I slept with the air conditioner on and ended up in the hospital – here’s why you should be careful

A British woman has warned against sleeping with the air conditioner on while on holiday – after leaving her in hospital.

Liana Foster, 24, was on holiday in Antalya, Turkey, with her family when she woke up with a sore throat.

The next day, she woke up “gloomy” and her mother, Lynette, 52, noticed white patches on her tonsils and took her to hospital.

She was put on an IV drip and spent five hours in hospital for tonsillitis – which doctors said was likely caused by the air conditioner.

Foster has been on antibiotics for the past week and is gradually recovering.

Foster, a content creator and scientist from north London, said: “I felt very nauseous and also had a sore throat.

“I was really shocked. I couldn’t eat or drink.

“I thought it was COVID again.

“My temperature was bad, my body hurt.

“I went to the hospital and they told me I have a really bad case of tonsils.

“They said it could happen from the air conditioner.

“It’s been pretty boring for the last few days of vacation.”

Foster landed in Antalya on July 16, 2024 and went straight to the hotel.

She said: “The first night we had him [the air conditioner] to very low in the room.

“I think I sleep more through my mouth.

“It made me sick.”

Foster woke up feeling sick the next day, but didn’t go to see a doctor at the hotel because it was “expensive”.

But the next day, she woke up feeling “very sick”.

She said: “I had white spots on my tonsils.”

Foster was told by doctors that she had tonsils and that it was probably caused by the air conditioner.

She said: “When it comes to the hotel, they won’t maintain it.

“They say it could be moldy air.

“The doctor said it is most likely from the air conditioner.

“I couldn’t take antibiotics by mouth so I had to do injections for three days and twice a day.

“I was in a lot of pain.”

Foster is now on oral medication and returned to the UK on 23 July 2024.

She said: “I believe if we didn’t sleep with the air conditioner on, it would be fine.

“I’ve had tonsils before, but it’s never been this bad.

“If bacteria travel down the throat, they can reach the heart and other organs.”

Foster now wants to warn others to think twice about sleeping with the air conditioner on – unless they know it is regularly maintained.

She said, “I didn’t feel much.”