***The Weather and Your Health

written by Mark Sneller, PhD

Our reaction to our outdoor and indoor environments can be related to the weather of the day. For thousands of years, people have understood that sunlight, cloudiness, stormy conditions, and when they could measure it, falling barometric pressure can affect their health and well-being. Let’s take a brief look at how this works.

When the barometric pressure drops, joints and old injuries ache. Knees and lower back areas become stiff and swollen. This is because the fall in the pressure causes an increase in tissue fluid around the injured joints. This causes pressure on nerve endings. A person who has occasional headaches would do well to track the storm systems in their locale. Frequently, a correlation will be made with the weather. This is especially true for women because they are more weather sensitive than men. Interestingly, problems frequently begin one or more days prior to the onset of the storm front.

Lack of sunlight affects the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that influences our moods, sleep patterns, sexual drive, and attitudes. That’s why conservative living may lessen physical and mental affects of the weather.

Breezy conditions frequently precede storm fronts, whether the the sun is shining or not. Hot or cold winds are believed by many to produce an excess of positive ions, which are attributed to serotonin production. Whatever the cause, unproven as yet, hot and cold winds are the worst and are known to lead to excitability in children in classrooms, and drivers behind the wheel.

Indirectly, breezy conditions can lead to spikes in airborne mold, pollen, and dust. In addition, a sharp cold front will push aero-allergens in front of it to lead to another spike in particle counts.

There are a myriad of ways that weather can affect our sensitivity to our environment, many of which we cannot control.

You may respond to Dr. Sneller below or email him at msneller@boomer-living.com