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For a long time it was believed that the weather can affect the overall health and symptoms of diseases. Hippocrates noted the connection between rain, wind and chronic illness, and many others made similar observations. In 1887, the American Journal of Medical Sciences documented a case where a person could predict the coming and going of a storm using phantom limb pain. Weather has been linked to conditions ranging from post-traumatic pain to lower back pain. Some patients still claim to be able to predict the weather.
Interest in meteosensitivity is long-standing, and it is all the more surprising that the relationship between weather and human health is still not fully understood. Most of the articles that have been published on this topic deal with rheumatic conditions or injuries. But, unfortunately, these articles do not give a clear understanding of how the weather affects the condition in various pathologies, and whether there is a connection at all.
What is weather sensitivity
Weather sensitivity is a person’s susceptibility to changes in the weather. He reacts to heat, cold, wind, humidity, and as a result – feels tired, irritable, reduced concentration or depression. Typical symptoms include headache, dizziness, and sleep disturbances. Scientists have experimentally shown that weather fluctuations can affect heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure.
Causes of meteosensitivity in adults
Researchers in the field of medical meteorology believe that sensitivity to the weather may have originally been a vital mechanism – it is a kind of protective reflex that warned people (and animals, which also react to the weather) in time about weather changes.
Undoubtedly, weather sensitivity is primarily a mood disorder. Women and the elderly are more commonly affected. Sensitivity to the weather can come from a sedentary lifestyle, stress, an unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, or extreme stress.
Sensitivity to weather conditions leads to a deterioration in general condition, decreased performance and depressed mood, despite the fact that there are no physical causes of these conditions.
It is believed that short-term weather changes are stressful for the body, as they require adjustment.
According to a study conducted by the University Hospital of Munich and the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy in 2002, 54% of Germans consider themselves sensitive to the weather. And their subjective sensitivity is proven. In the study, people who described themselves as weather dependent were asked to keep a diary of their complaints. Result: Two-thirds of the participants showed a significant correlation between their complaints and weather changes. However, there is no clear objective evidence of meteorological dependence yet.
Today, several researchers agree that weather sensitivity has more to do with psychological effects than weather. For example, with the nocebo effect, this is when a person feels something that cannot be. For example, if the forecast says that the coming cold snap can provoke pain in the joints, there will definitely be people whose joints will “ache”. Although there are no objective reasons for the pain.
Symptoms of weather sensitivity in adults
Studies by the German Meteorological Service show that the most common weather-dependent symptoms are:
- headache;
- fatigue;
- weakness and drowsiness;
- joint pain;
- sleep disorders.
It is believed that weather changes are a burden on the human body, which must adapt to climatic conditions. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for this. And most often it causes meteorological dependence in people with the following health problems:
- chronic diseases – asthma or rheumatism;
- stress;
- hay fever (polynosis);
- heart disease and circulatory disorders
Treatment of weather sensitivity in adults
There are no specific treatments for weather dependence.
Diagnostics
There are also no methods for diagnosing weather sensitivity. The doctor can assess the patient’s condition only by his subjective feelings.
Modern treatments
There is nothing to please here either, since most experts agree that what we call weather sensitivity is influenced by our psyche. Mental and physical balance can positively affect our perception of the weather and make us more resilient to the vagaries of the weather.
Prevention of weather sensitivity in adults at home
Eat in a balanced and varied way – overweight people often complain about dependence on the weather.
Take a contrast shower, go to the sauna, walk in the fresh air, do not drink or smoke – a healthy body will not react to weather stimuli.
Go in for sports: run, swim, ride a bike – physical exercise also strengthens the body and spirit. Or at least take up gardening.
Get enough sleep – you need to sleep at least 8 hours a day. Good sleep relieves stress and helps you relax.
Popular questions and answers
Answered questions about meteorological dependence Cardiologist, therapist Natalya Gavrilyuk.