfy in a cool car and hence keep driving for 4-6---12? hours without stopping or sipping on water.
4. Cool temperature: Less water loss compared to say being in the sun!

1-3 causes dehydration and 4 is the saving grace.
So in conclusion.
1. AC is a comfort factor and not harmful.
2. Drinking water regularly (even if you do not feel thirsty while driving) ensures that you reach your destination well hydrated. Plain water is the best - avoid too much coffee, sweet drinks, carbonated drinks and strictly no alcohol. Remember what goes in comes out - so stop to do the needful if needed!
3. As already mentioned switch between recirculate and fresh air mode and even open windows or step out of your car once in a while.
4. Often if the temperature outside is a lot different from your car and you're in your car for a looong time - adjusting at the end of your journey will be a little more difficult.

The headache issue: Every individual has different triggers and factors that can cause a headache in a long trip.
The above factors discussed under dehydration can trigger itself cause a headache.
The constant movement can cause a headache (and even vomiting or dizziness) in some people.
The eyes: The eyes are actually under a lot of strain when driving - constantly moving items, roads etc are a strain in the eye. At night the eye has to constantly keep adjusting to oncoming headlights, flashes of light and total darkness - enough to cause a headache.
sometimes driving is stressful. Even if its on good roads. Each person reacts differently to this 'hidden' stress - some get more tired, others get a headache etc etc. Nice music, nice co-passengers etc do help!

Headaches and dehydration are not just for the driver - even passengers can have the same.

[bblost]

If you are planning on a long drive or ride increase water intake atleast two days in advance.
So your body gets used to it and you dont need so many toilet breaks.

[amitk26]

Yes Dehydration happens due to dehumidified air of AC if you keep AC on or increased evaporation from skin if you keep windows rolled down.
Harsh sun adds to the agony. I did long driving for about 10 hours total in a day recently with ample site seeing breaks both with AC and with out AC.

End result I had dry cracked lips and red face resembling a moneky for atleast 3 days. Severe itch and redness in armpits. So moral of the story I will keep a sipper and make sure that I drink a lot of water and breaks.

[smsrini]

Yes, long drives in an A/C car does make your skin feel dry and mouth parched, whatever the reasons be.

Plain water should keep you hydrated. Electrolytes are required when you prespire a lot, and loose body salts, e.g when in the hot sun or in very humid environments.

While driving, you may want to consider using one of the CamelBak - 2009 hydration packs which you can either wear or come with a bottle & sipper. Hang one on your seat back and use the sipper pipe for hands free hydration

My preference is to alternate between Redbull and Water!

[Accent Martin]

straight from Wikipedia

source link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning

extract from the link given below
Health issues[edit]

Air-conditioning systems can promote the growth and spread of microorganisms,[52] such as Legionella pneumophila, the infectious agent responsible for Legionnaires' disease, or thermophilic actinomycetes; however, this is only prevalent in poorly maintained water cooling towers. As long as the cooling tower is kept clean (usually by means of a chlorine treatment), these health hazards can be avoided.

Conversely, air conditioning (including filtration, humidification, cooling and disinfection) can be used to provide a clean, safe, hypoallergenic atmosphere in hospital operating rooms and other environments where an appropriate atmosphere is critical to patient safety and well-being. Excessive air conditioning can have a negative effect on skin, drying it out,[53] and can also cause dehydration.[54]