Research work Topic: “The influence of weather conditions on human health. Research project "the impact of weather on the health and academic performance of schoolchildren"
It is only in the song that it is beautifully sung: "... every weather is grace." But in reality, it is very difficult to perceive all natural differences positively. And the point is not only that the vagaries of the weather give us some uncomfortableness: in the rain it is wet and damp, in the frost it is cold, and in the heat it is stuffy and hot.
People judge the weather by own experience- by how it affects their health, well-being, performance. In my research work, I want to show how people's well-being is associated with the weather, more precisely, with its changes. Changes in weather conditions negatively affect the health of the human body if it is not able to instantly respond to these changes.
The weather has great importance in human life. With the development of civilization, human dependence on the weather does not decrease, but on the contrary increases. A person has become not only materially very dependent on her, but also physically more sensitive to her changes.
Despite the significant efforts of meteorologists to inform the population about weather and climatic conditions, this information is still insufficient, often ignored and poorly applied in practice. Every year, thousands of people build, buy or rent houses located at the foot of the slopes or in low places in river and canal valleys. Further, what happened in nature from time immemorial occurs, from heavy snowmelt or fallout a large number precipitation in short period time, landslides, mudflows and floods occur, bringing hardships to people, causing material damage and even a threat to life. On highways dies a lot more people than when flying by airplane, and very often the weather is the reason. Poor visibility when heavy fog, snow or rain can cause massive car accidents. Snow and ice also make roads dangerous.
Weather has a profound effect on farming.
Atmospheric conditions can negatively affect the development of some diseases, affect the psychology of people, emotional trauma and even suicide can occur.
Almost everyone makes weather-related decisions on a daily basis, sometimes insignificant ones, such as whether or not to take an umbrella with them, sometimes of great importance - in matters of preserving life.
All of the above examples indicate that people do not have objective information about the state of the climate and are at risk. It is necessary to expand knowledge about the role of climate in our life, so that in difficult situations be able to correlate weather forecast and physical condition and not expose your body to new diseases. Therefore, I consider the chosen topic to be relevant.
Hypothesis: Changing climatic conditions complicate human life.
Subject of study: weather conditions in the village of Stary Karazirek in December 2013.
Purpose: To study the influence of weather on human life.
1. To study this problem from literary sources.
2. Make observations of the weather in your village.
3. By means of research to analyze the dependence of a person's physical condition on weather conditions.
4. Provide the received materials graphically.
Research methods:
Get acquainted with the literature and information on the Internet on this issue;
Obtaining data on the state of health of the teachers of our school by measuring the parameters: pressure;
Monitoring weather changes and filling out a diary, and analyzing its results;
Questioning and analysis of answers;
Generalization and systematization of the information received.
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Republican scientific and practical conference
"Steps to Science - 2014"
Section: Geography and Ecology
Research
Theme: "The influence of weather conditions on human health"
Kayumova Lilia Irekovna Siraeva Rufia Rafkatovna
MBOU "Karazirek secondary school" geography teacher
Grade 10 MBOU "Karazirek Secondary School"
2013
Introduction 3
1. Theoretical part 6
1.1 Main meteorological factors affecting humans 6
1.2 Weather and health 9
1.3 Treatment and prevention of weather dependence 11
2. Research methodology 13
2.1 Research data 13
Conclusion 15
References 17
Appendix 18
INTRODUCTION
« Nature has no bad weather -
Every weather is grace.
Does it rain snow - any time of the year
We must gratefully accept … »
Ryazanov E.
It is only in the song that it is beautifully sung: "... every weather is grace." But in reality, it is very difficult to perceive all natural differences positively. And the point is not only that the vagaries of the weather give us some uncomfortableness: in the rain it is wet and damp, in the frost it is cold, and in the heat it is stuffy and hot.
People judge about the weather by their own experience - by how it affects their health, well-being, and working capacity. In my research work, I want to show how people's well-being is associated with the weather, more precisely, with its changes. Changes in weather conditions negatively affect the health of the human body if it is not able to instantly respond to these changes.
Weather is of great importance in human life. With the development of civilization, human dependence on the weather does not decrease, but on the contrary increases. A person has become not only materially very dependent on her, but also physically more sensitive to her changes.
Despite the significant efforts of meteorologists to inform the population about weather and climatic conditions, this information is still insufficient, often ignored and poorly applied in practice. Every year thousands of people build, buy or rent houses located at the foot of the slopes or in low places in the valleys of rivers and canals. Further, what has happened in nature from time immemorial, from heavy snow melting or a large amount of precipitation in a short period of time, landslides, mudflows and floods occur, bringing people hardship, causing material damage and even a threat to life. Many more people die on highways than on airplanes, and very often the weather is the reason. Poor visibility in heavy fog, snow or rain can cause massive car accidents. Snow and ice also make roads dangerous.
Weather has a profound effect on farming.
Atmospheric conditions can negatively affect the development of some diseases, affect the psychology of people, emotional trauma and even suicide can occur.
Almost everyone makes weather-related decisions on a daily basis, sometimes insignificant, for example: whether or not to take an umbrella with you, sometimes of great importance - in matters of preserving life.
All of the above examples indicate that people do not have objective information about the state of the climate and are at risk. It is necessary to expand knowledge about the role of climate in our life in order to be able to correlate weather forecast and physical condition in difficult situations and not expose your body to new diseases. Therefore, I consider the chosen topic to be relevant.
Hypothesis: Changing climatic conditions complicate human life.
Object of study:weather conditions in the village of Stary Karazirek in December 2013.
Objective: To study the influence of weather on human activity.
Tasks:
- Study this problem from literary sources.
- Observe the weather in your village.
- Analyze the dependence of a person's physical condition on weather conditions by means of research.
- Provide the received materials graphically.
Research methods:
- Get acquainted with the literature and information on the Internet on this issue;
- Obtaining data on the state of health of the teachers of our school by measuring the parameters: pressure;
- Monitoring weather changes and filling out a diary, and analyzing its results;
- Questioning and analysis of answers;
- Generalization and systematization of the information received.
1. THEORETICAL PART
1.1 MAIN METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN BEINGS
Weather - a set of continuously changing values of meteorological elements and atmospheric phenomena observed at a given moment in time at one point or another in space. Concept Weather refers to the current state of the atmosphere, as opposed to Climate , which refers to the average state of the atmosphere over a long period of time. If there is no clarification, then the term "weather" means the weather on Earth.
The fact that the climate and weather affect a person has been known for a long time. Back in Ancient Greece, Hippocrates regularly monitored weather changes and for the first time noted meteorological dependence - the seasonal alternation of exacerbations various ailments... In his books on epidemic diseases, he begins describing each disease with the effect of weather on it.
Essays on bioclimatology of the Greek physician Diocles have come down to us, dividing the year into six periods, during each of which certain changes in the lifestyle of patients were recommended.
In addition to such a radical effect on people, the weather can affect a person and more in simple ways... Humans do not tolerate extreme temperatures, humidity, and wind. The weather also affects mood.
There is a trend in the research of scientists. With age, more and more people are affected by changes in weather conditions. Explaining the reasons for this dependence, scientists study the daily and seasonal rhythms of the main meteorological factors in different climatic zones (temperature, pressure, humidity) (see Appendix 1).
Below are the main meteorological factors and their impact on human health:
Temperature and humiditydetermine the conditions for heat exchange of the human body.High air temperature leads to rapid fatigue, overheating of the body and heat stroke. Low temperature with prolonged exposure leads to circulatory disorders, contributes to rheumatism, influenza and respiratory diseases. High air humidity is also harmful to humans, because it makes it difficult for the moisture released by the body through the skin to evaporate. This leads to rapid fatigue, overheating of the body and heatstroke. Heat exchange is organically linked to the metabolic process, which is regulated through the nervous system. According to experts, heart disease is very sensitive to weather conditions - 82%, asthmatic patients 68 - 72%, musculoskeletal system - 87%, mental illness - 82 - 90%.
- Air temperature- one of the most powerful biologically important parameters of weather and climate. This is an indicator of the degree of heating of the air, determined using a thermometer and thermograph.
It turns out that a person reacts to temperature more if the air humidity is higher. For the human body, conditions are considered optimal when the relative humidity of the air is about 60%, and the air temperature is +24 0 C.
- Air humidityis an indicator of the water content in the ambient air.
A person feels good at a relative humidity of 40 to 75%. A deviation from the norm responds in the body with a sensation of dryness or dampness. Air humidity affects the human body in combination with other meteorological factors, increasing their impact.
As you know, the force with which the air presses on earth surface and the objects on it are calledatmospheric pressure.
At sea level human body under pressure of 1.033 kg / cm 2 , i.e. about 1 ton of air presses on a person of average height. But he does not feel this, since the internal pressure of the body opposes the pressure of the air. Most people don't notice pressure fluctuations. With a sharp increase in atmospheric pressure, a difference arises between the pressure inside the body and the pressure of the surrounding air. In these cases, some people may feel headache, pain in the heart and other organs, changes in blood pressure.
Sharp fluctuations in atmospheric pressure cause exacerbation of sciatica, tinnitus appears. Migraine attacks are possible varying degrees... Reduced atmospheric pressure is associated with difficulty breathing and disruption of the cardiovascular system. Patients with neurosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, vascular diseases of the brain, pulmonary patients and others especially react to changes in atmospheric pressure. This means that atmospheric pressure significantly affects the functioning of the body.
- Wind is the movement of air in the horizontal direction. As you know, the main reason for its occurrence is the difference in atmospheric pressure in the surrounding areas.
The wind affects the thermoregulation system, and also has a mechanical effect. It promotes the release of heat, or its retention in the body. The negative impact of wind increases with sharp fluctuations in temperature, air humidity, atmospheric pressure. With a strong cold wind and sharp fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, a person's blood pressure rises, which contributes to the occurrence of hypertensive crises and impaired cerebral circulation. Fluctuations in blood pressure in patients are also noted with a sudden change in the direction of the wind.
The human body, as a rule, is influenced not by one factor, but by their totality, and the main effect is exerted not by ordinary fluctuations in climatic conditions, but mainly by their sudden changes. For any living organism, certain rhythms of vital activity of various frequencies have been established. Thus, in real conditions, the whole complex of weather factors acts on the human body.
1.2 WEATHER AND HEALTH
Meteorological dependence is not a new phenomenon, it turns out, the famous physician Hippocrates studied it back in Ancient Greece. He regularly conducted meteorological observations and for the first time noted the connection between the weather and the exacerbation of various ailments.
Many famous people- Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, Columbus, Byron - suffered from meteorological dependence. But Goethe, noting that it was easier for him to work with high readings of the barometer than with low readings, set out his observations in his work "Experience in studying the weather."
All types of body reactions to the action of meteorological conditions are manifested in changes in indicators.
What distinguishes a sick person from a healthy person? A meteorological (sick) person experiences discomfort, weakness, lethargy, headache and other conditions of the body that depend on changes in weather conditions.
People with reduced immunity develop colds.
In chronic patients, diseases become aggravated: the number of strokes, heart attacks, angina pectoris increases, and ischemic heart disease worsens.
Hypertensive patients develop pain in the region of the heart, shortness of breath, nausea, increased pressure, up to a hypertensive crisis.
In patients with bronchopulmonary diseases, cough, shortness of breath, and cyanosis of the skin intensify.
In absolutely healthy people, the body, as a rule, is well adapted to fluctuations in the weather, and therefore they do not affect the well-being and mood of a person. Fluctuations in the weather can even be regarded as a kind of natural training that has a beneficial effect on the body. But it is very difficult to find absolutely healthy people, and people with any health deviations react sharply to meteorological changes.
Conditions in the world around us are constantly changing. Day changes to night, spring to summer, etc. With each change in weather conditions, the state of the human body also changes. If changes in conditions are usual for a person, then his body rebuilds its work painlessly. If the human body is weakened by the disease, then its adaptation to new conditions is difficult. With the onset of new conditions, such a person feels either just discomfort or pain in various organs. With weather changes, he also experiences discomfort, joint pain, heart, headache, etc. Experts call such people meteosensitive (meteorological), i.e. sensitive to weather changes.
In most cases, the development of meteosensitivity depends on age. As a rule, the first manifestations of meteosensitivity are noted back in childhood... Especially often meteosensitivity is recorded in infants, when the adaptive mechanisms have not yet been finally formed in the newborn organism. By the age of 14-20, meteosensitivity is usually minimal. However, with age, meteosensitivity increases and at the age of 50, almost half of people are meteosensitive. This is due to the fact that the adaptive capabilities of the organism at this age are already significantly weakened, especially if it is also burdened with chronic diseases.
Meteosensitivity is facilitated by overweight and endocrine shifts that occur during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. A state of increased meteosensitivity can develop after various injuries, flu, tonsillitis, pneumonia and other diseases. One of the reasons for increased meteosensitivity may be genetically determined constitutional characteristics of the organism.
The reasons for the acute reaction to weather changes are the meteorological dependence of healthy people - the wrong way of life (they do not know how to relax, rest, are prone to stress). Changes in meteorological conditions negatively affect the health of our body, if it is not able to instantly respond to these changes.
First of all, abrupt weather changes are reflected in our psycho-emotional sphere. After all, any violation of stability, and in the weather in particular, is perceived by a person as a mini-shock. People tend to become irritable, resentful, hot-tempered, inexplicably sad, and depressed.
What changes in the weather most affect the body?
1. Differences in atmospheric pressure.A sharp increase / decrease in blood pressure, headaches, spasms in any organ.
2. Increase in air humidity.They provoke inflammatory processes in the mucous membranes, causing colds, viral, infectious diseases.
3. Decrease in oxygen content in the air... Asthma worsens.
4. Magnetic storms. This factor is the strongest in terms of its effect on the body as a whole and the least studied. Magnetic storms have a bad effect on the work of all organs and systems of the body.
To prevent and mitigate negative consequences body reactions important role their prevention plays.
1.3 TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF METEO-DEPENDENCE
Treatment and prevention of meteorological dependence should be based on the treatment of the underlying disease and the prevention of complications on the eve of changes in the weather. To do this, weather-dependent should closely monitor the weather reports. In addition, you need to strengthen the immune system so that the body is less susceptible to external factors.
First of all, on the eve of a tough day, you need to sleep well.
Large physical activity when the weather changes is contraindicated, but it is necessary to do exercises. After it, it is useful to take a contrast shower (10-15 minutes at a temperature of 37 degrees).
Do not overwork during the day. If possible, take a nap after lunch for 30-40 minutes and be sure to walk for an hour away from the noise of the city.
In addition to careful observance of the doctor's prescriptions, a special Heart-based therapeutic and prophylactic drink, which will improve the work of the heart muscle and eliminate unpleasant sensations, will help heart hearts. You need to drink 2-3 glasses a day.
Keep a pea-sized piece of propolis in your mouth to improve your well-being.
I OFFER THE FOLLOWING TIPS
Prevention of weather dependence |
1. Do not overwork, always find time to rest. 2. Sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. Eliminate the emerging insomnia using affordable and effective methods (except for sleeping pills). |
2. RESEARCH
For one month (from December 1 to December 27), I monitored the state of the weather and the state of health of a group of people, which included 50 students and 18 teachers of our school aged 12-50 years.
Purpose of the study- to analyze the dependence of teachers and students on weather conditions.
To determine the degree of dependence of performance on weather conditions for a month, I kept an observation diary every day, in which the following parameters were taken into account:
- Weather forecast;
- General well-being;
I entered the results of the data into the table (Appendix 2).
2.1 STUDY DATA
Analyzing the state of the weather, one should note a sufficiently large amplitude of temperature fluctuations during the month, A = 24 0 C (Appendix 3). During the month, atmospheric pressure was below normal (from 729 to 761 mm Hg) (Appendix 4). The direction and strength of the wind also changed (from 1m / sec. To 8m / sec.).
I conducted a survey among students and teachers in our school in order to find out how the weather affects people.
Students and teachers were asked seven questions (see Appendix 5)
It turned out that many people feel a change in their physical condition during a change in weather conditions - 72%. Most often, schoolchildren experience headaches, fatigue, and mood swings. And teachers - joint pains, changes in blood pressure, migraines. This manifests itself during a period of sharp drops in temperature and atmospheric pressure, humid-cool and very hot weather.
With a sharp drop in temperature, most of the teaching staff felt general malaise, headaches, up to dizziness and a decline in working capacity.
Analyzing the data obtained, I came to the following conclusions:
1. Changes in the weather do not affect well-being in the same way different people... In a healthy person, when the weather changes, there is a timely adjustment of physiological processes in the body to the changed environmental conditions. As a result, the protective reaction is enhanced, and healthy people practically do not feel the negative influence of the weather.
2. People belonging to the older age group are dependent on meteorological conditions. Students are the least sensitive to climate change.
3. In a sick person, adaptive reactions are weakened, so the body loses its ability to quickly adapt. The influence of weather conditions on a person's well-being is associated with age, as well as with the individual susceptibility of the body.
The next stage of my work was an interview with the village paramedic Mukhametzyanova R.F. to the questions: 1) What age people usually associate their discomfort with weather conditions? 2) What chronic diseases can be exacerbated by changing weather conditions and what should be done?
Ruzaliya Faritovna replied: “As a rule, people of pre-retirement and retirement age, children with neuralgic diseases, people leading an unhealthy lifestyle react to changes in weather conditions. Such chronic diseases as neurosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, vascular diseases of the brain are exacerbated. There are very few absolutely healthy people, so everyone should be more careful about their health: observe the daily routine, play sports and prevent diseases. "
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I would like to say that all ailments cannot be attributed to bad weather, since inattention to ailments in people with chronic diseases, both the elderly and the young, can lead to complications of the disease. The body needs to be trained and prepared for possible changes in the weather.
1. You can train the body by hardening, contrast shower, but the elderly should consult with their doctor before starting such procedures.
2. Provide good nutrition, which should include: beets, raisins, dried apricots, prunes, oranges, fresh herbs, nuts, honey, onions, garlic and propolis, especially when young.
3. More outdoor activities, walking and exercise.
4. For headaches caused by changes in the weather, you can brew chamomile or mint tea and drink in small sips, adding honey and lemon.
5. People with high blood pressure during a sharp cold snap do not need to go outside immediately, but wait until the body gets used to the cold.
6. Refuse and take coffee, which should be replaced with herbal teas or weak green tea.
7. Give up bad habits.
9. Follow the weather forecast.
10. Conduct regular medical examinations.
Help your body live in harmony with nature, and only then can you feel exactly how the song is sung that"There is no bad weather".
The hypothesis is confirmedsince more and more often man-made and natural disasters occur that affect climate change, global warming, etc., and as a result, changing climatic conditions complicate human life. But forewarned is forearmed. Knowing the state of their health, and tracking weather forecasts, each person can carry out prophylaxis and prepare their body for changes in the weather.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Agadzhanyan N.A., Petrova P.G. Man in the North. - M .: "KRUG", 1996.
- Astapenko P.D., Questions about the weather. L., Gidrometeoizdat. 1987
- Vladimir Troshin Weather and health. Teach yourself not to depend on the weather.
- Gerasimova T.P., Grunberg G.Yu., Neklyukova N.P. Physical geography. Initial course. Textbook for grade 6. M., Education, 2006
4. V.P. Kaznacheev Essays on the theory and practice of human theory. - M .: Nauka, 1983.
- Kucher T.V., Kolpashchikova I.F. Medical geography. M., Education, 1996
- L Evit A.I., South Ural: geography, ecology, nature management:
study. allowance.- Chelyabinsk: Yuzh. Ural. Book. from-in, 2001 - Maryanis V.V., “Take care of yourself from disease.” - Moscow, 1992
- Ecology. Textbook. E.A. Kriksunov., Moscow, 1995.
- Encyclopedic reference book of medicine and health. M., Russian Encyclopedic Association, 2005
- Encyclopedia for children. M., "Avanta +", 1997
- Electronic catalog VNIIGMI-MCD (since 1991), free access athttp://www.meteo.ru/izdan ukazat01.htm
- Russian Consolidated Electronic Catalog of Scientific and Technical Literature of the State Public Library for Science and Technologyhttp://www.gpntb.ru/win/search/
- http://sirena.siberia.net/pb/has1.html
- http://riktamed.ru/php/content.php?id=14531 The influence of weather on human well-being.
APPLICATION
Annex 1
Appendix 2
Diary of observation of the weather and well-being of teachers
date | t 0 С | Atm. pressure | Wind | Precipitation | Wellbeing |
J 3m / s | snow | 44% felt unwell when the atm dropped. pressure, everyone had a headache, and there was a sleepy state |
|||
From 3m / s | snow | 40% felt unwell when the temperature dropped |
|||
SE 2m / s | cloudy | 50% felt unwell when downgraded |
|||
J 4m / s | snow | 80% of all felt unwell, had a headache and dizziness |
|||
From 3m / s | snow | ||||
S 8m / s | snow | 12% not feeling very well |
|||
Z 4m / s | cloudy | 15% not feeling very well |
|||
S 2m / s | cloudy | 18% not feeling very well |
|||
З 1m / s | snow | 40% felt unwell, had a headache and dizziness |
|||
3m / s | cloudy | ||||
S 6m / s | cloudy | 40% not very well-being with a decrease in atm.pressure |
|||
Z 2m / s | snow | 60% felt unwell at low atmospheric pressure |
|||
3m / s | snow | 50% felt unwell with a decrease in temperature and an increase in atm. pressure |
|||
SE 3m / s | sunny | 50% felt unwell when the temperature dropped |
|||
Z 4m / s | cloudy | 50% feeling unwell with a sharp rise in temperature and a decrease in atmospheric pressure |
|||
NW 3m / s | snow | 72% felt unwell with a decrease in temperature and an increase in atm. pressure |
|||
SE 1m / s | cloudy | 75% felt unwell when the temperature dropped |
|||
3m / s | cloudy | 30% not feeling very well |
|||
SE 3m / s | snow | 40% not feeling very well |
|||
S 2m / s | snow | 20% not feeling very well |
|||
Z 2m / s | cloudy | 100% wellbeing |
|||
SE 1m / s | little cloudy | 100% wellbeing |
|||
2m / s | clear | 100% wellbeing |
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
QUESTIONNAIRE
- Does the weather affect your well-being?
- How does the absence of a long sunny day affect you (positively or negatively, or your own answer)?
- What weather do you feel good and comfortable in?
- In what weather do you feel unwell (have painful sensations)?
- What is the manifestation of discomfort and pain?
- Do you feel in advance that the weather may change tomorrow?
- How old are you?
- Do you have chronic medical conditions? (if so, which one)
, dust storms and blizzards ... More rare occurrences include natural disasters, such as tornadoes and hurricanes ... Almost all weather events occur in the troposphere (lower atmosphere).
Differences in physical properties air masses arise due to a change in the angle of incidence of sunlight depending on the latitude and distance of the region from the oceans. The large temperature difference between arctic and tropical air is the reason for the presence of high-altitudejet streams ... Baric formations in mid-latitudes, such as extratropical cyclones , are formed during the development of waves in the zone of high-altitude jet flow. Since the Earth's axis is tilted relative to the plane of its orbit, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays depends on the season. On average, the annual temperature at the Earth's surface varies within ± 40 ° C. Over hundreds of thousands of years, changes in the Earth's orbit affect the amount and distribution of solar energy on the planet, determining the long-term climate.
The difference in temperature on the surface, in turn, causes a difference in the atmospheric pressure field. A hot surface heats up the air above it, expands it, lowering the pressure and density of the air. The resulting horizontal pressure gradient accelerates the air towards low pressure creating the wind. And due to workCoriolis effect when the Earth rotates, the flow swirls. An example of a simple weather system is coastal breezes, and the complex is the Hadley cell.
The atmosphere is a complex system, so small changes in one part of it can have a big impact on the system as a whole. In the history of mankind, there have been constant attempts to control the weather. It has been proven that human activities such as Agriculture and industry can, to some extent, affect the weather. A weather forecast is a scientifically and technically grounded assumption about the future state of the atmosphere at a particular point or region of the globe.
The study of weather on other planets has become useful for understanding the principles of weather changes on Earth. A famous research object in the solar system, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, is an anticyclonic storm that has existed for at least 300 years. However, weather is not limited to planetary bodies. The Sun's crown is constantly being lost into space, creating essentially a very thin atmosphere throughout the entire Solar System. The movement of particles emitted by the Sun is calledsolar wind .
2. Meteopathy.
Meteopathy- (meteopathia; Greek meteora - heavenly phenomenon + pathos - illness, suffering) - a change in the general state of the body under the influence of meteorological conditions (change of weather).
A person who is in the so-called "third state" (that is, between health and illness) is indeed quite sensitive to changes in weather conditions. When the weather changes, which, as a rule, is accompanied by a change in atmospheric pressure, he may experience lethargy, drowsiness, decreased performance, headaches, and so on. During this period, the number of exacerbations of chronic diseases increases sharply. The pathological dependence of health status on weather conditions is called meteopathy. Fall and spring are usually considered critical periods. For example, during the period of, as they say, biological spring, the coherence of the biorhythms of various organs and systems is disrupted. This is due to the fact that in April - June there is a transition from the minimum level of general activity (biological winter) to the maximum (biological summer).
What are the signs of meteopathy? People with reduced immunity develop colds; in chronic patients - the disease is exacerbated, the number of strokes, heart attacks, angina pectoris increases, ischemic heart disease is exacerbated. Hypertensive patients develop pain in the region of the heart, shortness of breath, nausea, increased pressure, up to a hypertensive crisis. In patients with bronchopulmonary diseases, coughing, shortness of breath, and possibly even the appearance of cyanosis of the skin, intensify.
I think the second and most important question is: can the impact of weather conditions on health be mitigated? Skeptics think not, or only with medication. Doctors say: it is possible and necessary. With the help of the prevention of meteopathies, which, in fact, should be a way of life for everyone from childhood. The tips are very simple: do not overwork, always find time to rest; sleep for at least 7-8 hours, and eliminate insomnia using affordable and effective methods (except for sleeping pills); ventilate the premises as often as possible and be outdoors for at least an hour a day. It is advisable to take a contrast shower daily. By the way, it has been noticed that people who constantly visit the bathhouse are rarely weather-dependent.
It is important to pay attention to the diet (especially in the spring). Eat vitamins, sprouted grains, vegetables, berries, fruits. And in their absence, use biologically active additives containing succinic acid, natural vitamins and microelements.
If you follow these low-cost and very useful recommendations all the time, in fact, every weather will be a blessing.
3. Meteorological information.
Meteorology - (from the Greek.meteora - atmospheric phenomena and logia) - science about the earth's atmosphere and the processes taking place in it. Basic section of meteorology - physics of the atmosphere. Meteorology studies composition and the structure of the atmosphere; heat turnover and thermal conditions in the atmosphere and on the earth's surface; moisture circulation and phase transformation of water in the atmosphere, movement of air masses; electrical, optical and acoustic phenomena in the atmosphere. Meteorology includes actinometry, dynamic and synoptic meteorology, atmospheric optics, atmospheric electricity, aerology, as well as other appliedmeteorological disciplines. Two types of meteorological information can be distinguished:
1.Primary information about the current weather, obtained as a result of meteorological observations.
2. Information on the weather in the form of various reports, synoptic charts, upper-air diagrams, vertical sections, cloud maps, etc. The success of the forecasts is largely dependent on the quality of the primary meteorological information.
4. Medical research.
Medical research has shown that if you do regular exercise, especially walking, jogging, swimming, skiing or cycling, your addiction to bad days will be greatly reduced. Please note that these exercises should be long enough, but meet your capabilities - you do not need to act "through force", light physical exercise should bring joy. In the same way, hardening procedures are important - rubbing or dousing, activating biorhythms.
The most important rule is that on such days it is impossible to overload the body, the period of its wakefulness, activity should be less than the rest period, otherwise the body will not cope with the restoration of itself. And remember that proper nutrition, healthy sleep, communication with nature will help to cope with the problem of weather dependence.
Scientists have finally made definitive conclusions about how weather can affect a person's physical and mental health. So, some weather events affect our weight, while others can even cause paralysis.
Experts from the Scottish city of Aberdeen have established exactly what effect various weather freaks have on a person.
It turns out that rain is the most difficult for people trying to lose weight. Most often, it is in rainy weather that a person begins to gain excess weight.
Too much hot weather increases the risk of suicide. A sudden cold snap can cause paralysis of the facial nerve and increase the risk of a heart attack.
The headache often appears against the backdrop of a thunderstorm. it a natural phenomenon also increases the risk of developing asthma.
Those who often have ear problems, as well as metabolic disorders, need to be especially careful in wet weather. But strong gusts of wind reduce stress resistance and contribute to the development of migraines.
But not all weather events negatively affect our health. There is good news too! Sunny weather lowers the risk of all cancers except skin cancer.
Conclusion
In the course of work, I found out what effect the weather has on human health and how you can help yourself on such days. And I made the following conclusions for myself:
- Changes in the weather do not affect the well-being of different people in the same way.
- In a healthy person, when the weather changes, the physiological processes in the body are adjusted to the changed environmental conditions.
- In a sick person, adaptive reactions are weakened, so the body loses its ability to quickly adapt.
- The influence of weather conditions on a person's well-being is also associated with age and individual susceptibility of the organism.
A study by classmates confirmed the findings. Most of the guys were exposed to the change in the weather.
Bibliographic list
1M. Bushnov "Non-flying weather".
2.A. Weinhold "Our Weather".
3.A. I. Ugryumova "According to the Hydrometeorological Center"
4.V. Shenderovich "And briefly about the weather."
Altai Territory Administration for Education and Youth Affairs
Municipal educational institution
"Klepikovskaya secondary school"
with. Klepikovo, Ust-Pristanskiy district
in the nomination " Ecology and health »
Theme: "The influence of weather conditions on human health"
Completed by: 10th grade student Buchas Valeria Supervisor: physics teacher Emelyanova Nadezhda Aleksandrovna
I. Introduction 3
II. Impact of weather conditions on human health 5
1. Types of weather conditions 5
2. Daily rhythms and biorhythms 5
3. Physical factors affecting the human body: 6
3.1 Temperature 6
3.3 Earth's magnetic field 7
3.4 Atmospheric pressure 8
3.5 Ultraviolet radiation 8
4. The body's response to a change in the meteorological situation 9
5. Analysis of questionnaires 10
6. Ways to Improve Your Health 13
III. Conclusion 14
IV. List of used literature 16
Introduction
Several decades ago, almost no one even thought to associate their working capacity, their emotional state and well-being with the activity of the Sun, with the phases of the Moon, with magnetic storms and other cosmic phenomena. In any phenomenon of the nature around us, there is a strict recurrence of processes: day and night, ebb and flow, winter and summer. Rhythm is observed not only in the movement of the Earth, the Sun and the stars, but is also an integral and universal property of living matter, a property that penetrates into all life phenomena - from the molecular level to the level of the whole organism. During historical development a person has adapted to a certain rhythm of life, due to rhythmic changes in the natural environment and the energetic dynamics of metabolic processes. Currently, many rhythmic processes in the body are known, called biorhythms. These include the rhythms of the heart, respiration, and bioelectric activity of the brain. Our whole life is a constant change of rest and vigorous activity, sleep and wakefulness, fatigue from strenuous work and rest. In the body of every person, like the ebb and flow of the sea, a great rhythm eternally reigns, arising from the connection of life phenomena with the rhythm of the Universe and symbolizing the unity of the world. The climate also has a serious impact on human well-being, influencing it through natural factors. Weather conditions include a set of physical conditions: atmospheric pressure, humidity of air movement, oxygen concentration, degree of disturbance magnetic field land, the level of air pollution. Until now, it has not been possible to fully establish the mechanisms of the reaction of the human body to a change natural conditions... And she often makes itself felt with cardiac disorders, nervous disorders. With a sharp change in weather, physical and mental performance decreases, diseases become aggravated, the number of errors, accidents and even deaths increases.
The purpose my work is:
Find out which groups of people are more influenced by meteorological factors, under what conditions and how it is possible to protect the human body from the effects of the environment.
Tasks :
1. Collect and structure information about the impact of meteorological factors on the human body.
2. Conduct a diagnostic study to confirm literary and statistical data.
3. Identify risk groups on which meteorological factors have the greatest impact.
4. Plan preventive measures.
The problems of the influence of weather on a person do not allow mathematically to accurately distinguish generic types weather, characterizing the negative impact on human health. Each person has a tendency to react to their own type of weather. Nature does not have bad weather, but every weather is a disaster for someone. It is customary to distinguish two main types of weather - hypoxic and spastic. However, you can find a more detailed classification of weather types. Climatologists propose to distinguish five types of weather conditions that affect human health: 1. Indifferent, with slight fluctuations in meteorological conditions - when a person does not feel any influence of the weather on his body;
2. Toning - when a change in the weather has a beneficial effect on a person, especially on patients with chronic oxygen deficiency, with arterial hypotension, ischemic heart disease, chronic bronchitis;
3. The spastic type manifests itself during a sharp change in the weather towards a cooling, when the atmospheric pressure rises and the oxygen content in the air increases significantly. Then people with high blood pressure may experience headaches and heartaches caused by spasms of vascular smooth muscles;
4. The hypotensive type of weather can manifest itself with a tendency to a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the air: then the vascular tone of patients decreases. Hypertensive patients, for example, feel better at this time - their blood pressure decreases;
5. The hypoxic type of weather changes towards warming and a decrease in the oxygen content in the air. In people on such days, oxygen deficiency appears and worsens. In the course of historical development, a person has adapted to a certain rhythm of life, due to rhythmic changes in the natural environment and the energetic dynamics of metabolic processes. Currently, many rhythmic processes in the body are known, called biorhythms.
These include the rhythms of the heart, respiration, and bioelectric activity of the brain. Our whole life is a constant change of rest and vigorous activity, sleep and wakefulness, fatigue from prolonged work and rest. In the body of every person, like the ebb and flow of the sea, a great rhythm eternally reigns, arising from the connection of life phenomena with the rhythm of the Universe and symbolizing the unity of the world. The central place among all rhythmic processes is occupied by circadian rhythms
that are of the greatest importance to the body. The body's response to any impact depends on the phase of the diurnal rhythm (that is, on the time of day). This knowledge caused the development of new directions in medicine - chronodiagnostics, chronotherapy, chronopharmology. They are based on the proposition that the same remedy at different hours of the day has a different, sometimes directly opposite effect on the body. Therefore, in order to obtain a greater effect, it is important to indicate not only the dose, but also the exact time of taking the medications. It turned out that the study of changes in circadian rhythms makes it possible to identify the occurrence of some diseases at the most early stages... They proceed differently (good or bad) at different times of the year, in different countries and living conditions. The human body, as a rule, is influenced not by one isolated factor, but by their combination, and the main effect is exerted not by ordinary fluctuations in climatic conditions, but mainly by their sudden changes. For any living organism, certain rhythms of vital activity of various frequencies have been established. Diseases associated with weather conditions include primarily overheating and hypothermia. Overheating and heatstrokes occur in summer in hot, windless weather. Influenza, colds, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, as a rule, occur in the autumn - winter period of the year. Some physical factors (atmospheric pressure, humidity, air movement, oxygen concentration, the degree of disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field, the level of atmospheric pollution) have not only a direct effect on the human body. Separately or in combination, they can aggravate the course of existing diseases, prepare certain conditions for the reproduction of pathogens of infectious diseases. So, in the cold period of the year, due to the extreme variability of the weather, cardiovascular diseases are exacerbated - hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction. Intestinal infections (typhoid fever, dysentery) affect people in the hot season. Children under one year old have the most big number pneumonia is recorded in January - April. The vascular system is most sensitive to temperature fluctuations, because it is through the narrowing or expansion of blood vessels that the body carries out thermoregulation and maintains its constant temperature. Therefore, if the regulation of these processes is disturbed due to excessive vasospasm in the cold, people suffering from arterial hypertension or hypotension, ischemic heart disease may experience headaches, pain in the heart, and fluctuations in blood pressure may be recorded. Heat can also significantly disrupt normal flow biological processes, leading to a decrease in blood pressure, dehydration of the body, deterioration of the blood supply to many organs.
Light is one of the most significant factors affecting biological cycles. So, familiar to many, mood swings, feelings of depression, apathy are associated not so much with bad autumn or winter weather, but with a lack of light. Moreover, the body can easily distinguish between natural sunlight and artificial lighting, since they differ in spectral composition. Retinal receptors react to light stimuli and send signals to the central nervous system - to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus, through hormonal, nervous regulation, carries out seasonal restructuring and adaptation of the body. However, in such a "perestroika" period, the body is extremely vulnerable to action various factors external environment. Of great importance in the synchronization of biorhythms, depending on the illumination, belongs to the pineal gland - the pineal gland located in the brain. Thanks to the photoreceptors of the pineal gland, even blind people at the level of biorhythms catch the change of day and night. The pineal gland produces a number of biologically active substances that are involved in the regulation of immunity, puberty and extinction (menopause), menstrual function, water-salt metabolism, pigmentation processes, aging of the body, synchronization of sleep and wakefulness cycles. According to some reports, it is the adverse effect on the pineal gland, which is exerted by many environmental factors, that underlies desynchronosis and meteopathy.
Most of the physical factors of the external environment, in interaction with which the human body has evolved, are of an electromagnetic nature. It is well known that near rapidly flowing water the air refreshes and invigorates. It contains a lot of negative ions. For the same reason, we find the air clean and refreshing after a thunderstorm.
On the contrary, the air in confined spaces with an abundance different kinds electromagnetic devices is saturated with positive ions. Even a relatively short stay in such a room leads to lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness and headaches. A similar picture is observed in windy weather, on dusty and humid days. Experts in the field of environmental medicine believe that negative ions have a positive effect on human health, and positive ones negatively.
Magnetic storms. Electromagnetic vibrations caused by a change in the geomagnetic background in response to increased solar activity, as well as low-frequency sound vibrations that occur when cyclones pass, often cause biorhythms to fail, especially those that are close to them in frequency (usually mid-frequency biorhythms). This is the so-called phenomenon of forced synchronization, which disrupts the normal course of biological processes and causes a deterioration in well-being. In this case, there may be differences in blood pressure, disturbances in the rhythm of the heart, difficulty breathing in chronic diseases of the respiratory system, etc. It was found that fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, captured by receptors on the walls of large blood vessels lead to significant changes in the vascular system. During magnetic storms, a spasm of blood vessels develops, blood flow in small vessels slows down, blood viscosity increases, the tendency to form blood clots increases, the blood supply to many vital organs deteriorates, and the amount of stress hormones in the blood increases significantly. It is not for nothing that on the days of magnetic storms the number of heart attacks and strokes sharply increases, sudden deaths... In addition, electromagnetic fields negatively affect the pineal gland - one of the main regulators and synchronizers of human biorhythms.
High humidity is usually accompanied by a sharp decrease in oxygen in the air. This significantly impairs the well-being of patients with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. High humidity is poorly tolerated by people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system. However, even relatively healthy people may experience symptoms of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia): weakness, increased fatigue, slight lightheadedness. High humidity and temperature intensify the adverse effect of each other - in such conditions heat transfer is significantly hampered, which can cause heat strokes and other serious disorders in the body.
The wind associated with the movement of atmospheric masses usually brings with it a change in weather. Therefore, on windy days, there is often a deterioration in health in people suffering from chronic diseases. People with mental disorders are also very sensitive to the wind, in whom windy weather can increase the feeling of anxiety, causeless melancholy, anxiety.
Changes in atmospheric pressure cause fluctuations in blood pressure, change electrical resistance skin. With a reduced atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the hollow organs of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, intestines) rises, which can cause disruption of their work. With such processes, the level of standing of the diaphragm increases, which complicates the work of the heart and lungs. At elevated atmospheric pressure, the well-being of patients with arterial hypertension often worsens.
Among climatic factors The short-wavelength part of the solar spectrum - ultraviolet radiation (UVR) (wavelength 295-400 nm) - is of great biological importance. The territory of the Russian Federation, on the basis of long-term studies of the UV regime of its hygienic significance, is divided into a number of zones in accordance with the level of UVI coming to the surface of the earth. Zones of UV - deficiency are located north of 57.5 N. A person needs to receive at least 45 "portions of the sun" in a year, i.e. erythemal doses of UVR. The farther north the terrain is, the more time you have to spend in order to gain this rate. Ultraviolet irradiation - required condition normal human activity. It destroys microorganisms on the skin, prevents rickets, normalizes the metabolism of minerals, increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases and other diseases. Special observations have established that children who received a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation are ten times less susceptible to colds than children who have not received enough ultraviolet radiation. With a lack of ultraviolet irradiation, phosphorus-calcium metabolism is disturbed, the body's sensitivity to infectious diseases and colds increases, functional disorders of the central nervous system occur, some chronic diseases are exacerbated, general physiological activity decreases, and, consequently, human performance. Children are especially sensitive to "light hunger", in whom it leads to the development of vitamin D deficiency (rickets).
In people with disorders of the functions of the nervous autonomic system or chronic diseases, it is difficult to adapt to changing weather factors. Some patients are so sensitive to changes in the weather that they can serve as a kind of biological barometers that accurately predict the weather. Research carried out by the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Russian Federation has shown that 60 - 65% of those suffering from cardiovascular diseases are sensitive to fluctuations in weather factors, especially in spring and autumn, with significant fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, air temperature and changes in the Earth's geomagnetic field. When air fronts invade, causing a contrasting change in the weather, crises are more often observed with hypertension, the condition of patients with atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels worsens, and cardiovascular accidents grow. In the era of urbanization and industrialization, people spend most of their lives indoors. The longer the body is isolated from external climatic factors and is in comfortable or subcomfortable conditions of the microclimate of the room, the more its adaptive reactions to constantly changing weather parameters decrease, including the weakening of thermoregulation processes. As a result, the dynamic balance between the human body and the external environment is disturbed, complications arise in people with cardiovascular pathology - crises, myocardial infarction, cerebral strokes. Therefore, it is necessary to organize a modern medical weather forecast as a method for preventing cardiovascular accidents. Organized in some geographic zones of Russia, medical and meteorological forecasting shows that medical and preventive measures on days with unfavorable types of weather sharply reduce the number of meteotropic reactions in cardiovascular patients. The studies carried out in various climatic zones of Russia on the adaptation of the organism to unfavorable environmental conditions made it possible to develop a system for calculating and assessing weather conditions taking into account seasonal fluctuations and variability of the main heliometeorological factors. The nature and reliability of the correlations characterizing the meteotropic reactions of the human body have been established.
Nature has taken care of well adapting the human body to the environment and fluctuations in its conditions - periodic (for example, daily, seasonal) and episodic (occurring from time to time without any strict pattern). Each person has a certain "margin of safety", that is, the ability to painlessly tolerate up to certain limits changes in temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, intensity of natural and artificial irradiation, air flow (wind), gas composition of the air we breathe, etc. ...
However, the "safety margin" for different people is far from the same: it depends on gender, age, health, fitness and other factors. To determine if there is any relationship between the well-being of people and the absolute value of atmospheric air pressure, as well as changes in pressure, I conducted a survey among my acquaintances. The survey participants were asked to answer the following questions (answer options are indicated in brackets).
1. What is your gender? ("male", "female")
2. What is your age? ("under 20", "21-30", "31-40", "41-50", "over 50")
3. Do you have high or low blood pressure more often? ("not selected (healthy)", "lowered", "high")
4. How do you feel now? ("very bad", "worse than usual", "normal", "feeling great")
5. Do you tend to correlate well-being with changes in the weather? ("I find it difficult to answer", "they do not depend on each other", "most likely this is so", "definitely, there is a relationship")
During the survey, data on the well-being of 16 respondents were processed.
Fig. 1 - Survey participants
Fig. 2 - Age distribution of survey participants
When answering the third question (about the respondents' predisposition to have deviations from the normal blood pressure) the following tendency emerged (Fig. 3). 40% have high blood pressure, 60% are healthy (these are schoolchildren)
Fig. 3 - Exposure of men and women to hypertension and hypotension
When answering the question whether there is any relationship between a person's well-being and air pressure, everyone without exception recognizes its existence, but only 20% feel worse at the moment.
Figure 5 - Is there a relationship between well-being and atmospheric pressure? (the numbers of answer options are plotted along the horizontal axis)
1. I am at a loss to answer
2. They are independent of each other
3. Most likely it is.
4. Definitely, there is a relationship
When I analyzed the numbers and built these histograms, a suspicious feeling began to creep in that people practically do not care, high pressure or low, so long as it does not fluctuate much. What are the ways to improve human health in the presence of meteorological dependence? The main factors on which human health depends: climate, movement and nutrition. People suffering from any ailment, first of all, should be engaged in its treatment. Everyone else can use some guidelines. So, with reactions of a spastic type, the so-called "distraction therapy" helps well - hot foot baths, a contrast shower, gymnastics. This is a very effective measure. People whose torment begins when cyclones approach with a sharp warming can be recommended physical exercises that contribute to the saturation of the body with oxygen: walking, running, skiing, breathing exercises, cold rubdowns. Coniferous baths are effective. They are easy to make from pine extract at home. Duration - 10-15 minutes, water temperature - 35-37 ° С, course of treatment - 12-15 procedures. People with low blood pressure can also be helped by multivitamins, infusions of stimulating herbs - lemongrass, eleutherococcus, etc., as well as strong brewed tea. They should eat foods high in potassium: raisins, apricots, dried apricots, bananas, potatoes, better baked or boiled in their skins; do not overload yourself and do not plan important meetings as possible; are more out in the air. When there is a warm front and the oxygen regime of the air worsens, it is advisable to eat foods containing ascorbic acid, potassium, calcium, iron - fish, milk, fruits. People with high blood pressure during sudden changes in weather need to limit the amount of salt and fluid, physical and emotional stress should be avoided. During the day, massage the neck and shoulder girdle 2-3 times for 10-15 minutes (stroking the skin with both hands - from the neck to the shoulders). Follow the weather forecast, make plans for the day according to the meteorological situation, try to get enough sleep and not overwork. With meteopathy, the intensity of enzymes slows down, which means that food is digested more slowly. In unfavorable periods, it is necessary to give a little rest to the stomach and reduce the amount of calories consumed to 1200-1500 per day.
So, the basis of the treatment of meteorological dependence is a healthy lifestyle. It is the simple, well-known, recommendations for observing the daily regimen, work and rest, the principles of rational nutrition, regular moderate physical activity, hardening, etc. significantly increase the adaptive properties of the body and reduce painful dependence on the vagaries of the weather.
Conclusion
The state of health of the vast majority of people does not depend in any way on atmospheric pressure (provided there is a slight fluctuation). Since only a change in pressure can affect the body, it must necessarily respond to sudden changes in external conditions. Changes in the weather do not affect the well-being of different people in the same way. In a healthy person, when the weather changes, there is a timely adjustment of physiological processes in the body to the changed environmental conditions. As a result, the protective reaction is enhanced, and healthy people practically do not feel the negative influence of the weather. In a sick person, adaptive reactions are weakened, so the body loses its ability to quickly adapt. The influence of weather conditions on a person's well-being is also associated with age and individual susceptibility of the organism. Scientists have made definitive conclusions about how the weather can affect a person's physical and mental health. So, some weather events affect our weight, while others can even cause paralysis.
Experts from the Scottish city of Aberdeen have established exactly what effect various weather freaks have on a person.
It turns out that rain is the most difficult for people trying to lose weight. Most often, it is in rainy weather that a person begins to gain excess weight. Too hot weather increases the risk of suicide. A sudden cold snap can cause paralysis of the facial nerve and increase the risk of a heart attack. The headache often appears against the backdrop of a thunderstorm. This natural phenomenon also increases the risk of developing asthma.
Those who often have ear problems, as well as metabolic disorders, need to be especially careful in wet weather. And here strong impulses winds reduce stress resistance and contribute to the development of migraines.
But not all weather events negatively affect our health. There is good news too! Sunny weather lowers the risk of all cancers except skin cancer. Sharp weather fluctuations create aggravating conditions for the initially existing pathological process. Weather factors only intensify the signs of the disease or provoke their appearance. Therefore, for example, in those suffering from hypertension, unfavorable weather causes hypertensive crises, in patients with bronchial asthma - attacks of suffocation, in those suffering from rheumatism - pain in the joints. At the same time, specific manifestations for each disease depend not only on the intensity of the very influence of meteorological factors, but also on how much the body retains the mechanisms of adaptation in specific organs and systems, their adaptive "flexibility", reactivity, fitness.
Analyzing the results obtained, I can say with confidence that people have weather dependence. I understood the reasons for many of my ailments associated with changes in the weather and I think the most important way to combat weather dependence is the right way of life.
Regularly doing mild exercise, especially walking, jogging, swimming, skiing or cycling, addiction unfavorable days weakens significantly. In the same way, hardening procedures are important - rubbing or dousing, activating biorhythms. The most important rule is that on such days it is impossible to overload the body, the period of its wakefulness, activity should be less than the rest period, otherwise the body will not cope with the restoration of itself. Proper nutrition, healthy sleep, communication with nature will help to cope with the problem of weather dependence.
List of used literature:
1. Astapenko P.D. Questions about the weather: (what we know about it and what we don’t know), L. Gidrometeoizdat, 1986
2. Denisova V. Ecology textbook for universities. Rostov-on-Don., 2002
3. Isaeva LA, Children's diseases. Moscow: Medicine, 1987
4. Mizun Yu.G. , Khasulin V.I. Our health and magnetic storms M. Knowledge 1991
5. P. Nikitin, Yu.V. Novikov. " Environment human". "Higher School" Moscow 1980
6. Internet materials
Meteorological dependence, or, to put it simply, the relationship between well-being and the weather, is a fertile topic. Its signs are found by many. Almost every self-respecting health portal has an article with a title like "How to reduce your dependence on the weather." In the comments to them on the classics of the genre, at least one person appears, claiming that according to his state, the forecast of the Hydrometeorological Center can be checked (the latter, of course, loses exactly), and there are never those who would refute this statement.
"Doctors-experts" in such articles tell that it is necessary to strengthen blood vessels, which will help walks, physical activity, proper nutrition and everything that is necessary for everyone regardless of their reaction to the weather. It is customary to feel sorry for meteorological addicts, and those who are not ready to do this are condemned: "When you grow old, you will find out what it is like!" How does it feel?
Disease or not?
If, with manifestations of meteorological dependence, a person becomes worse than he was without them, it means that dependence on the weather is a disease. To understand patients and their colleagues, doctors created a list of all currently known diseases and called it International classification diseases, abbreviated as ICD. It is revised every 10 years, now they are already using the tenth edition (ICD-10), and from 2018 a newer, 11th, version will also enter medical practice. The ICD includes stuttering, deep caries, and ischemic heart disease, but neither meteosensitivity, nor meteorological dependence, nor even meteopathy, which 7 years ago one respected publication for some reason recorded in a number of official terms, is not there. Considering how many of our compatriots complain that their blood pressure and general health deteriorate in parallel with the worsening weather, this is strange. What's the matter?
The fact is that scientists have not found clear evidence of the existence of meteorological dependence. It so happens that something hurts a person when the weather, in his opinion, deteriorates. But good weather- the concept is subjective, and only specific physical parameters can be objectively and quantitatively evaluated: air pressure, humidity and temperature. This has been done by many research teams. In the general case, they all found out that there is no clear connection between the value of any of these variables and a person's well-being.
Arthritis
People with osteoarthritis say they feel more pain in their joints when rain approaches. In 2015, doctors from the EPOSA (European Project on Osteoarthritis) team gathered 810 people aged 65–85 who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis. For a minimum of a year, a maximum of a year and a half, the subjects themselves assessed the severity of pain in the affected joints (knee, wrist or hip) and wrote down their assessments in a special diary.
Throughout the entire observation period, the authors of the work also received data on air temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation and atmospheric pressure from the meteorological stations of the cities where the subjects lived. Then the contents of the diaries of the participants were compared by day with the data of meteorologists. It turned out that, contrary to the feelings of the patients, the pain in their affected joints does not increase with changing weather conditions from one day to the next. Nevertheless, in cold periods, when the air humidity was lowered, the subjects' joints ached somewhat more severely than usual. Nose abrupt change again, this was not related to the weather.
Migraine
Similar studies were also carried out with the participation of patients with migraine in different time, for example in 2011 and 2015. The 2011 work was the smallest - only 20 Berliners with this unpleasant disease took part in it. Over the course of a year, they recorded the intensity of the headache attacks and when they occurred, and the scientists then compared this information with the weather data in the city. In twenty patients, it was possible to identify one common feature: in most cases, seizures began at about 4 a.m. and reached a peak in intensity before 8 a.m. At the same time, the dependence of the strength of pain on the weather was found in only 6 people. The intensity of their discomfort was maximal on cold, humid days.
But six is even less than a third of the subjects! Having such a small sample (as the number of participants in the study is called) and such a modest result, the authors of the work nevertheless concluded that some migraine patients are meteosensitive. But what is the fundamental difference in the physiology of this unhappy part of the patients has not been explained.
The work in 2015 was more ambitious: 66 residents of Taipei (Taiwan) with a diagnosis of migraine took part in it, and 34 of them were also meteorological. As in the studies mentioned earlier, the participants in this work noted the intensity of the headache and the time of its onset throughout the year, and scientists compared these parameters with the readings of city meteorological stations.
Since the state of the atmosphere in Taipei practically does not change from season to season, we decided to look for the dependence of the frequency of migraine attacks on temperature. This is the only air parameter that in this city in winter is not the same as in summer. It turned out that in meteorological-dependent migraines more often made themselves felt in winter (on average 21.5 times per season) than in summer (on average 18.9 times per season), while those who did not feel changes in their state due to weather, there was no such difference depending on the season.
From such data, the authors concluded that more low temperatures(and in Taipei, in the year of the study, it was 10 degrees colder in winter than in summer, only 18.5 degrees Celsius) provoke migraine attacks. And everything would be fine if it were not for the fact that, in principle, seizures in meteorological patients occurred more often, at least 27.3 times per season, especially often in spring, on average as much as 28.5 times per season. If we follow the logic of the authors, meteorological independence provokes migraine attacks, because in such patients, even in summer, their head hurts more often than in meteorological patients in winter.
Cold
Meteosensitivity is not only "the bones ache to the rain", it is also "there is a draft here, you will catch a cold." But research shows that the likelihood of respiratory diseases is not related to the actual temperature of the air, but to how high or low it seems to a person.
American researchers tested how the condition of residents of 40 New York apartments changes depending on the temperature and humidity in these houses. The study lasted more than a year and has affected all seasons. It turned out that in winter people are less accurate in assessing the temperature in their apartment, and the likelihood of getting sick with ARVI is connected not with the real temperature, but with how each participant personally imagined it. The same applied to summer overheating. If a person felt that the room was very hot, he felt the symptoms of this condition. Others, less sensitive to heat, felt quite normal at the same temperature.
Pressure
The last stronghold of supporters of the reality of meteorological dependence is blood pressure. It changes in the air, which means it should also in the vessels! Authors of magazines about women's health argue that with some special science that has not yet been investigated (I wonder why? They would definitely give money for such studies, because their result would be interesting to everyone!) A malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, the vessels stop adjusting under what is happening with atmospheric pressure, as a result, the blood pressure in them becomes "wrong", "uncomfortable" for a person. It is even strange that such people in some city of skyscrapers do not die while they go to their office in an elevator, because the atmospheric pressure drops by 1 millimeter. mercury column every 12 meters (if counted at zero temperature and up from sea level itself). And alarmist journalists believe that the change in air pressure is only 5 mm Hg. Art. already leads to a deterioration in well-being.
On the other hand, there is science articles, which are more trusted by default. And they show that at least in children from Kaunas (Lithuania), blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic, that is, both upper and lower numbers) differs depending on the season. In summer it is lower than in winter. But here is shown not dependence on weather, but dependence on climate, and certainly not on pressure, but on air temperature. In addition, the researchers included people from 3 to 21 years of age in the concept of "children" and the dependence was determined for all at once, and not for narrower age groups. This could have made adjustments to the results of the work.
Born to confirm
"So what? - the reader will say. - The author just flaunts - after all, he does not depend on the weather, which means he does not understand our pain!" This is not true. Meteorological addicts themselves also do not understand their pain, or rather, make false conclusions about where it comes from.
There is a hypothesis that the human brain is not a soulless machine, but rather a bad program code: it developed as needed, the main thing is that everything should work all the time, and therefore some functions were built on top of others without the ability to catch bugs (errors). It turned out to be a kind of jumble of structures and functions. (V English language it is called the word "kluge", but we do not have one word for this phenomenon.)
If we continue the computer analogy, then the brain is "hardware", "hard" for "software" - our psyche. And if the material foundation is built so crookedly, then what can we say about the superstructure? It is known, for example, that we extremely save the resources of our nervous system and try not to waste them. As a result, when faced with a task that requires significant mental effort, the psyche of each representative of our species in most cases is much more willing to choose the simplest and most obvious solution. Simply because we automatically strive to conserve mental resources. As a result, people operate with delusions, and do not look for a logically correct answer to all questions of the universe.
This is how common delusions arise. They are often referred to as cognitive biases. And one of these distortions is confirmation bias, or in Russian - a tendency to confirm one's point of view. Whether we like it or not, being right is much nicer than being wrong. Therefore, the information that confirms our views, we accept more willingly than its refutation. We tend to forget them or even simply not notice them.
Therefore, those who consider themselves weather dependent, remember the moments when, after another attack of pain or high blood pressure the weather changed, but from their memory the cases when they were just as bad, and the weather remained the same, are being forced out. Maybe weather-dependent migraine patients from Taipei, remembering that they were participating in the study, more often paid attention to any headache in winter, because this time of year the weather is not as pleasant as in summer, and they believed that in bad weather they themselves feel bad, and looked for confirmation of their views. So it turned out that weather-dependent people suffer from bad weather, and those who do not think, live better.
Of course, this all sounds unpleasant, because it turns out that people are rather short-sighted creatures. Probably, in some ways it is.
Outcome
The human body, and other animals too, has evolved in such a way that the state of its internal environment depends as little as possible on the state of the external one. Maintaining the constancy of conditions inside the body is called homeostasis, and this is the main property of all living things. Meteorological dependence contradicts the "principles" of homeostasis, which means that if it actually appeared, it would be quickly destroyed by natural selection.
If you carefully read the available scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals, it turns out that dependence on weather is not a matter of physiology, but of psychology, which means that it can be controlled and reduced, improving your state of mind. And here's one more confirmation. Subject Russian-language articles for a wide range of readers note that, in addition to the obviously chronically ill, adolescents and women during menopause most often suffer from meteorological dependence. The naked eye can see how these groups are similar. Both have mood swings. Maybe their sudden deterioration in well-being is not connected with the weather at all, but with emotions? This possibility cannot be ruled out.
The advice given by "expert doctors" for getting rid of weather dependence really works. To feel good, you need to walk more often and, in principle, move more, eat well, get enough sleep, do what you love, in the end. Only all these preventive measures are aimed primarily at keeping the psyche in good condition, and not at all at some mysterious physiological processes for which science supposedly has not yet found not only an explanation, but also a name.
No one disputes that the weather affects the harvest. But how does it affect the human body? How to escape from the vagaries of nature, says Oleg Shtegman, associate professor of the Department of Internal Medicine of the Medical Academy, chief freelance cardiologist
A person, being a part of nature, cannot but be exposed to various climatic factors: atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, radiation, the Earth's magnetic background, solar activity, etc. The response of the human body occurs, as a rule, to changes in any of the natural factors.
Reference. The human body is forced to adapt to changes in the weather in order to maintain its internal constancy. There is a restructuring of certain biological systems organism. Namely: increases the production of hormones, enzyme activity, blood clotting and platelet count. There is a change in vascular tone to change the intensity of heat transfer. In other words, the restructuring of systems when the weather changes is a kind of adaptation of the organism to new conditions. Most people don't feel it in any way. But for some of whom the adaptation mechanisms are late or do not work at all. And then the increased sensitivity of the organism to changes in the weather develops, which is called meteosensitivity (MF). In these cases, the state of human health depends on the change in weather.
Who is addicted? A third of the world's people are weather-sensitive. Among them, a small group with hereditary MCH are people who always react to changes in the weather. In all other cases, MP develops when internal physiological changes coincide with changes in the weather - the body seems to lack the mechanisms of adaptation for both. Meteosensitive are more often:
1. Small children under one year old, as their adaptation mechanisms are not developed.
2. Women of any age. Because female body constantly undergoes physiological changes due to the fact that female hormones are produced cyclically according to different phases of the menstrual cycle. Teenage girls, pregnant women and women in menopause especially often suffer from changes in the weather - in all these cases, hormonal changes in the body take place. Moreover, women are more inclined to listen to their bodies, notice any, even small, changes in their health and experience them very emotionally.
3. Teenage boys. They also have hormonal changes in the body. Adult men, as a rule, are protected from MP by stable monotonic production of male hormones.
4. Part of the elderly, whose adaptation mechanisms are already reduced.
The risk factors for the occurrence of MP also include: - overweight, since such people always have an increase in the tone of the sympathetic nervous system, which is an unfavorable background for the effect of meteorological factors; - dysfunction of the endocrine glands, especially with thyroid dysfunction, where a lack of iodine in water and food leads to the development of thyroid diseases;
Hypovitaminosis, especially vitamin C and B vitamins, since they are involved in the body's adaptation mechanisms;
Immunity disorders;
Postponed traumatic brain injury;
Bone fractures and joint injuries;
Various chronic diseases, especially of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.
How is meteosensitivity manifested?
People who are dependent on meteorological factors, but do not have chronic diseases, when the weather changes, there is increased fatigue - both physical and mental. Unreasonable excitement, anxiety, irritability, and irascibility may develop. Sleep may be disturbed: some have insomnia, others have constant drowsiness. Headaches, an incomprehensible rise in blood pressure (BP) or a rise in body temperature to subfebrile numbers - 37.0-37.3. Cramping abdominal pains not associated with food intake may occur. All these manifestations begin with a change in weather factors, go away on their own and are not considered a disease.
Special mention should be made of the body's reaction to magnetic storms.
Reference. When a flash occurs in the sun, a stream of charged particles rushes towards the Earth at a tremendous speed. The magnetic field of our planet takes on this impact, from which radio waves of various frequencies are generated. Scientists call this phenomenon a perturbation of the Earth's geomagnetic field, and the people say - a magnetic storm. Although the human body is affected by radio waves.
So, with MCH to magnetic storms, a person can feel a heartbeat, a headache associated with oxygen starvation can begin - the blood becomes more viscous and hardly moves through the thin vessels of the brain. Blood pressure may start to "jump" - the vascular tone is disturbed. Let us emphasize that all these signs develop only in people suffering from MP, that they end on their own and are not a disease.
MCH becomes dangerous if, in response to atmospheric changes, including magnetic storms, unexpected heart malfunctions appear in the body, and exacerbations of chronic diseases develop.
What to watch out for?
In patients with cardiovascular diseases - such as hypertension, hypotension, vegetative-vascular dystonia, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, especially with heart rhythm disturbances, an exacerbation of the disease can develop into a sudden cold snap or warming, to surges in atmospheric pressure, to extreme heat or severe frost, high humidity and strong winds, magnetic storms. For these patients, the most dangerous is an increase in atmospheric pressure, since, trying to maintain blood pressure at the same level, the tone of the diseased vessels changes, and blood clotting also increases, which leads to increased thrombus formation. That is why a sharp increase in atmospheric pressure leads to an increase in myocardial infarction.
For patients suffering from cerebrovascular diseases, the same meteorological factors are dangerous as for the heart. In them, a change in the tone of diseased cerebral vessels leads to headaches, aggravated by a lack of oxygen, and increased thrombus formation can result in a stroke.
Patients with respiratory diseases - such as bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc., react more with an exacerbation of the disease to low temperatures, high humidity, which contributes to the spread of various infections. Since any infection is more easily transmitted through a humid environment. Damp heat in summer and dank slush in winter are especially dangerous.
For patients with rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis, exacerbations often occur in unstable weather with rain and sleet. Sore joints often serve as "predictors" of weather changes to colder ones - they start to hurt before the weather changes.
For those who have eye ailments: increased eye pressure, cataracts, changes in the fundus and so on, sudden changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as bright sunlight are dangerous.
In patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - such as chronic gastritis, ulcers and others, with low atmospheric pressure or intense heat, spastic states sharply increase. Exacerbation of the disease is possible.
How to save yourself from the vagaries of the weather?
If you do not suffer from the above diseases and do not belong to people with risk factors, first of all, watch yourself. Perhaps you invented the MCH yourself. This is especially true for the elderly. Among scientists, the phrase is in use: "The poor old women were so intimidated that they blame any headache on solar flares."
If you are confident in your meteorological dependence on any meteorological factor, although you do not have chronic diseases, then on the days when this factor changes, try to avoid physical and mental overload, do not abuse fatty and sweet foods, exclude any types of alcohol. If you're very nervous, take a sedative such as valerian or peony tincture.
If you suffer from any chronic ailment and become meteosensitive, then always carry with you the medications that you use when your illness worsens. For example, if you suffer from hypertension, when the weather conditions change, you should definitely start the day with measuring blood pressure. With a slight increase, immediately take the medicine - a drug that lowers blood pressure, which you take daily, it is better to slightly increase the dose of this drug.
A healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition with the obligatory presence of fruits and vegetables, daily walks in the fresh air help people of all ages to cope with dependence on the vagaries of nature.
Material prepared by Nadezhda Frolova
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