viv1

Hi Folks,

Have got a job in Brisbane...would be starting in a few months. I am asthmatic and have sinusitis. Cold air-conditioning really does me bad and I end up having headache or my asthma comes back after some time. Brisbane being a warm and sultry place, do all places i.e shopping malls, hospitals, taxis etc have air con on all the time? Is it too hot to live without air con?
How about other places in Australia?

Thanks.

kporte

Sorry Viv but pretty hard to get by without aircon here for at least a few months a year.

shirlw

It is possible though that your asthma and sinusitus might naturally subside due to being away from the UK and the damp weather.Some ailments do naturally diminish(or get worse) when moving between different climates.
However,most office blocks,shopping centres etc. are centrally airconditioned so pretty difficult to avoid.As for in the home,I know of many people who do not have airconditioning and get by on ceiling fans alone so it is difficult to say how one individual would adapt!

mohogony

l think you would need it living in Brisbane during summer especially being from England you won't be used to the weather. Brisbane would the place in OZ you would most need it probably. Tasmania or New Zealand would be the best places for you to live, they probably never need to use air conditioning there. Also Victoria may be a place for you to live , l live there and don't have airconditiong , although theres around 10-15 really hot days a year l wish l had it, you could get by without it in Victoria especially if you live on the coast. l have never been to Brisbane maybe you could get by with ceiling fans, l don't know. Is'nt there two types of air conditioning evapouritive and refridgerated, would you be allergic to evapourative air conditioning?

steve`o

it really is a suck it and see senario
my stepdad suffers terribly with asthma in the uk
he came out here for 6 weeks and afer a couple of days didnt use his inhaler untill he was back in the uk ?

i think air quality has alot to do with it as ac only cools or heats the air

bobbyfaescotland

Get a house with a pool, then when it gets hot, jump in

Centurion

I believe you are right. Whenever I return to the UK I can "smell" the place and not in a good way. Its harder to breathe.

Many asthma suffers I know comment that breathing improves considerably here. Whether thats pollutant levels, humidity, cold air, who knows. But it seems to work so I wouldn't dread it too much.

quoll

If it really is the aircon you have an allergy to then you wont be able to avoid it in Brisbane - or anywhere in Aus really - except maybe Tasmania. It isnt just surviving in your home (you can, but you wont be totally comfortable) it's driving in the car, shopping in the malls, working in an office - they are all going to have aircon.

jad n rich

Not everywhere has AC by any means, large office blocks and shopping centres usually have AC. Most schools and many homes done have any.

Humidity is worse dec jan feb, not all year, australia has very bad asthma rates, however different things trigger it for different people. Unitll the last few years most people in brisbane lived without AC many still do, or only have one small area of the house with AC, would be far easier to find a home without it than with it.

Grayling

We did not have any air conditioning last summer and managed OK but it is hard to avoid in shops, workplaces etc.

As for allergies.....they may get better but they may get worse....it all depends on what you are allergic to.

My son developed asthma after he moved to Brisbane (in his late 20's).

Allergies and Asthma are caused by certain environmental triggers.....if they are present you will suffer. many people experience temporary relief when the go somewhere new on holiday or move house etc. but their allergies often return in time.

G

framac67

Brizzys freezing compared to up here.

slipshot

This may seem a silly question but as it is obviously a key element in your life, did you not think about this before applying for a visa or a job in Australia, and going up north rather than the cooler south?

It just seems as if - well, you;ve not really thought about it? Air conditioning is about making warm air cold, so there's no such thing as cold air conditioning, it really depends on what the temp is set to and what other factors there are...

It just seems strange you would apply for a job in a warm part of the world in your condition...

mohogony

Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand are the places you can don't need aircondtioning. What about Canberra and Southern NSW would you need it there in summer?

quoll

You dont NEED it in Canberra in summer but it makes life more bearable if you do have it. Most offices and shops have it so there is no escape if you have an allergy to it.

bcworld

You don't NEED A/C in a home in Brisbane either - if the home is designed appropriately to suit the climate. It's certainly a nice to have on a few nights each summer - but the same could be said for almost any Australian capital city.