Why you need to change your air conditioner filter

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Take an hour or two this weekend to improve your AC situation By Jamie Ducharme Health Correspondent In my free time, there are very, very few things I’d like to do less than change my air conditioner’s filter. But my latest story has convinced me to suck it up and do it. This summer has been record-breakingly hot, which means lots of us have been running air conditioning nearly non-stop. If your system is clean and properly maintained, that’s not a bad thing. In addition to regulating temperature, air conditioning can remove humidity and irritants like dust and pollen from the air. But a dirty system can make indoor air quality worse, potentially exacerbating allergies and causing other health issues. Is it a sexy topic? No. But it’s worth taking a few minutes to think about when—if ever—you last swapped your filter and cleaned your system, for the sake of the air you breathe. READ MORE Share This Story

What Else to Read There’s Finally a Fully Approved Alzheimer’s Drug—But Getting It Won’t Be Easy By Alice Park The drug lecanemab (Leqembi), from Eisai Inc. and Biogen, treats a root cause of Alzheimer's disease. Read More » Are Shark Attacks Increasing? Here Are What the Data Say By Jeffrey Kluger The rate of shark attacks has remained relatively stable. But climate change may be increasing the odds of shark-human encounters. Read More » Does It Really Work to Date Within a Marriage? By Belinda Luscombe Bill de Blasio and Chirlaine McCray are about to find out. Read More » Teens Are Increasingly Underestimating Their Weight By Haley Weiss A new study shows that as teens globally become increasingly heavier, their perception of their weight is not keeping pace. Read More » How I Came to Love My Bionic Hand By Jessica Smith Born missing a left arm, Paralympian Jessica Smith explains why, after years of refusing to do so, she chose to wear a bionic hand. Read More » Are You Working in Extreme Heat? Tell Us About It By TIME Staff Read More »

ONE MORE FROM ELSEWHERE The GOP likes MDMA (mainly for PTSD) When you picture people who support the use of psychedelic drugs, conservative politicians are likely not those who come to mind first. But, as STAT’s Olivia Goldhill reports, right-leaning lawmakers are rallying behind drugs like MDMA, largely for its promise in helping veterans with PTSD. Read More »

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