10 Symptoms the Weather Is Responsible for. And It’s Not Just the Pain in Your Joints!

People suffering from allergies or those susceptible to air pressure changes know it all so well how weather can affect our well-being. In fact, there are far more aspects than these two that are caused by atmospheric changes outside the window.

Temperature changes affect our blood vessels decreasing the flow of blood. As a result, a smaller amount of blood reaches the brain. Consequently, the most important organ of our body gets less oxygen, giving us a headache or causing migraine.

Any changes in the air can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract. Hot and humid air is heavier and it makes breathing far harder. On the other hand, dry and cold air makes the respiratory tract go dry which is not good, either. As if that was not enough, wet weather stimulates the growth of molds. And the wind spreads all kinds of pollen…

Why do we feel pain in our joints whenever the atmospheric pressure drops? It’s because the liquids inside the joints thicken at lower temperatures which makes the bones become stiffer. Cold weather also tightens muscles and sinews as more blood is directed to the central organs to keep them warm. So the people who say they sense a storm coming could be right then…

Whenever you feel some pain or other unpleasant sensation in your limbs, just move them. The sooner you will warm them up, the faster the pain will be gone.

When in the winter your muscles seem weaker, your blood pressure goes up, you feel more anxious and stressed and you are more sensitive to pain, that could mean you need more vitamin D. This vitamin is synthesized with sufficient sun exposure.

Naturally you also need to enrich your diet with products containing the vitamin, for example the yolk of eggs or such fatty fish as eels or herrings.

On scorching and humid days your body might find it difficult to keep cool. More blood is sent towards the skin where, thanks to the sweating process, it gets colder. But with high air humidity the sweat won’t evaporate and instead it will accumulate in the limbs making them swell.

You can cool your hands with a fan or, of course, using air conditioning. The swelling will disappear after a few days when the body gets used to high temperatures.

Extreme weather conditions can wear off your heart. Low temperatures make it work much harder to keep the body warm. This, however, results in shrinking of blood vessels supplying the heart with oxygen.

This disproportion between oxygen supply and demand might even result in a heart attack or stroke.

On the other hand, on hot days the heart works full steam to cool the body down, especially when we work hard.

This is why you have to restrain from intensive physical effort on hot summer days.

Weather is connected with seasonal allergies causing lachrymation on windy days or blocked nose when it rains. Specific kinds of weather stimulate particular natural processes, for example release of tree pollen, that you can be allergic to. Our immune system treats mold and pollen as threat and activates its defense mechanisms, including sneezing and runny nose. In fact, they do not pose any danger but our body insists on driving us mad doing what it deems necessary anyway.

Unfortunately, all you can do once it happens is to stay indoors as much as you can.

In psychiatry there is a phenomenon of the so-called seasonal affective disorder. Its symptoms are low energy consumption (we don’t feel like doing anything), permanent fatigue and indifference. It is directly caused by vitamin D deficiency. Once it happens, our brain produces less serotonin which translates into the bad mood.

What could be done then? Eat more foods containing vitamin D!

When it gets colder outside, the air becomes less humid and our skin feels it. It gets drier, cracked and itchy. Sometimes it can cause a variety of skin inflammations. Strong winds can weaken the protective lipid barrier causing bleedings.

What can you do to prevent it? Use moisturizing crams. Don’t forget to wear gloves!

In the winter your hair and nails face the same problem as your skin. The blood vessels get thinner so the supply of nutrients is much more reduced. Of course it affects your hair and nails, making them more fragile and more susceptible to injuries.

In the winter showers longer than 10 minutes are not the best option. Also, use less shampoo but far more conditioners. Think about getting some dedicated nail care products.

The winter is coming so stay warm! And take good care of your bodies!