A person senses and passes everything through himself: solar activity and the magnetic storms caused by it, high or low humidity and air temperature, the intensity of sunlight.
In medicine, the influence of natural phenomena and factors on the human body has been studied and used for four thousand years. The Indians believed that the plants obtain their medicinal properties from the sun, rain and thunderstorms. In Tibet, diseases were believed to be associated with meteorological phenomena. Hippocrates described in his writings observations of sick people at different times of the year. It turned out that the climate can change the course of the disease for the better or worse, and a healthy person feels the change of seasons as changes in his own physical and mental state.
In the modern world, all this knowledge belongs to balneology - the science of the mechanisms and ways of therapeutic effects of natural factors on the human body.
Effects of weather on human health
class = "h-0">Someone lives their whole life and - happy - does not understand why they talk about atmospheric pressure and humidity in the weather reports. There would be enough information about temperature and precipitation. Other people, on the other hand, have a kind of personal weather station in their bodies: their bones ache to rain, their head hurts when atmospheric pressure changes, and the like.
So how the weather affects health, a person from childhood adapts to the climate and weather conditions of the place where he lives. Highlanders breathe fine thin air and are accustomed to reduced pressure. And a person from the plain, once in the mountains, will at first suffer from altitude sickness.
Healthy people only feel the rapid and violent change in the weather. The sick and the weak react to almost any change.
Magnetic storms are a reflection of the activity of our Sun. Patients with cardiovascular diseases are the most affected by magnetic storms. In second place are weary people who have not rested for a long time. The defenses of their body are weakening, they are tormented by a bad, "sour" mood. It is interesting that magnetic storms also affect healthy people, but in a completely different way. A healthy body activates the immune system, maintains or increases efficiency. The person feels that his mood and well-being is improving. Long geomagnetic calm can depress the psyche and cause depression in people.
Increased atmospheric pressure causes blood pressure and skin resistance to electricity to decrease, and the number of leukocytes decreases. A low level causes problems with breathing, heart and blood vessels, weakness. Lack of sunlight often leads to apathy and depression. This is one of the reasons for the so-called autumn and winter depressions in urban residents.
Impact of climate on human health
class = "h-1">A stable combination of certain weather conditions can be both favorable and unfavorable for humans. In some diseases, just a change in climate can, if not cure, then significantly facilitate and prolong the patient's life. And in a different climate, many healthy people will not stand it - they will get sick. Such are, for example, the subarctic and arctic climate. Not everyone can adapt to low temperatures, and especially to a lack of sunlight.
So how moderate climate affects health insignificantly, it requires less adaptive abilities and is most favorable for humans. Changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure in winter and summer are small.
The dry and hot desert climate is an ordeal. With sweat, a person is able to lose up to 10 liters of fluid per day. Significant temperature changes are possible at night and during the day. Many people lose their appetite in such conditions. Therefore, by the way, the cuisine of hot countries is often so spicy and spicy.
A humid and hot climate with low atmospheric pressure is difficult for a person, it is especially dangerous for people with an unhealthy cardiovascular system and lungs.
In the mountains, at an altitude of 500-800 meters above sea level, one of the best conditions for improving general health. The hemoglobin in the blood rises, the metabolism is accelerated. This climate is especially favorable for the treatment of chronic diseases of the heart and lungs, as well as disorders of the nervous system.
19. Climate and weather. The influence of climatic conditions on human health. Meteolability
Weather is a set of physical properties of the surface layer of the atmosphere over a relatively short period of time. Allocate the weather of the moment, the weather of the hour, the weather of the day, and so on.
Climate is a long-term, regularly recurring weather regime inherent in a given area. The weather at any given time is characterized by certain combinations of temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed. In some types of climates, the weather changes significantly every day or according to seasons, in others it remains unchanged. Climate descriptions are based on statistical analysis of average and extreme meteorological characteristics. As a factor in the natural environment, climate affects the geographical distribution of vegetation, soil and water resources, and therefore land use and economics. Climate also has an impact on human living conditions and health.
The different effects of climate on human life, well-being, habits and work are well known. Back in 460-377. BC. in "Aphorisms" the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates noted that some human organisms feel better in summer, and some - in winter. And even throughout the year (when the seasons change), the human body can behave differently. Depending on what time of the year the human body is located, the disease will be easier or more severe. A person can be sick with the same disease in different ways at different times of the year, in different countries and living conditions. The climate also affects human health. The harsh and cold climate has an adverse effect on humans. A mild and warm climate (for example, in the mountains or on the seaside) can improve the overall resistance of the body and many of the processes taking place in it. Such a climate can have a very beneficial effect on the body of a person who has undergone serious illnesses and operations, as well as accelerate the restoration of his strength and the return of health. The science that studies the effects of climate on human health is called climatology. The climate can affect a person directly and indirectly. Basically, climatic factors act on the conditions of heat exchange between the human body and the external environment: on the blood supply to the skin, the respiratory, cardiovascular system and the sweating system. Our sensations of warmth and coldness depend on our body temperature. We feel warm when the vessels dilate, a lot of warm blood flows through them and the skin becomes warm. And warm skin, according to the laws of physics, gives off more heat to the environment. With a strong narrowing of the vessels, the amount of blood flowing in them sharply decreases, the skin cools, we feel cold. The loss of body heat is reduced. In cold weather, the release of heat is regulated almost exclusively by the expansion and constriction of the skin vessels. Human skin has a remarkable property: at the same air temperature, its ability to give off heat can change dramatically. Sometimes the skin gives off very little heat. But she is able to give off a lot of heat, even if the air temperature is higher than body temperature. This property of the skin is associated with the work of the sweat glands. In hot weather, when the air temperature rises above body temperature, the skin should not give off heat, but itself warmed up from the excessively warm air. This is where the sweat glands come to the fore. Sweat production increases dramatically. As it evaporates from the surface of the body, sweat cools the skin and removes a lot of heat from it. The human body is usually affected not by one isolated factor, but by a whole set of factors. Moreover, the main effects on the body have sudden, abrupt changes in climatic conditions. The human body can function in different ways depending on the season of the year. This applies to body temperature, metabolic rate, circulatory system, composition of blood cells and tissues. In summer, a person's blood pressure is lower than in winter, due to the redistribution of blood flow to various organs. At higher summer temperatures, the blood flow from the internal organs to the skin changes. For any living organism, certain rhythms of vital activity of various frequencies have been established. In summer, weather-related illnesses such as overheating and heatstroke can predominate. They are especially often observed in areas characterized by hot and calm weather. In winter and autumn, with cold, damp and windy weather, many people get sick with influenza, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, colds. In addition to ambient temperature, wind and air humidity, factors such as atmospheric pressure, oxygen concentration, the degree of disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field, the level of atmospheric pollution, etc., also affect the human condition. Moreover, these factors, together with certain climatic conditions, can not only expose the human body to an increased risk of disease, but also affect the exacerbation of chronic diseases. in addition to diseases typical for different seasons of the year, the human body is exposed to pathogens of infectious diseases, which can begin to develop much faster under certain climatic conditions. In summer, when the ambient temperature rises, intestinal infections develop rapidly. They cause diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery. In winter, in the cold season and especially with a sharp change in the weather, people suffering from cardiovascular diseases suffer. The risk of such diseases as hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction increases. From January to April, pneumonia is a typical illness, especially among children under one year old. About 60 - 65% of chronic patients with cardiovascular diseases feel changes in weather factors. This is especially observed in spring and autumn, with significant fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, air temperature and changes in the Earth's geomagnetic field. Chronic patients suffering from atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels can hardly tolerate the invasion of air fronts, causing a contrasting change in the weather. At such a time, the number of hypertensive crises and exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases increase.
The air near water bodies, especially near bodies of water with flowing water, refreshes and invigorates well. After a thunderstorm, a person also feels clean and invigorating air. This is due to the fact that this air contains a large number of negative ions. If a large number of electromagnetic devices are present in closed rooms, the air will be saturated with positive ions. Such an atmosphere, even for a short amount of time, leads to lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness, and headaches. The same situation is typical for windy weather, for wet and dusty days. As a result, we can conclude that negative ions have a positive effect on human health, and positive ions have a depressing effect. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is characterized by a wavelength of 295-400 nm. This is the shortwave part of the solar spectrum. It has a great effect on the human body. The level of ultraviolet radiation is different in different climatic zones in the territory Russian Federation... To the north of 57.5 North latitude there are zones of deficiency of ultraviolet radiation. And in order to gain at least 45 portions of the sun, the so-called erythemal doses of UVR, you need to spend a lot of time under the sun. This is necessary for the normal functioning of a person. Ultraviolet radiation is capable of destroying microorganisms on the skin, preventing rickets, contributing to the normal metabolism of minerals and increasing the body's resistance to infectious and other diseases of the body. 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 become aggravated, and general physiological activity decreases. A person loses his ability to work. Particular sensitivity to "light hunger" is manifested in children, who have an increased likelihood of vitamin deficiency D. ________________
The effect of weather and climate on the human body can be divided into
2) Indirect.
Direct action - this is the direct effect of temperature and humidity on the body, which can be expressed in heatstroke, hyperthermia, frostbite, etc. A direct effect can be manifested by an exacerbation of chronic diseases, tuberculosis, intestinal infections, etc.
More attention is paid to indirect influence that due to aperiodic changes in weather conditions. These changes come into resonance with normal physiological rhythms inherent in humans. Man has basically adapted to the change of day and night, seasons. As for aperiodic, abrupt changes, they have an adverse effect. This is especially true of meteorological or weather-sensitive people and manifests itself in the so-called meteotropic reactions.
Meteotropic reactions are not a nosological unit with a well-defined symptom complex. Most authors define meteotropic reactions as a maladjustment syndrome, i.e. meteoneurosis of maladjustment origin. In most meteosensitive people, it manifests itself as a deterioration in general well-being, sleep disturbances, anxiety, headaches, decreased performance, rapid fatigue, sudden jumps in blood pressure, sensations of pain in the heart, etc.
Meteotropic reactions usually develop simultaneously with changes in meteorological conditions or slightly ahead of them. As already mentioned, to the greatest extent such reactions are characteristic of meteosensitive people, i.e. people capable of responding with physiological or pathological reactions to the impact of weather and meteorological factors. At the same time, we must not forget that people who do not feel the influence of the weather still manifest reactions to it, although sometimes they are not realized. This is especially important to take into account, for example, for transport drivers, for whom, with sudden changes in the weather, their attention decreases, "reaction time increases, and so on."
Mechanisms meteotropic reactions are very complex and ambiguous.
In the most general form, we can say that with significant fluctuations in meteorological conditions, overvoltage and disruption of adaptation mechanisms (maladjustment syndrome) occur. In this case, the biological rhythms of the body are distorted, become chaotic, pathological
sky changes in the work of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, violations of biochemical processes, etc. This, in turn, leads to disturbances in various systems of the body, primarily in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.
There are 3 degrees of severity of meteotropic reactions:
Light degree - characterized by general complaints - malaise, fatigue, decreased performance, sleep disturbances, etc.
Average degree - hemodynamic changes, the appearance of symptoms characteristic of the underlying chronic disease
Severe degree - severe disorders of cerebral circulation, hypertensive crises, exacerbations of ischemic heart disease, asthmatic attacks, etc.
Manifestations meteotropic reactions are very diverse, but in general they boil down to an exacerbation of chronic diseases already existing in humans. Various types of action of meteotropic reactions can be distinguished. Some authors consider 5 types:
1. Cardiac type- there are pains in the heart, shortness of breath
2. Brain type- headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears
3.. Mixed type - characterized by a combination of cardiac and nervous disorders
4. Astheno-neurotic type - increased excitability, irritability, insomnia, sudden changes in blood pressure ..
5. There are people with the so-called. undefined type reactions - they are dominated by general weakness, pain and aches in the joints, muscles.
It should be noted that this division of meteotropic reactions is very arbitrary and does not fully reflect all their pathological manifestations.
The most common example of a meteotropic reaction in life is a compensatory increase in blood pressure with a decrease in atmospheric pressure, which in people suffering from essential hypertension can lead to a hypertensive crisis.
Prophylaxis meteotropic reactions can be daily, seasonal and urgent.
Daily prevention implies general non-specific activities - hardening, physical education, being in the fresh air, etc.
Seasonal prevention held in spring and autumn, when the so-called seasonal disturbances of biological rhythms are observed and involves the use of medicines and vitamins.
Urgent prevention is carried out immediately before a change in the weather (based on data from a specialized medical weather forecast) and consists in the use of drugs to prevent an exacerbation of chronic diseases in a given patient.
The influence of climate on the human body consists of various influences of environmental factors that make up a very complex climatic complex.
Climatic factors, unlike many other influences, are natural irritants for the human body. In the process of evolution, a person has adapted to the influences of the external environment, while the body developed various regulatory mechanisms associated with these influences. Only through interaction with the external environment, constantly consuming oxygen in the air, being exposed to solar radiation, which affects various biochemical processes of the body, absorbing the necessary substances from the environment, adapting to changing climatic conditions, a person can normally exist and develop.
Climatic factors have a complex physical and chemical effect on the human body. They include temperature, pressure, humidity, air movement, electric and magnetic fields, radiant energy, chemicals released into the air by plants, etc. Such a complex structure of climatic factors leads to the fact that they affect almost the entire body , for all receptor "devices". This determines the vastness and generalization of their action, when the most different levels of structural and functional organization are involved in the reaction - from molecular and cellular to organ and organismal, from peripheral nerve endings to the psychoemotional sphere.
A wide arsenal of climatic influences leads, on the one hand, to the development of general reactions, and on the other, to the identification of specific shifts, characteristic of individual climatic factors, against their background. These two sides of climatic influences (non-specific and specific) are in unity and cause a variety of responses of the organism. An analysis of the various shifts that occur during climatotherapy showed the following. First, there is the same direction of shifts under the influence of the same method of climatotherapy for various diseases. Secondly, an identical direction of physiological changes was noted with different methods of climatic treatment of the same disease. Thirdly, the same climatic method has a preventive effect for different diseases. These data formed the basis for the concept of the nonspecific action of climatic factors. The resulting physiological changes contribute to an increase in the nonspecific resistance of the organism, that is, its resistance to the adverse effects of the external environment. This effect is based on a variety of reactions that develop at different levels.
It is necessary to do everything that is possible to adapt the conditions of life on Earth for normal habitation. At the same time, however, one cannot ignore the geographical conditions, which cannot be radically changed.
There are many factors such as radiation, magnetic fields, cosmic radiation and static electricity; the significance of their influence on human health cannot be ignored.
In addition to the direct impact of weather factors, there is an indirect effect of climate, since climatic conditions determine to some extent the nature of food consumed, sanitary methods, the design of residential buildings, institutions and industrial enterprises, affect the social and family structure, as well as the viability of not only insects, animals but also a person.
It should be noted that this influence takes place not only in relation to the formation, but also the characteristics of the course of the disease.
The concept of "climate" includes a number of components, in the aggregate, acting on human health in some cases positively, and in some cases there may be negative influences. Many examples can be cited when it was the combination of individual elements of the climate that had an effect on human health. 
Photo: Idaho National Laboratory
The complex of climatic characteristics - air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind regime, atmospheric precipitation, frequency of weather classes - all this together affects human health. But the main thing is the degree of adaptation.
When studying the geography of health, one should take into account the vagaries of the climate. There are many examples of meteorological records that could directly or indirectly affect the health of the population living in these territories, and, as a rule, this did not affect immediately, but after certain periods. Here are some examples.
It is clear to everyone what prolonged periods of drought can lead to, especially in cases where the population is not provided with appropriate assistance.
High humidity has a certain effect on the state of the cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Large average annual rainfall in Colombia (South America) - 8922 mm. It rained for 24 hours. During this time, 990 mm of precipitation fell. However, the world record for the average annual rainfall - 11684 mm - is held by Hawaii.
When assessing the frequency of chronic lung diseases, one should take into account areas with varying degrees of humidity, and we are talking not only about one-time observation, for example, in the USA, in the state of Montana on July 4, 1956, the heaviest rain fell in the world, when 31.2 mm of precipitation, and on July 22, 1947, 304.8 mm of precipitation fell in Montana in 47 minutes. But Chile is considered the rainiest in the world, it rains there 325 days a year.
Fog, as you know, can simulate suspended particles emitted from the pipes of enterprises, and also itself can affect the state of the respiratory system. Most foggy days per year - 120 on average - are observed on the island of Newfoundland. The effects of fog and smog on public health are known.
A cubic centimeter of air typically contains 200 to 10,000 positive and negative ions. Depending on temperature, humidity, dustiness of the air, the concentration of ions can reach 5000 per 1 cm 3. In such quantities, they affect the intensity of the heart, respiration, blood pressure and even metabolism.
It has been established that a high concentration of positive ions causes suffocation, dizziness, a decrease in general tone, fatigue and fainting in people; an increased concentration of negative ions has a positive effect on the body.
The body tolerates low and high temperatures in different ways, depending on the saturation of the air with moisture. So, at a temperature of 20 ° C, air saturated with moisture, moving at a speed of 3 m / s, seems as cool as still air at a temperature of 14 ° C. A sharp increase in humidity causes shortness of breath in sick people, increased heart rate, fatigue, apathy. In a normally ventilated room, a person feels good with the following ratios between temperature and humidity: 20 and 80%; 28 and 60%; 30 and 44% 35 and 33%. It was noted that a decrease in atmospheric pressure by 10 - 12 mm Hg. Art. can lead to vascular accidents.
We compared, for each season separately, days with geomagnetic disturbances and without them with deaths from cerebral strokes. The calculation was made for one geomagnetically disturbed and one geomagnetically calm day. The largest number of deaths from cerebral stroke occurs in the winter and autumn seasons. In summer, the biotropic effect of geomagnetic disturbance is less pronounced.
Vascular diseases of the brain are the third leading cause of death after myocardial ischemia and cancer. These diseases are common in all countries of the world, the number of patients grows as the life expectancy of people increases.
Apoplexy affects women almost as often as men. Morbidity and mortality from apoplexy depend on the physical and cultural factors of the environment. Among the population aged 58 to 64, apoplexy is most often recorded in Japan, on the islands of Taiwan, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, in Portugal, Bulgaria, on about. Malta, Scotland and Chile. Less commonly, apoplexy occurs in Central America, the Philippines and Thailand.
There is regional differentiation within the same country. In Japan, for example, the maximum incidence is observed in the northern part of the island. Honshu, in the USA, in the southeastern states, and more often among blacks. The disease affects Japanese people living in Japan more often than their fellow countrymen who have moved to Hawaii or the United States. The opposite picture is observed with myocardial ischemia.
Medical geography makes it possible to gain a deeper understanding of the patterns of the spread of vascular diseases of the brain.
Temperature difference is another powerful factor. The lowest temperature on Earth (excluding Antarctic stations) was recorded in Greenland - 66.1 ° C; the highest temperature in Europe (+ 50 ° С) was in Spain, in Seville; the highest temperature in South America (+ 48.9 ° С) was in Argentina, in the Rivadavia region. At the same time, the highest temperature for Antarctica at the Esperanza polar station is + 14 ° С. It should be noted that most of the sunny days are in the Sahara, the sun shines there 4300 hours a year, that is, almost 12 hours daily. And it is no coincidence that the smallest amount of precipitation in a year is in Africa, in Sudan.
A person is especially affected by a change in temperature. This is not about changing temperatures during the seasons, as, for example: the biggest difference between the highest and lowest temperatures - 101.7 ° С - is in Russia, in Verkhoyansk. But sometimes temperature drops and pressure drops occur in a short period. This is often associated with thunderstorms. Many natural phenomena are dangerous to human life; storms in the oceans and seas claim a lot of human lives: the highest sea wave - 34 m - was recorded in the Pacific Ocean. If such a wave hits the coast in circles, then it causes enormous damage to the economies of coastal countries and is dangerous to human life.
Sudden large hail not only destroys crops but is also life threatening. It is believed that the largest hail that fell on Earth (one hailstone weighed 1.9 kg) was in Kazakhstan.
As you know, thunderstorms also often find victims. Considering that most of the thunderstorm days in the world (on average 242 days a year) are in Uganda, in Kampala, then the degree of risk of becoming a victim of lightning is the highest there.
The weather information that is currently being published still does not meet the medical needs, since it lacks many parameters and characteristics that are important to humans.
The importance of assessing the climatic and geographical conditions of a person's living lies in the fact that one should take into account not only the effect on his organs, but also on the body of pathogens. And under certain conditions, these influences can increase, stimulating the activity of microorganisms.
When assessing the influence of meteorological conditions, one or two components are usually taken into account, forgetting that the action of wind, atmospheric pressure, temperature often creates such a combination of conditions that can be dangerous to human health.
It is believed that weather and climatic conditions affect humans both directly and indirectly. And at the same time, conditioned reflex influences should be taken into account. Where is the border of adaptive capacity to temperature changes? Why not only sick, but also healthy people often react to weather changes, not always extreme, but in some cases even comfortable?
Often, the reaction occurs not only on the day the weather changes, but also several days before or after it. The so-called signaling effects are manifested. The reasons for these phenomena have not yet been fully elucidated. However, when assessing the characteristics of the weather, only its negative period is taken as a basis.
The problem arises of determining the medico-climatic characteristics of the territories in which a person lives. For this, it is necessary to establish links between meteorological indicators and physiological and pathological reactions occurring in the human body under the influence of weather.
Meteorological indicators should reflect the effect of weather on a person. Based on the established relationships, meteorological indicators are selected that best reflect the impact of weather on a person and allow a comparative assessment of the impact of climate.
Calculation of mean square deviations and other statistical parameters based on data from meteorological stations, as well as the frequency of occurrence of a number of indicators, followed by their mapping in the study area, opens up an opportunity for medico-climatic and climatological forecasts and the construction of models of the possible influence of climate on the health of the population, taking into account the degree of population acclimatization and socio-economic conditions.
At the same time, the cartographic method remains very effective. At the same time, a number of maps are drawn up: maps of the climate structure in the weather of the moment for the year; structures of weather classes of the moment for the year; structure of weather classes of the moment for each month; distribution of monthly mean values of the conditional air temperature and the intensity of excess heat in the human body and their standard deviations. Along with this, maps of the average monthly indices of weather variability and their mean square deviations; the frequency of occurrence of periods of various durations with clear and rainy weather, as well as maps of meteorological conditions of climatotherapy and work regimes.
Weather variability maps are very important for organizing preventive measures. It is known that pathological reactions of the body occur mainly 1 - 2 days before the coming change of weather. The appearance of meteotropic reactions can be foreseen and a medical forecast made up 1-3 days before the weather changes. A study was carried out in the Urals, which showed that with ischemic heart disease and hypertension, it is possible to reduce the number of adverse outcomes with timely information about the prognosis.
Modern man cannot avoid the influence of the environment, even if transformed by his activity. Weather or climate, landscape or season, rural lifestyle, growing urbanization, etc. are not indifferent factors for humans. Many tasks of modern bioclimatology and geography, nutrition and growth, genetics of health and pathology are associated with weather, water and soil quality and are the subject of medico-geographical ecological research.
How does adaptation to low temperatures take place?
Low temperature adaptation. The conditions under which the human body adapts to the cold can be different (for example, work in unheated rooms, refrigeration units, outdoors in winter). In this case, the effect of cold is not constant, but alternating with the temperature regime normal for the human body. Adaptation in such conditions is not clearly expressed. In the early days, reacting to low temperatures, heat generation increases uneconomically, heat transfer is still not sufficiently limited. After adaptation, the processes of heat generation become more intense, and heat transfer decreases.
Otherwise, there is an adaptation to living conditions in northern latitudes, where a person is affected not only by low temperatures, but also by the lighting regime and the level of solar radiation inherent in these latitudes.
What happens in the human body during cooling?
As a result of irritation of cold receptors, reflex reactions that regulate the preservation of heat change: the blood vessels of the skin are narrowed, which reduces the heat transfer of the body by a third. It is important that the processes of heat generation and heat transfer are balanced. The predominance of heat transfer over heat generation leads to a decrease in body temperature and dysfunctions of the body. At a body temperature of 35 ° C, a mental disorder is observed. A further decrease in temperature slows down blood circulation, metabolism, and at temperatures below 25 ° C, breathing stops. Lipid metabolism is one of the factors in the intensification of energy processes. For example, polar researchers, whose metabolism slows down in conditions of low air temperature, take into account the need to compensate for energy costs. Their diets are characterized by high energy value (calorie content).
The inhabitants of the northern regions have a more intensive metabolism. The bulk of their diet consists of proteins and fats. Therefore, in their blood, the content of fatty acids is increased, and the sugar level is somewhat lowered.
People adapting to the humid, cold climate and oxygen deficiency of the North also have increased gas exchange, high serum cholesterol and bone mineralization of the skeleton, and a thicker layer of subcutaneous fat (which acts as a heat insulator). However, not all people are equally adaptable. In particular, in some people in the North, defense mechanisms and adaptive restructuring of the body can cause maladjustment - a number of pathological changes called “polar disease”. One of the most important factors ensuring human adaptation to the conditions of the Far North is the body's need for ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which increases the body's resistance to various kinds of infections. High temperature adaptation. High temperatures can affect the human body under artificial and natural conditions. In the first case, we mean working in rooms with a high temperature, alternating with staying at a comfortable temperature.
The high temperature of the environment excites heat receptors, the impulses of which include reflex reactions aimed at increasing heat transfer. At the same time, the vessels of the skin expand, the movement of blood through the vessels is accelerated, the thermal conductivity of peripheral tissues increases by 5-6 times. If this is not enough to maintain thermal equilibrium, the temperature of the skin rises and reflex sweating begins - the most effective way of transferring heat (the largest number of sweat glands are on the skin of the hands, face, armpits). The indigenous inhabitants of the South have an average body weight less than that of the inhabitants of the North, subcutaneous fat is not very developed. The morphological and physiological characteristics of populations living in conditions of high temperature and lack of moisture (in deserts and semi-deserts, areas adjacent to them) are especially pronounced. For example, the aborigines of Central Africa, South India and other regions with a hot, dry climate have long, thin limbs and low body weight.
People are constantly under the influence of the climate of the area where they live. One and the same weather regime has a certain effect on the performance and well-being of a person. Even if the latter is accustomed to one thing, the seasonal change in the weather still affects him to some extent.
Moreover, some individuals, who are scientifically called meteopaths, are very sensitive to the metamorphoses that occur with the weather.
The very concept of "climate" includes several phenomena: a change in meteorological indicators, atmospheric electricity, solar radiation, landscape, etc. That is, this whole complex of factors has a certain effect on the body.
Impact of climate on human health
Individual elements affect a person in different ways. For example, a high ambient temperature provokes the expansion of peripheral vessels, a decrease in blood pressure and the rate of metabolic processes, and a redistribution of blood in the body occurs.
But when the thermometer reads low, there is a contraction of peripheral vessels, an increase in pressure, an increase in pulse rate, an increase in blood flow and an increase in the rate of metabolic processes.
What is the effect of environmental factors:
- The nervous system at high temperatures lowers its activity, and at low temperatures, on the contrary, increases excitability. Other systems in the body work in a similar way. They mainly depend on the reaction of metabolism, circulatory and nervous systems. However, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the organism, as well as the degree, duration and speed of the temperature drop. A person's ability to acclimatize also plays a role: in some it is better, in others it is almost absent. In the process of life, people develop conditioned reflexes of thermoregulation, which in the future are responsible for the body's resistance to air temperature;
- Air humidity is also important. This factor affects heat transfer, which, accordingly, affects the thermoregulation of the body. The movement of cold air cools the body, hot air heats up;
- The wind irritates the thermoreceptors on the skin. Depending on the strength of this phenomenon, it can cause negative or positive emotions;
- If the altitude of the area above sea level is 200 m and higher, then the barometric pressure indicators change, to which the body reacts by changing blood circulation and hyperventilation of the lungs. The higher the terrain, the stronger the reaction of the organism. This increases the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the blood. Stay in an area with a pressure of 500-600 mm Hg. Art., low temperature, ultraviolet radiation provokes an acceleration of the metabolic process, which is sometimes quite effective in the presence of pathological processes. Usually healthy people do not respond to minor fluctuations in barometric pressure, but patients feel it the best way possible.
Seasonal fluctuations in the weather regime provoke changes in physiological functions. The nervous system, metabolic processes, heat exchange, and endocrine glands react in a completely different way. A healthy person, thanks to adaptive physiological mechanisms, does not respond to those, while the patient is very sensitive to changes.
In the field of medicine, there are several types of climates that are capable of exerting a certain physiological effect on the body, using all of their components.
Changing Climate to Marine: Health Benefits
These conditions require moist, fresh air saturated with sea salt. The sea, its blue distance and slowly traveling waves always have a beneficial effect on the human nervous system.
The picturesque coast of the sea, especially the southern one, the reflected solar radiation, the absence of sudden changes in temperature - these factors normalize all body functions in the pathological process. A striking example is the climate of the Crimea. In addition, the processes of inhibition and excitability in the central nervous system are balanced.
Against the background of such conditions, various types of therapy have a deeper effect on the course of metabolic and trophic processes. As a result, the pathological condition is eliminated. For example, the climate of Crimea is ideal for health. At the same time, the trip will benefit not only the sick, but also perfectly healthy people - their adaptive functions will be strengthened.
Climate change to mountain: impact on health
The stimulating effect occurs when staying in a high mountainous area. This is facilitated by low barometric pressure at high altitudes, sudden changes in day and night temperatures, fresh air and landscape. The increased excitability of the nervous system stimulates metabolic processes.
Low blood pressure enhances the hematopoietic functions of the bone marrow. These phenomena can be attributed to favorable stimuli. Going to the mountains is recommended for those who need to stimulate sluggish pathological processes.
At the same time, an increase in the metabolic rate balances the nervous processes, which stimulates the immune system. As a result, the body strengthens the fight against existing diseases.
The impact of the temperate zone climate on human health
The conditions of the steppes and forests are characterized by insignificant temperature fluctuations, moderate and stable humidity. These factors are good training for the body of healthy people. Patients are also advised to visit such an area, since the local regime will not harm.
The middle lane is characterized by a clear change of seasons - winter, spring, summer and autumn. A change in weather conditions is necessarily accompanied by a change in physiological reactions. Ultraviolet radiation is sufficient here, weather conditions are stable.
This makes it possible to use the climate for people with quite different pathologies. It will be especially good for those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
Desert climate and health
Hot air, plains covered with sparse vegetation, hot dusty soil - these factors inherent in a desert climate provoke an overstrain of adaptation reactions. For the patient, this situation is not always favorable.
For example, persistent dry and hot weather leads to the problem of profuse sweating and a person can lose up to 10 liters of fluid per day. However, this method of dehydration, which occurs through the skin, is used to treat people with kidney disease.
Climate and human health in northern latitudes
Monotonous plains, sometimes covered with forests, lakes, winter cold, short, warm, humid summers - these factors are inherent in northern areas. Staying here will be an excellent workout for the body, as it has a hardening effect.
With an increase in heat generation, the rate of metabolic processes increases, the regulatory nervous mechanisms of the respiratory and vascular systems are activated, and this, in turn, has a beneficial effect on physiological functions. It is recommended to be treated in these latitudes for many patients, especially the elderly.
Which climate is best for health
Moving from one zone to another activates the human body, evokes favorable emotions, but only on condition that he is healthy. Rest from work, everyday life, changing the air, changing other environmental factors - all this has a good effect on the physical and emotional state.
Renders great impact on human life and well-being, the organization of his economic activities and recreation. Assessments of climatic conditions for life and health of the population are widely spread both in already inhabited territories and in remote areas of new development. The focus of such assessments is on human health, which is influenced by temperature, wind strength, and humidity. The state of our body largely depends on the feeling of heat.
Comfortable the state is the most pleasant thermal sensation, when a person does not feel either heat or cold. It can be folded in the temperature range from +17 ° C to +23 ° C. At the same time, air humidity is of great importance. It was found that good health occurs with the following combinations of temperature and humidity (table).
Indeed, high temperatures are easier to tolerate in drier air.
With strong winds, the cold weather, as observed in the northern regions, seems even colder. The cool breeze in the summer heat softens the heat.
The variety of climates creates favorable conditions for life of various degrees (Fig. 121).
The cold climate over a large area of the planet creates extreme(extremely unfavorable) conditions for life and work of people. "Winter factors" significantly affect the economy, since a long frosty period means huge additional costs for the construction of sufficiently warm buildings and their heating. Energy consumption is growing in industry, transport, and agriculture. The creation of special equipment in the northern version is required. In winter, there is a rise, which means losses, river and partly sea transport. Do you know that in other countries they do not even know what the opening of navigation is?
In winter, a person needs warm clothing and a heated home. At the same time, the stay in the fresh air should be reduced as much as possible. The mode of work involves the reduction or complete cessation of work outside the premises. Climatic conditions are one of the reasons for the uneven distribution of the population across the country (Fig. 123). Material from the site
In addition, the climate plays a colossal role in agriculture. Also, climatic conditions are taken into account in the construction of roads, the operation of air, sea, road transport, in industry.
On a large territory of the planet, climatic conditions are not favorable and require additional costs for human life support.
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