What is weather dependence and how to defeat it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On which parts of the body fluctuations in temperature, pressure, humidity hit the hardest.

How weather dependence manifests itself

Often, people noticed very painful reactions of the body to a change in the weather long ago, back in the days of Hippocrates. But it was recognized as a medical fact only in the 20th century, when it became possible to count the sufferers and statistically verify their testimony. This is how the science called human biometeorology Aspects of human biometeorology in past, present and future was born. She studies the manifestations of meteorological dependence.

Here is a list of the weaknesses in the body, which, according to research, the weather hits the most actively and most painfully.

Bones ache

An increase in humidity, a decrease in temperature, fluctuations in atmospheric pressure - many people, as they say, feel in their gut such climatic changes: pain in joints and limbs in general. In 2007, The American Journal of Medicine published the results of a study conducted by scientists at Tufts Medical Center (Boston, Massachusetts). Doctors analyzed the complaints of 200 patients and established the relationship of Changes in Barometric Pressure and Ambient Temperature Influence Osteoarthritis Pain between weather fluctuations and joint pain.

So those who complain about their backs in anticipation of bad weather are not lying. True, scientists have not yet established the mechanism of this connection. Only assumptions are put forward: they say, high humidity and low atmospheric pressure cause swelling of the tissues around the joints. And the edema, in turn, irritates the nerve endings, causing pain.

The pressure rises

This is what weather-sensitive people most often complain about. With a decrease in atmospheric pressure (this is how an approaching cyclone makes itself known), the body lowers blood pressure in order to avoid unnecessary stress on the walls of blood vessels. Hence the ailments that people, in particular hypotonic people, already living with chronically low blood pressure, experience on the eve of bad weather.

In winter, those who suffer from hypertension come under attack. The fact is that the cold constricts the blood vessels. At the same time, the heart, in order to keep warm, works faster, actively pumps blood. And this leads to an increase in blood pressure. Cold weather and your heart. This combination of narrowed vessels and high blood pressure is considered by doctors to be one of the reasons for the increase in the number of heart attacks A Synoptic Approach to Weather Conditions Discloses a Relationship With Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Hypertensives in the winter season.

My head is splitting

Scientists cite weather changes as one of the reasons Weather as a Headache and Migraine Trigger cause headaches. A sharp change in atmospheric pressure, a drop in temperature, wind and dust raised by it - this is what most often makes us wrinkle our foreheads from discomfort.

There is an assumption that such a reaction is one of the defense mechanisms that the human body has acquired during evolution. Just imagine: the weather deteriorates, clouds gather, a storm begins … How to drive a curious and active primate into a shelter? Headache is a possible way.

Allergy begins

Many people know that allergic reactions change with the seasons. In spring and autumn, they are caused by the pollen of some plants. In summer, allergenic greens such as poison ivy play a special role. In late autumn and winter, moisture-loving mold comes into play …

However, sometimes allergies can be caused not by allergen substances, but by changes in the weather. A prime example is Cold urticaria, a skin reaction that occurs in response to contact with frosty air or ice water.

Another example is Nonallergic rhinitis. His symptoms are the same as those of an allergic one: stuffy nose, watery eyes, endless sneezing, strained cough - in general, a classic allergic reaction. But often the cause of non-allergic rhinitis is not pollen or mold, but cold air and high humidity.

A sharp cold snap with increased humidity can also cause an asthma attack. Why can cold weather increase your risk of asthma symptoms or an asthma attack? …

Nerves give up

The worse the weather, the worse the mood. But as soon as the sun glimpses, the world brightens again. And yes, it doesn't seem to us: the unequivocal connection between the weather and the emotional state has been proven by numerous studies. The effect of weather and its changes on emotional state - individual characteristics that make us vulnerable. This is the reason for the increase in the number of mental exacerbations in the off-season, when atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and other climatic indicators jump from minimum to maximum, and all in one day. 6 Signs You Have ‘Autumn Anxiety’ - Plus What To Do About It is also associated with changes in the weather.

The wind is especially curious. While moist, fresh, moderate sea breezes are most often calming, harsh, dry, dusty (highly electrified) winds Wind direction and mental health: a time-series analysis of weather influences in a patient with anxiety disorder often causes people to become nervous, inattentive, aggressive.

However, this influence of weather on the human body is not limited to 13 Ways Weather Affects Your Health - Without You Knowing. So what should weather-sensitive people do?

How to beat weather dependence

It's actually not that difficult. Researchers have long noticed that the strength with which a person reacts to a change in the weather depends on his psychological characteristics. Mental processes and disorders: a neurobehavioral perspective in human biometeorology. If on the fingers: the more balanced, the weaker the reaction; the more anxious, nervous, the more powerful it is. And this, in general, is understandable: after all, our ability to successfully adapt to environmental conditions depends on the state of the nervous system.

Therefore, the first step that is important to take in the fight against weather dependence is to calm down. To regain your peace of mind:

1. Give up bad habits: abuse of alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, tea, sweets.
2. Normalize your daily routine: sleep at least 8 hours. If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, try to solve this problem with the help of Lifehacker's article.
3. Control your emotions throughout the day. If there is an opportunity not to get involved in a conflict, do not get involved.
4. Increase physical activity: walk more or do yoga, for example, Effects of Yoga Versus Walking on Mood, Anxiety, and Brain GABA Levels: A Randomized Controlled MRS Study. This will reduce the level of anxiety.

A healthy lifestyle is the best medicine for weather dependence.

The second step is understanding that weather dependence is secondary. Weather reactions only expose existing weaknesses. If you do not have problems with joints, then it is unlikely that something will hurt "in the weather". The same applies to allergies, pressure surges and everything else: discomfort manifests itself only if you have a predisposition to it. Therefore, it is important to deal with the primary disease by seeking the advice of a therapist.

Among other things, your therapist may recommend that you:

1. Vitamins: Lack of Vitamins The Effect of Exercise and Heat on Vitamin Requirements can impair well-being during changes in the weather.
2. Adaptogens Understanding adaptogenic activity: specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals: they increase the body's ability to adapt to the weather as well.
3. Massages, physiotherapy exercises, relaxing and invigorating baths. These are the factors that will help relieve anxiety and ultimately defend your joints (pressure, head) against climate change.