50 percent of the German population say they are sensitive to the weather. As soon as the weather changes, your back or head hurts. But you don’t have to wait for the weather to calm down and the symptoms go away on their own. A little exercise and the right clothing can help relieve symptoms.
Hippocrates, who is considered the founder of scientific medicine, in ancient times suspected that changes in the weather affect our health. In fact, our blood pressure drops and the production of sweat increases as the temperature rises. In this way, a constant body temperature can be maintained. If the temperature fluctuates, the mood can suffer, but the body can also suffer: intense heat and thunderstorms are not in vain called the weather a headache.
However, many people experience more severe complaints when the weather suddenly changes. People who are especially susceptible to such fluctuations suffer from the so-called sensitivity to weather – a phenomenon that is scientifically inexplicable. With a change in the weather, they increasingly feel the diseases they have.
What is Weather Sensitivity?
Weather sensitivity describes an as yet unexplained health phenomenon that occurs when the weather fluctuates. As soon as the temperature drops sharply or the air humidity rises – the so-called low pressure zone – many complain of complaints affecting the nervous system, muscles and joints:
- Poor sleep, fatigue, irritable mood
- Headache, migraine, poor concentration, dizziness
- Complaints about muscles, joints
- High blood pressure
People with rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, or asthma should feel more symptoms when the weather changes.
Good to know: Bio-weather uses conventional weather forecasts to provide possible forecasts of weather-related complaints and their intensity.
What are the causes of weather sensitivity?
Weather sensitivity is a medical mystery – it’s not entirely clear if it exists or how it might arise. In addition to previous ailments such as rheumatism and a temperature drop of ten degrees Celsius, excessive stress also contributes to increased sensitivity to weather conditions. Because we humans cannot quickly adapt to weather changes: the so-called baroreceptors, our body’s own pressure sensors, get confused and send the wrong information to the brain, which can cause symptoms.
Weather sensitivity can also occur more frequently if the weather fluctuates more dramatically. For example, German doctors note that residents of Bavaria are more likely to complain about complaints about weather changes than residents of northern Germany. This may be due to Bavarian weather – proximity to the Alps sometimes causes sudden changes, such as between sunlight and thunderstorms.
Is there a feeling of the weather?
A study in the British Medical Journal compared the diagnostic reports of patients with rheumatism and severe joint problems with weather data at different times. Result: Researchers were unable to find any correlation between the onset of symptoms and changes in the weather. George’s Institute for Global Health reached a similar conclusion in a study: the weather is good, there is no effect on the back or joint complaints.
According to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, weather can worsen chronic joint problems such as rheumatism. However, the data is insufficient for an accurate background. It is believed that people with rheumatism are particularly sensitive to the weather, because when the temperature changes, the tissue puts more pressure on already painful joints. Basically, many researchers now believe that, despite the obscure results of the study, there is a link between the weather and shared complaints.
Did you know? With Cloudy with Pain Probability app, you can indicate if there are any health complaints depending on the weather. Analysis of the data showed that most of the users suffered from complaints when it was very humid. During the warmer months, starting in July, only a few symptoms were reported.
Tips for weather sensitivity
No one can explain exactly why so many people react so strongly to changing weather. However, there are several ways to reduce discomfort.
How can I relieve the symptoms of weather sensitivity?
If spring is beckoning outside, it also leads to beer in the park and a cigarette on the balcony – but that should be better for spring complaints if you don’t drink alcohol and nicotine. It can also help reduce daily stress like yoga or relaxation exercises, headaches, fatigue, and many other health problems that may be associated with the weather. Learn several relaxation techniques. Plus, a rosemary or lavender bath can relax your nervous system.
Even if at first glance it seems obvious: dress warmly enough to withstand the weather! Especially in spring and autumn, it can be very cold in the mornings – if you are on the road in a light jacket, the cold will quickly hit your joints. However, it is worth getting used to the weather, especially in spring, and spending a lot of time in nature. For example, walk for at least 30 minutes every day. Hiking and swimming are also good for getting active again and getting the body out of winter.
Or is it the rhythm of sleep? Weather sensitivity often becomes a problem in the spring – at a time when our internal clocks also need to adjust to longer days. It is possible that some of them also have sleep problems that lead to fatigue, headaches, and the like.
