Sleeping with the air conditioning on could cause tonsillitis, according to a young British man hospitalised in Türkiye.
Liana Foster, from north London, travelled to Antalya in Turkey on a family holiday earlier this month.
But just two days later, the 24-year-old says she woke up “groggy” and noticed white spots on her tonsils.
After being taken to hospital, doctors diagnosed her with a “very severe case” of tonsillitis, which occurs when the tonsils, small glands located at the back of the throat, become inflamed.
Ms Foster, a content creator and biomedical scientist, was put on an intravenous drip and said doctors told her her condition was “probably” brought on by the “musty air” from her hotel room’s air conditioning.
Liana Foster, from north London, travelled to Antalya, Turkey, with her family at the beginning of July. But just two days later, the 24-year-old says she woke up “groggy” and noticed white spots on her tonsils.
After being taken to hospital, doctors diagnosed her with a “very severe case” of a common condition that occurs when the tonsils become inflamed, and put her on an intravenous drip.
Even though she woke up feeling unwell after her first night, she decided not to visit the hotel’s resident doctor because it was “expensive”. It was only after feeling “really unwell” on her second morning that she went to the hospital.
She said: ‘I felt very dizzy and my throat was sore too. I was very shaky. I couldn’t eat or drink.
‘I thought it was Covid again. I had a high fever and my body ached.
‘I went to the hospital and they told me I had a very bad case of tonsillitis.
“They said it might be because of the air conditioning. It’s been pretty boring these past few days of vacation.”
Despite waking up feeling unwell after her first night, she decided not to visit the hotel’s resident doctor because it was “expensive.”
It was only after feeling “really unwell” on her second morning that she went to hospital.
He added: ‘The first night we had it (the air conditioning) very low in the room.
“I think I sleep more because of my mouth. It made me sick.”
“The doctor said it was most likely due to the air conditioning. They say it could be moldy air.
“I couldn’t take antibiotics orally, so I had to take injections for three days, twice a day. I was in a lot of pain.”
The tonsils (two lumps of tissue located at the back of your mouth) are part of the immune system’s first line of defense against bacteria and viruses entering the mouth, meaning they can easily become infected.
Symptoms of tonsillitis usually get worse over a period of two to four days.
The disease itself is not contagious, but the infections that cause it are.
In most cases, tonsillitis goes away on its own or with a short course of antibiotics.
Here, the content creator and scientist claimed that doctors also told her it was “probably” due to the “musty air” from her hotel room’s air conditioner.
The tonsils, two lumps of tissue at the back of your mouth, are part of the immune system’s first line of defense against bacteria and viruses entering the mouth, meaning they can easily become infected.
But in recurrent or severe cases, surgery to remove the tonsils is the only effective option.
Although Ms Foster’s doctors said her infection was likely caused by the air conditioning, the condition can also be caused by a number of common bacterial or viral infections.
Mrs Foster, who now takes oral medication, said: ‘I think if we hadn’t slept with the air conditioning on I would have been fine.
‘I’ve had tonsillitis before, but it’s never been this bad.
“If bacteria pass through the throat, they can reach the heart and other organs.”
Liana now wants to warn others to think twice before sleeping with the air conditioning on, unless they know it is regularly serviced.
