There is an opinion that the weather affects well-being. According to doctors’ observations, during climatic fluctuations, many more people seek help. Characteristic complaints: headaches, blood pressure spikes, heart attacks, aching joints, depressive states.
Particularly acute reactions are noted during so-called magnetic storms, during sharp changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure. To protect themselves, weather-sensitive people need to reduce their workload, sleep well, add bookie gambling, reading books, and other fun activities, give up bad habits and follow some other recommendations.
What Is a Meteorological Susceptibility
Meteorological dependence is the body’s sensitivity to temperature changes, atmospheric pressure and other natural phenomena. About 75% of the world population state that weather strongly affects their well-being. Women are more often prone to meteorological dependence. Officially, this diagnosis doesn’t exist. However, this phenomenon is of great interest to researchers, physicians and people suffering from weather factors.
Many believe that today such an influence of weather conditions on a person’s well-being is a consequence of environmental problems and chronic stress. If we examine this issue in detail, it becomes clear that the reasons are much more. So, even in ancient times people noted the correlation of feeling unwell with the influence of changes in the weather.
The human body is designed to respond to weather conditions. The reason for this dependence lies in the nerve receptors that pick up variations in temperature, atmospheric pressure and other fluctuations.
The human body adjusts to these signals sent by the cells. All its organs and systems switch to functioning in a situation of stress. Of course, those of them that are already weakened are severely disrupted. Someone suffers from heart problems, someone suffers from diseases of the digestive organs or diseases of the nervous system.
A legitimate question arises: why do some people feel the negative effects of changing weather conditions, while others are completely insensitive to it. The reason is the body’s ability to adjust to changing natural phenomena. If the adaptation mechanisms work without interruption, then the person isn’t weather-sensitive. Otherwise, there are characteristic symptoms of how the weather negatively affects a person’s well-being.
Who Is at Risk
Dependence on weather conditions is related to how healthy a person is. For example, among people who do not suffer from cardiovascular disease, only 5 to 10 percent have weather sensitivity. By comparison: 50% of people with hypertension are also meteorosensitive.
Symptoms of malaise appear in conditions of temperature fluctuations and changes in atmospheric pressure in the presence of the following chronic diseases:
- Pathologies of the joints, muscle tissues and ligaments (arthrosis, arthritis).
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels (respond to changes in blood pressure).
- Respiratory disorders (asthma, chronic bronchitis).
- Neurological pathologies (migraine, anxiety disorders).
Those who have had fractures and head injuries may not feel well under the influence of changes in the weather.
Also there are at risk:
- People with bad habits (alcohol and tobacco addiction).
- Leading sedentary lifestyles.
- Children and adolescents.
- Pregnant women.
- The elderly.
The meteor sensitivity index, reflects a general medical assessment of a person’s sensitivity to changes in the weather.
To determine it, physicians rely on a set of clinical indicators.
Gathering the anamnesis, they usually ask 10 characteristic questions, revealing the presence or absence of:
- Complaints with changes in weather or climatic conditions.
- Decreased energy.
- Malaise.
- Anxiety, depression.
- Harbingers of impending weather changes in body reactions.
- The same symptoms in a particular weather situation.
- Coincidence of reactions to weather changes with other weather-dependent people.
- Stabilization of health in a favorable weather situation.
- Short-term worsening of health.
- Other factors causing exacerbation of the disease, except weather factors.
If a patient has five or more signs, he or she is considered to be highly meteorosensitive. Doctors usually prescribe a number of investigations and tests to determine the nature of the meteolability. The main ones are heart rate, blood pressure, platelet and leukocyte levels, blood clotting time, cold test, and others. It’s important to measure these parameters twice: when you feel well and when the weather situation is unfavorable.
Influencing Natural Factors
Magnetic Storms
The Earth has a magnetic field that protects it from solar and cosmic radiation. This is a kind of magnetic shield. From time to time there are strong solar mass ejections. Energy particles are scattered toward the Earth. The shock wave shakes the magnetic field, which begins to oscillate. This process is a magnetic storm.
Weather-affected people experience the following symptoms during such phenomena: migraine, arrhythmia, blood pressure fluctuations, pain of a nagging nature in the area of old injuries and others. According to medical statistics, during magnetic storms, ambulances are more likely to be on call. Mainly these are hypertensive crises, strokes and heart attacks. Unfortunately, there are many fatalities.
This is due to the chemical composition of blood, which contains a lot of iron. This element responds to magnetic waves, and blood begins to function in the vessels with failures. As a result, the blood supply to the heart and brain is impaired, malaise and serious health problems occur.
Windy Weather
Japanese researchers have noted a strong link between wind direction and asthmatic attacks. Even when not outdoors, weather-prone people feel ill when it’s windy.
The strong gusty winds that form near the tops of the mountains and descend down to the valley are the ones that respond the most to changes in weather conditions. For example, fens and mistrales. Such winds become warmer and drier as they descend. When the wind is strong, it’s more difficult for a person to breathe and his oxygen content in the blood drops. Doctors note a variety of symptoms in patients, from mild worsening of well-being to migraines and heart problems under the influence of the weather.
Increased Atmospheric Pressure
The atmosphere surrounding the planet seems to be weightless. But each person is pressed by 10-15 tons of air mass. We don’t feel this pressure because of the oxygen in our blood.
The optimum atmospheric pressure is 750-760 mm of the mercury column. At such values a person doesn’t feel discomfort. A change in the greater or lesser direction negatively affects the well-being.
The increase in atmospheric pressure strongly affects people with cardiovascular diseases. Such weather affects a person’s well-being, causes changes in the tone of blood vessels and accelerates blood clotting. This leads to thrombosis. The risk of heart attacks and strokes increases. It’s dangerous for people with cerebrovascular disorders.
The anticyclone affects the functioning of the immune system and a decrease in white blood cells. A weather-prone person is more susceptible to infections and viruses during this unfavorable period for him. People prone to allergies and suffering from bronchial asthma are also at risk. This is due to the fact that during the anticyclone, the air contains a high concentration of dangerous for health gasses, industrial emissions and pollen.
Reduced Atmospheric Pressure
The arrival of a cyclone doesn’t go unnoticed by weather-sensitive individuals. Asthma sufferers, people prone to hypotension and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases react particularly acutely. At low atmospheric pressure, high humidity, and lack of oxygen, they experience the following symptoms: general drowsiness, dizziness, shortness of breath.
When the human respiratory system is impaired, the most dangerous weather phenomena are summer heat with high humidity and winter slush. Cyclones provoke migraine attacks and gastrointestinal problems.
Air Temperature
Sudden changes in air temperature during the day affect even healthy people. The human body especially reacts to changes of 10 degrees or more. It begins to produce more histamine, which provokes allergic reactions. Such temperature jumps also affect your mood. A person becomes nervous and irritable.
If the fluctuations in air temperature are accompanied by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, all the health problems of weather-dependent people are exacerbated.
Air Humidity
This is also an important indicator that weather-independent people react to. The optimal humidity is 40-60%. If it fluctuates up or down, you feel worse.
Low humidity of 30-40% affects the mucous membrane of the nose and upper respiratory tract. This threatens to worsen the well-being of people with asthma and those prone to allergies. It is better for them to rinse their noses with saline solutions on days with low humidity.
With frequent precipitation, humidity rises to 70-90%. This is also unfavorable for weather-sensitive individuals. Such weather has a strong impact on the well-being of people with chronic kidney and joint diseases. It’s better for them to stay at home. If there is no possibility, then you need to dress warmly and don’t forget about the importance of vitamins and minerals for health.
How to Help Yourself
Reduce Your Workload
Besides alleviating the workload, weather-sensitive people need to give up strenuous physical activities, as well as not overload themselves with mental activities. It’s important to control the information noise surrounding a person: television, gadgets, social networks, and the Internet.
Order Your Food and Sleep
Before unfavorable weather negatively influences one’s sense of well-being, it’s important to give time for proper sleep for at least 8 hours a day.
The following rules in the diet should be observed:
- Limit fatty, spicy and smoked foods.
- Drink the daily norm of water on hot days.
- When it gets cold, hypertensive patients need to reduce fluid intake and control the amount of salt.
Strengthen Blood Vessels and Prevent Oxygen Depletion
The following recommendations are useful for people who are sensitive to the weather:
- Take a contrast shower, do rubbing and gently harden the body.
- Do morning exercises and simple exercises during the day.
- Take a walk in the fresh air every day.
- Ventilate the living space.
Give up Bad Habits
For the health of the body, it’s better to completely eliminate smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. If for some reason, you can’t do that, you should limit your bad habits for the period of adverse weather conditions. By the way, drinking alcohol is an additional load on the body, which is already stressed because of the weather situation.
Follow the Doctor’s Advice and Get Timely Medical Treatment
If the meteorological dependence is seasonal and worsens in the fall and spring, then you should use the physiotherapy and medications, prescribed by your doctor, to prevent this problem. If there are problems with the musculoskeletal system, use various devices that reduce the load on the joints and bones.
Monitor Your Health
On the eve of and during changes in the weather, monitor important health indicators: blood pressure, heart rhythm, etc. This will ensure that you don’t miss the moment of complications and prevent a serious attack.
If you observe frequent worsening of your health without any obvious reason, consult a doctor and not self-medicate. It’s likely that these symptoms are a signal of some disease. By diagnosing them and undergoing treatment, you can improve your quality of life and well-being.