| Research is showing that rapid weather changes | | | | gradual detachment from nature and our modern |
| can influence our wellbeing. | | | | lifestyle, with air-conditioners, humidifiers and |
| Since ancient times, people have associated | | | | heaters has made us more sensitive to |
| certain weather with increases in pain, with | | | | environmental influences. Our senses are no longer |
| headache or migraine or with simply feeling unwell. | | | | trained to cope with the "shocks" of rapidly |
| "Every disease has its own nature, and arises | | | | changing weather. |
| from external causes," wrote Hippocrates more | | | | As long as a person is fit and healthy, the shock |
| than 2000 years ago. Has modern science | | | | may remain unnoticed, or pass as a minor |
| discarded this wisdom? Not quite. | | | | nuisance. On the other hand, when the body is |
| When a heatwave kills hundreds of elderly citizens | | | | weakened by illness or old age, the senses may |
| or when the skin cancer rate increases | | | | go overboard in their responses to outside |
| dramatically, the link between weather and health | | | | interference. |
| becomes alarmingly clear. | | | | European scientists have compiled a list of the |
| Disorders resulting from heat and cold extremes | | | | symptoms of those who are "weather sensitive." |
| and the sun's ultraviolet radiation are the obvious | | | | These include:o Increased irritability and |
| effects. Not so obvious are the influences on our | | | | aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, listlessness, |
| mood, behavior and well-being. | | | | fatigue, lack of concentrationo Sleep disorderso |
| Instinctively we know that weather influences are | | | | Headache and migraineo Heart and circulation |
| more than a feeling, because we talk about it | | | | irregularitieso Nauseao Dizzinesso Scar pain or |
| more often than we probably realize: "The heat is | | | | "phantom pain"o Rheumatic pain. |
| killing me. I can't stand the cold. This wind is driving | | | | The symptoms vary from person to person and |
| me crazy." | | | | their intensity increases with age, lower fitness |
| In 1999, the Weather Channel surveyed its | | | | and a body weakened by illness. Of course, they |
| viewers and found that 70 percent of Americans | | | | can also mask or be the result of an underlying |
| believed the weather influenced their wellbeing. | | | | disorder that has nothing to do with weather, so |
| With so many people complaining about the | | | | see your doctor before settling for blaming them |
| weather, science had to either support or | | | | on the changing weather. |
| disprove the claims of the "hypochondriacs." | | | | What can we do about weather sensitivity? The |
| Researchers soon realized that medicine alone | | | | best advice is to harden our senses by exposing |
| could not explain all ill effects. They created a new | | | | them to the elements. Spend more time |
| science: biometeorology, which is a combination of | | | | outdoors, in all kinds of weather. |
| many science disciplines, chiefly meteorology, | | | | Avoid overheated and stuffy rooms and help |
| medicine and biology. | | | | your body with a balanced and healthy diet and |
| So, why do we respond to the weather? Our | | | | regular sleep. |