There is nothing more logical than to justify our bad mood with gray skies, non-stop rain and puddles under our feet. But nowhere in the International Classification of Diseases are the terms “weather dependence” or “weather sensitivity” found. There is no scientific evidence of a direct relationship between atmospheric pressure, wind speed and changes in the body’s physiology. We will consider why, after all, when the weather changes, we feel discomfort, fatigue and malaise of spirit.
What is meteodependency?
The human body feels comfortable in certain conditions – at a favorable temperature and atmospheric pressure; when supplied with sufficient amount of oxygen, sunlight and others.
Any change in these factors can cause discomfort, and everyone reacts differently. Let’s compare the organisms of a healthy child and an adult. Both will respond to changes in the external environment, but the former is much more adaptive than the mature organism. Therefore, a child will hardly notice the change in atmospheric pressure or humidity, while an adult will.
Many people believe that their mood is susceptible to the weather, although they have no objective explanations for this. The reason is advancing age. “Weather addiction” can be accompanied by malaise, but it is not the cause of it – rather, it is a state with elements of a real illness and self-suggestion. The more a person thinks about it, the more he explains and justifies the bad mood over time.
Of course, we cannot deny all the inconveniences of a change of weather – for example, when it is hellishly hot outside, it is normal for an organism to feel bad – due to insufficient adaptation, overheating or dehydration. But the change in atmospheric pressure and other changes do not affect health in any way.
Why do we feel sleepy and our joints hurt before it rains?
Naturally, we can experience drowsiness and pain in the joints at any time, but due to peculiarities of the human psyche, he remembers precisely these cases before it rains. Another example is the feeling of exhaustion and fatigue after a long, long flight – one associates it with the climatic conditions, not with disturbances of the biological clock.
Pain in the joints before it rains is explained by the presence of an old trauma or a chronic disease – with the decrease in atmospheric pressure, receptors react that send signals to the brain, which in turn perceives them as “alarming” and pain begins to be felt in the problem areas places.
And the drowsiness is caused by the small amount of oxygen in the air after lowering the atmospheric pressure. Because of this lack, the body tries to save energy and the familiar desire to immediately lie down and sleep appears.
How is weather dependence dangerous?
A variety of health problems can be hidden under the mask of “weather dependence” – diseases of the joints, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, hormonal deviations, chronic anemia and others. Fatigue, increased fatigue, sleep disorders (drowsiness or insomnia), headache, dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sudden mood swings are all symptoms that are mistakenly attributed to meteodependency.They should not be ignored, but a specialist should be consulted.
Magnetic storms – should we be afraid of them?
The Earth has an invisible shell – the magnetosphere. It is like an armor and protects all living things from solar radiation. When solar flares are recorded, the speed of ionizing particles (the so-called solar wind) increases and the pressure of the magnetosphere increases – it “shrinks” around the Earth and this is called a magnetic storm. It has no effect on atmospheric pressure. Also, its impact on human health has not been proven either.
However, some scientists believe that solar flares can cause headaches, increase blood pressure, reduce work capacity and exacerbate chronic diseases.
Experts are of the opinion that a healthy lifestyle with sufficient sleep and good food, with reasonable physical activity and a low level of stress, are the best prevention against possible effects of magnetic storms and weather sensitivity. And the best solution for chronic diseases is scheduled visits to the doctor.
When is it good to change climate zones?
Allergy and lung diseases are not related to the change of weather, but rather are dependent on the change of the external environment. For example, an important role is played by the presence of dust microparticles in the air, which cause irritation of the bronchi. If the irritant is specific, for example, poplar fluff, it is enough to break contact with it. In the case of an allergy to street dust, which is constantly in the air, the treatment of bronchitis is more likely to fail, even if the place of residence is changed. Therefore, for those who suffer from bronchial asthma, the change from a cold and damp to a dry and warm climate will have a good effect.
It is a well-known fact that lack of sunlight is one of the factors that leads to depression. So being in a warmer country can have a positive effect.
Changing a climate zone is always a test for the body, because it needs time to adapt to the new conditions.
Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA:
