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I'm really sensitive to high CO2 levels, so ever since I was young I had a habit of opening all the windows in my classrooms when I arrived. I feel stuffy and u
by TheAceOfHearts 6y ago
I'm really sensitive to high CO2 levels, so ever since I was young I had a habit of opening all the windows in my classrooms when I arrived. I feel stuffy and uncomfortable until I get fresh air. It always bugged me that nobody else seemed to notice or care.
After it was recommended here on HN, I bought this CO2 meter [0] and I've been very satisfied with my purchase. It reminds me to open the window and that has had a tremendous impact on my health. I've gotten to the point where I now keep the window slightly open at all times.
I'll share an anecdote which would appear to support the hypothesis that higher CO2 levels affect cognition. I play Heroes of the Storm and my performance in the game becomes notably worse as CO2 levels rise. It's not a huge thing, but I start to make more mistakes and my decision-making gets worse. This is important because at my skill-level (top 100 to top 250 globally, depending on my activity levels) it only takes one mistake in the late-game to throw the match. I've had the CO2 meter start beeping in the middle of a match, and after opening the window I've managed to turn things around because I can think with greater clarity.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PDGFR8/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PDGFR8/
- yowlingcat 6y agoWow. That's incredible. Do you notice the same difference with other tasks?
- NotSammyHagar 6y agoCould it be (to the op) that your body has some different oxygen/co2 processing ability? I encourage you to get and oxygen sensor (the kind you put on your finger) that measures your bodies o2. Your description sounds like what I've been reading about people who have covid-19 and their bodies don't detect that don't have enough oxygen.
- TheAceOfHearts 6y agoThis response worried me so I went out to purchase a pulse oximeter yesterday. I've tried it a couple times, before and after various activities, and the number is usually at 99 or 100. The lowest number I've measured is a 97, but that was after wearing an N95 mask for an extended period of time; and I was able to quickly get that back up to 100 after taking a few deep breaths. But these measurements have all been taken while my CO2 meter showed a value of less than ~600ppm, so I'll have to run a few experiments with closed doors and windows to check if higher CO2 levels have an impact. I've also made a note to discuss this topic with my doctors, just as a precaution.
- bufferoverflow 6y ago> I now keep the window slightly open at all times. Which makes you contribute more to CO2 levels than people who don't do that. You literally let the heat escape in the cold months.
- TheAceOfHearts 6y agoA trade-off which I'm perfectly happy to make. Charge me a carbon tax and I'll pay it.
- Cerium 6y agoA trade-off which I make as well, but my dreams of future houses include a fresh air exchange unit.
- vzidex 6y agoThe GP already replied, but I wanted to also make the point that it's possible they live somewhere where active heating and cooling are rarely used.
- hckr_news 6y agoI found an air purifier to be a good investment.
- mleonhard 6y agoAir filters do not remove CO2. They remove only dust. Some so-called "air purifiers" produce ozone, which burns the lungs, nose, and eyes. I hope you're not using one of those. "Consider a high-quality air purifier that can capture and destroy harmful particles. Make sure the device does not produce ozone, another harmful air pollutant." -- American Lung Association https://www.lung.org/blog/air-in-your-home https://www.lung.org/blog/air-in-your-home https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/ozone https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhea...
- hckr_news 6y agoThe one I use uses Hepa-filter which shouldn't emit any ozone as I understand it.
- AtlasBarfed 6y agoDo you know your VO2 max by chance?