I want to talk about the weather, and not to make small talk. I want to talk about how the weather affects our bodies and our lives. Our instinctual ancestral memories remind us of the power of nature. We watch major hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, blizzards and tornadoes change entire countries. These massive cataclysmic weather events are awesome indeed, but the weather actually affects your biology 24/7, as it constantly applies stressors or supports every breath you take. In fact, you could say your body is its own perfect weathervane -- your mood, headaches, and heart health are much more subject to changes in the weather than you might think. Just like a house built to withstand the elements, you must take care of yourself or the weather will expose you.
I teamed up with Al Roker for my show on Friday to talk about the fascinating and important intersection of physiology and meteorology. Your body is mostly fluid and gas pockets, along with some hard bones to keep you standing up. All of these elements that make you "you" are interdependent with nature's elements. You probably remember your grandmother saying her knee was acting up, so it must be going to rain or perhaps you've gone out one cold morning and felt an intense sinus headache. These were responses to changing pressure systems that ebb and flow as fronts come and go. Lower pressure, or a "falling barometer" as Al would say, is going to cause some sinus pain in those who are inflamed, infected or live with chronic sinus pain.
Pressure affects joint pain in a fascinating way. Did you know that at all times every square centimeter of the human body has about 14.6 pounds of pressure on it? This constant pushing keeps us together. It increases when you go underwater, and lightens a bit when you ascend in airplanes. But this pressure is always with us, and the slightest deviation can be felt in the suction cups called our knees, hips and shoulders. If pressure lessens, our joints start slipping and it's time for some ice, an ace bandage or aspirin. You can literally feel a storm brewing.
We heart surgeons have long known that there are many more heart attacks in the winter -- in fact, a whopping 50% more. When you go outside in the freezing cold, your blood gets thicker and your blood pressure rises, which creates the perfect storm for a heart attack. Plunging suddenly into freezing cold water can cause this to happen, but just being outside when it's cold can increase your risk if you are unprotected. Cold air also causes tiny cracks in lining of the bronchial tubing in your lungs which then swell and produce fluid. The expression "come inside and put a coat on before you catch a cold!" was referring to this process -- there weren't more cold viruses out in the snow that your grandmother was referring to, your poor lungs were just having a heck of a time with cold dry air. Flu viruses thrive in cold temperatures also, and we have an entire season named for the flu as a result. Wednesday's show on medical myths highlights several more "cold weather" related fallacies.
Perhaps the most recognizable and far-reaching weather related impact is the receding daylight hours in the winter months. This is a particularly good time to talk about this because the winter solstice, December 21, is the day with the least amount of sunlight each year. I bet most people reading this have at least some reaction to the lesser daylight in winter -- the most common effects can range from simple sleepiness in the afternoon as the sun goes down early to outright depression. It's fascinating why this happens and there are several things you can do about it. A gland in our brain called the pineal gland is our internal sensor of light. Whether our eyes are open or shut, this gland senses sunlight. Once the sunlight is gone for the day, your pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin. This causes you to become sleepy and as you produce more melatonin, you produce less serotonin, which is associated with depression. It can be subtle and manifest as a general crabbiness or gloomy mood, or it can be very severe and require medical intervention. Have a conversation with your doctor about how you are feeling in the winter months, or try to get somewhere sunny for a few days. A high power light maker is another great option -- just make sure you buy the kind that doesn't produce harmful UVB rays. Your overworked pineal gland will thank you.
So colder temperatures, changing barometric pressure and less available sunlight are three things that are starting to affect us as winter roars into full swing. By being aware of these things, you can be more comfortable, safer, and your biological forecast will be better than the meteorological one. But more importantly, stop for a moment and reflect on the unbelievable interdependence we have with everything that is going on around us. While a five-day forecast can tell us what our sinuses, joints, hearts and moods are up against, just as we would take precautions and protect ourselves by packing an umbrella or wearing a warm coat, we can do the same for our bodies. So tune in Friday and watch Al Roker and I show you how to make sure the almanac isn't your personal prophecy.
Follow Mehmet Oz, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/droz.com
there have been several studies done showing an increase in mortality for people moving to florida for retirement, in the first year of the move.
And pressure acts in all directions, not just from the outside in as you seem to think. If that were the case we would be flattened; per square foot the pressure is 14.6 x 144 = 2102 pounds, over a ton.
Ido not think there is much need of scientific analysis though, nice weather makes you feel good and bad weather brings on doom and gloom. Shine on.
For what causes, changes or determines your mood try "MOOD MAPPING" by Dr Liz Miller, ex-neurosurgeon, recently published by Rodale 2009
before Friday !
"- your mood, headaches, and heart health are much more
subject to changes in the weather than you might think"
the reverse of that is also true.
The particles of air are themselves composed of molecular
structures.
In their own way they become pure emotional constructions,
forming patterns that operate through emotional impetus that
is received from and transmitted by individuals who thereby
discharge and yet direct excesses of emotional energy, which
people can no longer hold within their personal domain.
It also represents an example of the manner in which surplus
emotional energy is discharged and reused.
Weather goes in cycles, not because cycles are inherent in
weather patterns, but because emotional cycles are inherent
in individuals.
Because of the fact that bad weather has often saved man from
wars in the very early stages of human development, man
misconstrued this to mean that sacrifice to the elements could
save him from calamities of this kind.
Your feelings are as natural a part of the environment as trees
are. They have a great effect upon the weather. There are even
connections that can be made, for instance, between epilepsy
and earthquakes, where the greater energy and instability come
together, affecting the physical properties of the earth.
Vitamin D. You forgot.
Many years ago I noticed a personal correlation between water intake and headaches. Thereafter, as soon as the onset of a headache was detected, a glass or two of water was ingested. No headaches, unaccompanied by symptoms of some other infirmity, have been endured since.
During that same time, the hurricane and subsequent levee breeches took out big swaths of the city where I used to live, New Orleans. Normally healthy and fit, my hurricane-like illness was never clinically diagnosed. The strange thing about this is that I was up north in Massachusetts when I fell so suddenly and violently ill. Without the TV or radio on and unable to take or make phone calls, I had no idea what had happened in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast until I began to recover a few days later. Hence, it was not psycho-somatic as some friends were accusing, later.
I have always assumed that my rapid onset affliction was a barometric response to that catastrophic event. Thanks to Dr. Oz for supporting my conclusion with this article..
The winter months may affect the human body in a number of ways such as depression, heart attacks and respiratory illness. For asthmatic persons this is a point of concern because inspiration of cold, dry air will aggravate the pulmonary lining and trigger an asthma attack. This is why asthmatics who are exercising outdoors (with "exercise" loosely defined as any outdoor physical activity) should inhale through the nose as this will moisten and warm the air as it travels to the lungs.
-healthy_blogging
Published daily, "Living Fit, Healthy and Happy" is a family-friendly health and wellness resource website with articles on fitness, anti-aging, obesity, diabetes, eating disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory health, mental illness and many other health related issues. There's always something for you at "Living Fit, Healthy and Happy".
http://www.livingfithealthyandhappy.com
Great Information--as usual!
Speaking of how pressure changes influence health, the BaroReceptor Reflex is an interesting phenomenon. It is the body's internal mechanism which measures the barometric pressure of blood flowing through blood vessels in the neck and chest. A feedback mechanism that automatically changes the heart rate and tension in blood vessel walls to keep 'normal' blood pressure in a healthy range.
If you get stressed out & experience anger or rage and your blood pressure surges....it's your baroreflex that keeps your BP under control-and- it can keep you from having shear forces initiate a heart attack with the thickend blood that you describe occurs during the winter months.
The problem is for some people, particularly if you are genetically predisposed your BaroReceptors stop sensing and responding appropriately to pressure changes.
So, although we need to stay warm in the winter....because of stress and the baroreflex...its even more important to 'be cool' in the winter. :)
Carol J. Scott, MD
www.optimalstress.com