Low air temperature. When the air temperature rises, the reverse phenomena occur.

How weather conditions affect the body depends on its adaptive abilities: someone reacts to them, someone does not notice at all, and there are those who, by their well-being, can predict the weather. It is believed that they are especially clearly susceptible to dependence on weather conditions people with an unbalanced nervous system are melancholic and choleric. In sanguine and phlegmatic people, it most often manifests itself either against the background of a weakened immune system, or in a chronic disease. However, meteosensitivity as a diagnosis is typical just for those who already suffer from some kind of illness. As a rule, these are pathologies of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, diseases of the nervous system, rheumatoid arthritis.

What weather factors affect our well-being? Head of the Department of Neurology of the 122nd Clinical Hospital, Professor Alexander Elchaninov refers to the most significant meteorological factors: air temperature, humidity, wind speed and barometric (atmospheric) pressure. The human body is also influenced by heliophysical factors - magnetic fields.

Air temperature

It has the most noticeable effect on a person's well-being in combination with air humidity. The most comfortable is the combination of temperature 18-20C° and humidity 40-60%. At the same time, fluctuations in air temperature within 1-10°C are considered favorable, 10-15°C - unfavorable, and above 15°C - very unfavorable. - explains Professor Elchaninov. - Comfortable temperature for sleep - from 16°С to 18°С.

The oxygen content in the air directly depends on the air temperature. When cold, it is saturated with oxygen, and when it warms, on the contrary, it is rarefied. As a rule, in hot weather, atmospheric pressure also decreases, and as a result, those suffering from diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems do not feel well.

If, against the background of high pressure, the air temperature drops and is accompanied by cold rains, then hypertensive patients, asthmatics, people with kidney stone and cholelithiasis suffer it especially hard. Sudden changes in temperature (8-10 ° C per day) are dangerous for allergy sufferers and asthmatics.

extreme temperatures

According to Sergey Boytsov, director of the State Research Center for Preventive Medicine, people with a normal thermoregulation mechanism, which actively participates in the cardiovascular system, which increases blood circulation directly under the skin, feel best in abnormal heat. But if the air temperature exceeds 38 degrees, it no longer saves: the external temperature becomes higher than the internal one, there is a risk of thrombosis against the background of centralization of blood flow and blood clotting. Therefore, in the heat, the risk of stroke is high. Doctors advise in abnormal heat to be in a room with air conditioning or at least a fan as much as possible, to avoid the sun, unnecessary physical exertion. The rest of the recommendations depend on the state of health of the person.

An anticyclone is an increased atmospheric pressure that brings with it calm, clear weather, without sudden changes in temperature and humidity.

A cyclone is a decrease in atmospheric pressure, which is accompanied by cloudiness, high humidity, precipitation and an increase in air temperature.

In extremely frosty weather, the body can supercool due to increased heat transfer. Especially dangerous is the combination of low temperature with high humidity and high speed air movement. Moreover, due to reflex mechanisms, a feeling of cold occurs not only in the area of ​​its influence, but also in seemingly distant parts of the body. So, if your legs are frozen, your nose will inevitably freeze, a feeling of cold will also appear in your throat, as a result of which SARS, diseases of the ENT organs develop. Also, if you're cold, let's say waiting public transport, another reflex mechanism is activated, in which a spasm of the vessels of the kidneys occurs, circulatory disorders and a decrease in immunity are also possible. As a rule, extremely low temperatures cause spastic-type reactions. Any procedures and actions that increase blood circulation help to cope with them: gymnastics, hot foot baths, sauna, bath, contrast shower.

Air humidity

At high temperatures, air humidity (air saturation with water vapor) decreases, and in rainy weather it can reach 80-90%. During the heating season, the air humidity in our apartments drops to 15-20% (for comparison: in the Sahara Desert, the humidity is 25%). Often, it is the dryness of home air, and not the high humidity on the street, that causes a tendency to colds: the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx dry out, reducing its protective functions, which makes it easy for respiratory viruses to “take root”. To avoid increased dryness in the nasopharynx, it is recommended for allergy sufferers and those who often suffer from ENT diseases to wash with a solution of lightly salted or non-carbonated mineral water.

With high humidity, those suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract, joints and kidneys are more at risk of getting sick, especially if the humidity is accompanied by a cold snap.

Humidity fluctuations from 5 to 20% are assessed as more or less favorable for the body, and from 20 to 30% as unfavorable.

Wind

The speed of air movement - the wind is perceived by us as comfortable or uncomfortable, depending on the humidity and temperature of the air. So, in the thermal comfort zone (17-27C°) with a quiet and light wind (1-4 m/s), a person feels good. However, as soon as the temperature rises, he will experience a similar sensation if the air movement becomes faster. And vice versa, when low temperatures high wind speed increases the sensation of cold. The daily periodicity has both the mountain-valley wind and other wind regimes (breeze, hair dryer). Importance have day-to-day fluctuations in the wind regime: the difference in air velocity within 0.7 m/s is favorable, and 8-17 m/s is unfavorable.

Atmosphere pressure

Weather-sensitive people believe that atmospheric pressure plays a major role in their response to the weather. This is both so and not so. Because basically it affects our body in combination with other natural phenomena. It is generally accepted that a meteorologically stable state is observed at an atmospheric pressure of about 1013 mbar, that is, 760 mm Hg. Art., - says Professor Alexander Elchaninov.

If, with a decrease in atmospheric pressure, the oxygen content in the atmosphere decreases sharply, humidity and temperature increase, a person’s blood pressure drops and blood flow speed decreases, as a result, breathing becomes difficult, heaviness appears in the head, and the work of the cardiovascular system is disrupted. When atmospheric pressure drops, hypotension feels worst of all, which is manifested by severe pastosity (swelling) of tissues, tachycardia, tachypnea (frequent breathing), that is, symptoms that characterize the deepening of hypoxia (oxygen starvation) caused by low atmospheric pressure. For hypertensive patients, this weather improves their well-being: blood pressure decreases and only with increasing hypoxia does drowsiness, fatigue, shortness of breath, ischemic heart pains appear, that is, the same symptoms that hypotension sufferers immediately experience in such weather. When the temperature drops with an increase in atmospheric pressure, the oxygen content in the air increases, hypertensive patients feel bad, because their blood pressure rises and the blood flow speed increases. Hypotonic patients live well in such weather, they feel a surge of strength.

Solar Activity

We are the children of the sun, if it weren't there, there would be no life. Thanks to the notorious solar wind and changes in solar activity, the Earth's magnetic field, the permeability of the ozone layer, and the standards of meteorological conditions change. It is the sun that influences the cyclical work of the human body, which works in accordance with the seasons. We have an innate need for a certain amount of sunlight, sunlight and warmth. No wonder during the short winter light day almost everyone suffers from hyposolar syndrome: increased drowsiness, fatigue, depression, apathy, decreased performance and attention. We can say that the number sunny days per year for the body is much more important than a change in, say, atmospheric pressure. Therefore, residents of coastal, for example, Mediterranean countries, or highlands, live more comfortably than Petersburgers or polar explorers.

Weather in the house

We cannot influence the weather conditions. But we can reduce the health risks associated with the influence of the external environment. The main thing to remember is that meteorological sensitivity does not manifest itself as an independent problem, it is like a carriage behind a steam locomotive, it follows a certain disease, most often chronic. Therefore, first of all, it must be identified and treated. In case of an exacerbation of the disease against the background of bad weather, you should take the medicines prescribed by the doctor for the main pathology (migraine, vegetovascular dystonia, panic attacks, neuroses and neurasthenia). And besides, in accordance with the weather forecast, you need to work out certain rules of behavior for yourself. For example, the “cores” react sharply to high humidity and the approach of a thunderstorm, which means that on such days it is necessary to avoid physical exertion and be sure to take the medicines prescribed by the doctor.

• Everyone who, when changing climatic conditions well-being changes, it is important to treat your health more carefully on such days: do not overwork, get enough sleep, avoid drinking alcohol, as well as physical exertion. Postpone, for example, every morning jog, otherwise, say, in hot weather, you can run away from a heart attack, resorting to a stroke. Any emotional and physical stress in bad weather is a stress that can lead to failures in autonomic regulation, heart rhythm disturbances, blood pressure surges, exacerbation of chronic diseases.
• Keep track of atmospheric pressure to understand how to control blood pressure. For example, at low atmospheric hypertension it is necessary to reduce the intake of drugs that reduce blood pressure, and for hypotensive patients - take adaptogens (ginseng, eleutherococcus, magnolia vine), drink coffee. And in general, it should be remembered that in summer, in warm and hot weather, blood is redistributed from the internal organs to the skin, so blood pressure in summer is lower than in winter.
• Residents of St. Petersburg, like any other metropolis, spend most of their lives indoors. And the more time we “hide” in comfort from external climatic factors, the more the balance between the human body and the environment is disturbed, its adaptive capabilities decrease. We should increase the body's resistance to adverse weather changes. Therefore, if there are no contraindications, train the autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems. A contrast or cold shower, Russian bath, sauna, walking tours will help you with this, preferably before going to bed.
• Organize physical activity for yourself - with them, blood pressure rises, the level of oxygen in the tissues decreases, metabolism, heat generation and heat transfer increase. Well train the cardiovascular and respiratory systems brisk walking for 1 hour, easy running, swimming. Trained people easily endure changes in the weather, which have a similar effect on the body.
• It is recommended to sleep with the window open. Moreover, sleep should be sufficient - when you wake up, you should feel that you have had enough sleep.
• Monitor the level of humidity and artificial lighting in the apartment.
• Dress "for the weather" so that the body is comfortable in all weather conditions.
• If you notice that you feel dependent on the weather, forget about traveling to distant countries “from winter to summer” or “from summer to winter”. Disruption of seasonal adaptation is dangerous even for healthy people.

Irina Dontsova

Dr. Peter

ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARTH(Greek atmos steam + sphaira ball) - gaseous shell, surrounding the earth. The mass of the atmosphere is about 5.15·10 15 The biological significance of the atmosphere is enormous. In the atmosphere, there is a mass-energy exchange between living and inanimate nature, between flora and fauna. Atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated by microorganisms; plants synthesize organic substances from carbon dioxide and water due to the energy of the sun and release oxygen. The presence of the atmosphere ensures the preservation of water on Earth, which is also an important condition for the existence of living organisms.

Studies carried out with the help of high-altitude geophysical rockets, artificial earth satellites and interplanetary automatic stations have established that the earth's atmosphere extends for thousands of kilometers. The boundaries of the atmosphere are unstable, they are influenced by the gravitational field of the moon and the pressure of the flow of sunlight. Above the equator in the region of the earth's shadow, the atmosphere reaches heights of about 10,000 km, and above the poles, its boundaries are 3,000 km from the earth's surface. The main mass of the atmosphere (80-90%) is within altitudes up to 12-16 km, which is explained by the exponential (nonlinear) nature of the decrease in density (rarefaction) of its gas environment as altitude increases.

The existence of most living organisms in natural conditions is possible in even narrower boundaries of the atmosphere, up to 7-8 km, where a combination of such atmospheric factors as gas composition, temperature, pressure, and humidity, necessary for the active course of biological processes, takes place. The movement and ionization of air, atmospheric precipitation, and the electrical state of the atmosphere are also of hygienic importance.

Gas composition

The atmosphere is a physical mixture of gases (Table 1), mainly nitrogen and oxygen (78.08 and 20.95 vol. %). The ratio of atmospheric gases is almost the same up to altitudes of 80-100 km. The constancy of the main part of the gas composition of the atmosphere is due to the relative balancing of the processes of gas exchange between animate and inanimate nature and the continuous mixing of air masses in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Table 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF DRY ATMOSPHERIC AIR NEAR THE EARTH'S SURFACE

At altitudes above 100 km, the percentage of individual gases changes due to their diffuse stratification under the influence of gravity and temperature. In addition, under the action of the short-wavelength part of ultraviolet and X-rays at an altitude of 100 km or more, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide molecules dissociate into atoms. At high altitudes, these gases are in the form of highly ionized atoms.

The content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of different regions of the Earth is less constant, which is partly due to the uneven distribution of large industrial enterprises that pollute the air, as well as the uneven distribution of vegetation on the Earth, water basins absorbing carbon dioxide. Also variable in the atmosphere is the content of aerosols (see) - particles suspended in the air ranging in size from several millimicrons to several tens of microns - formed as a result of volcanic eruptions, powerful artificial explosions, pollution by industrial enterprises. The concentration of aerosols decreases rapidly with height.

The most unstable and important of the variable components of the atmosphere is water vapor, the concentration of which at the earth's surface can vary from 3% (in the tropics) to 2 × 10 -10% (in Antarctica). The higher the air temperature, the more moisture, ceteris paribus, can be in the atmosphere and vice versa. The bulk of water vapor is concentrated in the atmosphere up to altitudes of 8-10 km. The content of water vapor in the atmosphere depends on the combined influence of the processes of evaporation, condensation and horizontal transport. At high altitudes, due to a decrease in temperature and condensation of vapors, the air is practically dry.

The Earth's atmosphere, in addition to molecular and atomic oxygen, contains a small amount of ozone (see), the concentration of which is very variable and varies depending on the height and season. Most of the ozone is contained in the region of the poles by the end of the polar night at an altitude of 15-30 km with a sharp decrease up and down. Ozone arises as a result of the photochemical action of ultraviolet solar radiation on oxygen, mainly at altitudes of 20-50 km. In this case, diatomic oxygen molecules partially decompose into atoms and, joining undecomposed molecules, form triatomic ozone molecules (polymeric, allotropic form of oxygen).

The presence in the atmosphere of a group of so-called inert gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon) is associated with the continuous flow of natural radioactive decay processes.

The biological significance of gases the atmosphere is very large. For most multicellular organisms, a certain content of molecular oxygen in a gaseous or aqueous medium is an indispensable factor in their existence, which during respiration determines the release of energy from organic substances created initially during photosynthesis. It is no coincidence that the upper boundaries of the biosphere (the part of the surface of the globe and the lower part of the atmosphere where life exists) are determined by the presence of a sufficient amount of oxygen. In the process of evolution, organisms have adapted to a certain level of oxygen in the atmosphere; changing the oxygen content in the direction of decreasing or increasing has an adverse effect (see Altitude sickness, Hyperoxia, Hypoxia).

The ozone-allotropic form of oxygen also has a pronounced biological effect. At concentrations not exceeding 0.0001 mg / l, which is typical for resort areas and sea coasts, ozone has a healing effect - it stimulates respiration and cardiovascular activity, improves sleep. With an increase in the concentration of ozone, its toxic effect is manifested: eye irritation, necrotic inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, exacerbation of pulmonary diseases, autonomic neuroses. Entering into combination with hemoglobin, ozone forms methemoglobin, which leads to a violation of the respiratory function of the blood; the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues becomes difficult, the phenomena of suffocation develop. Atomic oxygen has a similar adverse effect on the body. Ozone plays a significant role in creating the thermal regimes of various layers of the atmosphere due to the extremely strong absorption of solar radiation and terrestrial radiation. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet and infrared rays most intensively. Solar rays with a wavelength of less than 300 nm are almost completely absorbed by atmospheric ozone. Thus, the Earth is surrounded by a kind of "ozone screen" that protects many organisms from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, Nitrogen atmospheric air is of great biological importance primarily as a source of the so-called. fixed nitrogen - a resource of plant (and ultimately animal) food. The physiological significance of nitrogen is determined by its participation in creating the level of atmospheric pressure necessary for life processes. Under certain conditions of pressure changes, nitrogen plays a major role in the development of a number of disorders in the body (see Decompression sickness). Assumptions that nitrogen weakens the toxic effect of oxygen on the body and is absorbed from the atmosphere not only by microorganisms, but also by higher animals, are controversial.

The inert gases of the atmosphere (xenon, krypton, argon, neon, helium) at the partial pressure they create under normal conditions can be classified as biologically indifferent gases. With a significant increase in partial pressure, these gases have a narcotic effect.

The presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere ensures the accumulation of solar energy in the biosphere due to the photosynthesis of complex carbon compounds, which continuously arise, change and decompose in the course of life. This dynamic system is maintained as a result of the activity of algae and land plants that capture the energy of sunlight and use it to convert carbon dioxide (see) and water into a variety of organic compounds with the release of oxygen. The upward extension of the biosphere is partially limited by the fact that at altitudes of more than 6-7 km, chlorophyll-containing plants cannot live due to the low partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also very active in physiological terms, as it plays an important role in the regulation of metabolic processes, the activity of the central nervous system, respiration, blood circulation, and the oxygen regime of the body. However, this regulation is mediated by the influence of carbon dioxide produced by the body itself, and not from the atmosphere. In the tissues and blood of animals and humans, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is approximately 200 times higher than its pressure in the atmosphere. And only with a significant increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (more than 0.6-1%), there are violations in the body, denoted by the term hypercapnia (see). The complete elimination of carbon dioxide from the inhaled air cannot directly have an adverse effect on the human and animal organisms.

Carbon dioxide plays a role in absorbing long-wavelength radiation and maintaining the "greenhouse effect" that raises the temperature near the Earth's surface. The problem of the influence on thermal and other regimes of the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, which enters the air in huge quantities as a waste product of industry, is also being studied.

Atmospheric water vapor (air humidity) also affects the human body, in particular, heat exchange with the environment.

As a result of the condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere, clouds form and precipitation (rain, hail, snow) falls. Water vapor, scattering solar radiation, participate in the creation of the thermal regime of the Earth and the lower layers of the atmosphere, in the formation of meteorological conditions.

Atmosphere pressure

Atmospheric pressure (barometric) is the pressure exerted by the atmosphere under the influence of gravity on the surface of the Earth. The value of this pressure at each point in the atmosphere is equal to the weight of the overlying column of air with a unit base, extending above the place of measurement to the boundaries of the atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure is measured with a barometer (see) and expressed in millibars, in newtons per square meter or the height of the mercury column in the barometer in millimeters, reduced to 0 ° and the normal value of the acceleration of gravity. In table. 2 shows the most commonly used units of atmospheric pressure.

The change in pressure occurs due to uneven heating of air masses located above land and water at different geographical latitudes. As the temperature rises, the density of air and the pressure it creates decrease. A huge accumulation of fast-moving air with reduced pressure (with a decrease in pressure from the periphery to the center of the vortex) is called a cyclone, with increased pressure (with an increase in pressure towards the center of the vortex) - an anticyclone. For weather forecasting, non-periodic changes in atmospheric pressure are important, which occur in moving vast masses and are associated with the emergence, development and destruction of anticyclones and cyclones. Especially large changes in atmospheric pressure are associated with the rapid movement of tropical cyclones. At the same time, atmospheric pressure can vary by 30-40 mbar per day.

The drop in atmospheric pressure in millibars over a distance of 100 km is called the horizontal barometric gradient. Typically, the horizontal barometric gradient is 1–3 mbar, but in tropical cyclones it sometimes rises to tens of millibars per 100 km.

As the altitude rises, atmospheric pressure decreases in a logarithmic relationship: at first very sharply, and then less and less noticeably (Fig. 1). Therefore, the barometric pressure curve is exponential.

The decrease in pressure per unit vertical distance is called the vertical barometric gradient. Often they use the reciprocal of it - the barometric step.

Since the barometric pressure is the sum of the partial pressures of the gases that form the air, it is obvious that with the rise to a height, along with a decrease in the total pressure of the atmosphere, the partial pressure of the gases that make up the air also decreases. The value of the partial pressure of any gas in the atmosphere is calculated by the formula

where P x ​​is the partial pressure of the gas, P z is the atmospheric pressure at altitude Z, X% is the percentage of gas whose partial pressure is to be determined.

Rice. 1. Change in barometric pressure depending on the height above sea level.

Rice. 2. Change in the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveolar air and saturation of arterial blood with oxygen depending on the change in altitude when breathing air and oxygen. Oxygen breathing starts from a height of 8.5 km (experiment in a pressure chamber).

Rice. 3. Comparative curves of the average values ​​of active consciousness in a person in minutes at different heights after a rapid rise while breathing air (I) and oxygen (II). At altitudes above 15 km, active consciousness is equally disturbed when breathing oxygen and air. At altitudes up to 15 km, oxygen breathing significantly prolongs the period of active consciousness (experiment in a pressure chamber).

Since the percentage composition of atmospheric gases is relatively constant, to determine the partial pressure of any gas, it is only necessary to know the total barometric pressure at a given height (Fig. 1 and Table 3).

Table 3. TABLE OF STANDARD ATMOSPHERE (GOST 4401-64) 1

1 Given in abbreviated form and supplemented by the column "Partial pressure of oxygen".

When determining the partial pressure of a gas in moist air, the pressure (elasticity) of saturated vapors must be subtracted from the barometric pressure.

The formula for determining the partial pressure of a gas in moist air will be slightly different than for dry air:

where pH 2 O is the elasticity of water vapor. At t° 37°, the elasticity of saturated water vapor is 47 mm Hg. Art. This value is used in calculating the partial pressures of gases in alveolar air in ground and high-altitude conditions.

The effect on the body of increased and reduced pressure. Changes in barometric pressure upwards or downwards have a variety of effects on the organism of animals and humans. The influence of increased pressure is associated with the mechanical and penetrating physical and chemical action of the gaseous medium (the so-called compression and penetrating effects).

The compression effect is manifested by: general volumetric compression, due to a uniform increase in the forces of mechanical pressure on organs and tissues; mechanonarcosis due to uniform volumetric compression at very high barometric pressure; local uneven pressure on tissues that limit gas-containing cavities in case of impaired communication between the outside air and the air in the cavity, for example, the middle ear, the accessory cavities of the nose (see Barotrauma); increase in gas density in the system external respiration, which causes an increase in resistance to respiratory movements, especially with forced breathing (exercise, hypercapnia).

The penetrating effect can lead to the toxic effect of oxygen and indifferent gases, an increase in the content of which in the blood and tissues causes a narcotic reaction, the first signs of a cut when using a nitrogen-oxygen mixture in humans occur at a pressure of 4-8 atm. An increase in the partial pressure of oxygen initially reduces the level of functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems due to the shutdown of the regulatory effect of physiological hypoxemia. With an increase in the partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs more than 0.8-1 ata, its toxic effect is manifested (damage to the lung tissue, convulsions, collapse).

The penetrating and compressive effects of increased pressure of the gaseous medium are used in clinical medicine in the treatment of various diseases with general and local oxygen supply disorders (see Barotherapy, Oxygen therapy).

Lowering the pressure has an even more pronounced effect on the body. In an extremely rarefied atmosphere, the main pathogenetic factor leading to loss of consciousness in a few seconds, and to death in 4-5 minutes, is a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the inhaled air, and then in the alveolar air, blood and tissues (Fig. 2 and 3). Moderate hypoxia causes the development of adaptive reactions of the respiratory system and hemodynamics, aimed at maintaining oxygen supply, primarily to vital organs (brain, heart). With a pronounced lack of oxygen, oxidative processes are inhibited (due to respiratory enzymes), and aerobic processes of energy production in mitochondria are disrupted. This leads first to a breakdown in the functions of vital organs, and then to irreversible structural damage and death of the body. The development of adaptive and pathological reactions, a change in the functional state of the body and human performance with a decrease in atmospheric pressure is determined by the degree and rate of decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the inhaled air, the duration of stay at a height, the intensity of the work performed, the initial state of the body (see Altitude sickness).

A decrease in pressure at altitudes (even with the exclusion of lack of oxygen) causes serious disorders in the body, united by the concept of "decompression disorders", which include: high-altitude flatulence, barotitis and barosinusitis, high-altitude decompression sickness and high-altitude tissue emphysema.

High-altitude flatulence develops due to the expansion of gases in the gastrointestinal tract with a decrease in barometric pressure on the abdominal wall when ascending to altitudes of 7-12 km or more. Of certain importance is the release of gases dissolved in the intestinal contents.

The expansion of gases leads to stretching of the stomach and intestines, raising the diaphragm, changing the position of the heart, irritating the receptor apparatus of these organs and causing pathological reflexes that disrupt breathing and blood circulation. Often there are sharp pains in the abdomen. Similar phenomena sometimes occur in divers when ascending from depth to the surface.

The mechanism of development of barotitis and barosinusitis, manifested by a feeling of congestion and pain, respectively, in the middle ear or accessory cavities of the nose, is similar to the development of high-altitude flatulence.

The decrease in pressure, in addition to the expansion of gases contained in the body cavities, also causes the release of gases from liquids and tissues in which they were dissolved under pressure at sea level or at depth, and the formation of gas bubbles in the body.

This process of an exit of the dissolved gases (first of all nitrogen) causes development of a decompression sickness (see).

Rice. 4. Dependence of the boiling point of water on altitude and barometric pressure. The pressure numbers are located below the corresponding altitude numbers.

With a decrease in atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of liquids decreases (Fig. 4). At an altitude of more than 19 km, where the barometric pressure is equal to (or less than) the elasticity of saturated vapors at body temperature (37 °), “boiling” of the interstitial and intercellular fluid of the body can occur, resulting in large veins, in the cavity of the pleura, stomach, pericardium , in loose adipose tissue, that is, in areas with low hydrostatic and interstitial pressure, water vapor bubbles form, high-altitude tissue emphysema develops. Altitude "boiling" does not affect cellular structures, being localized only in the intercellular fluid and blood.

Massive steam bubbles can block the work of the heart and blood circulation and disrupt the functioning of vital systems and organs. This is a serious complication of acute oxygen starvation that develops at high altitudes. Prevention of high-altitude tissue emphysema can be achieved by creating external counterpressure on the body with high-altitude equipment.

The very process of lowering barometric pressure (decompression) under certain parameters can become a damaging factor. Depending on the speed, decompression is divided into smooth (slow) and explosive. The latter proceeds in less than 1 second and is accompanied by a strong bang (as in a shot), the formation of fog (condensation of water vapor due to cooling of expanding air). Typically, explosive decompression occurs at altitudes when the glazing of a pressurized cockpit or pressure suit breaks.

In explosive decompression, the lungs are the first to suffer. A rapid increase in intrapulmonary excess pressure (more than 80 mm Hg) leads to a significant stretching of the lung tissue, which can cause rupture of the lungs (with their expansion by 2.3 times). Explosive decompression can also cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract. The amount of overpressure that occurs in the lungs will largely depend on the rate of air outflow from them during decompression and the volume of air in the lungs. It is especially dangerous if the upper airways at the time of decompression turn out to be closed (during swallowing, holding the breath) or decompression coincides with the phase of deep inspiration, when the lungs are filled with a large amount of air.

Atmospheric temperature

The temperature of the atmosphere initially decreases with increasing altitude (on average, from 15° near the ground to -56.5° at an altitude of 11-18 km). The vertical temperature gradient in this zone of the atmosphere is about 0.6° for every 100 m; it changes during the day and year (Table 4).

Table 4. CHANGES IN THE VERTICAL TEMPERATURE GRADIENT OVER THE MIDDLE STRIP OF THE USSR TERRITORY

Rice. 5. Change in the temperature of the atmosphere at different altitudes. The boundaries of the spheres are indicated by a dotted line.

At altitudes of 11 - 25 km, the temperature becomes constant and amounts to -56.5 °; then the temperature begins to rise, reaching 30–40° at an altitude of 40 km, and 70° at an altitude of 50–60 km (Fig. 5), which is associated with intense absorption of solar radiation by ozone. From a height of 60-80 km, the air temperature again decreases slightly (up to 60°C), and then progressively increases and reaches 270°C at an altitude of 120 km, 800°C at an altitude of 220 km, 1500°C at an altitude of 300 km, and

on the border with outer space - more than 3000 °. It should be noted that due to the high rarefaction and low density of gases at these heights, their heat capacity and ability to heat colder bodies is very small. Under these conditions, the transfer of heat from one body to another occurs only through radiation. All considered changes in temperature in the atmosphere are associated with the absorption by air masses of the thermal energy of the Sun - direct and reflected.

In the lower part of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface, the temperature distribution depends on the influx of solar radiation and therefore has a mainly latitudinal character, that is, lines of equal temperature - isotherms - are parallel to latitudes. Since the atmosphere in the lower layers is heated from the earth's surface, the horizontal temperature change is strongly influenced by the distribution of continents and oceans, the thermal properties of which are different. Usually, reference books indicate the temperature measured during network meteorological observations with a thermometer installed at a height of 2 m above the soil surface. The highest temperatures (up to 58°C) are observed in the deserts of Iran, and in the USSR - in the south of Turkmenistan (up to 50°), the lowest (up to -87°) in Antarctica, and in the USSR - in the regions of Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon (up to -68° ). In winter, the vertical temperature gradient in some cases, instead of 0.6 °, can exceed 1 ° per 100 m or even take a negative value. During the day in the warm season, it can be equal to many tens of degrees per 100 m. There is also a horizontal temperature gradient, which is usually referred to as a distance of 100 km along the normal to the isotherm. The magnitude of the horizontal temperature gradient is tenths of a degree per 100 km, and in frontal zones it can exceed 10° at 100 m.

The human body is able to maintain thermal homeostasis (see) within a fairly narrow range of outdoor temperature fluctuations - from 15 to 45 °. Significant differences in atmospheric temperature near the Earth and at altitudes require the use of special protective technical means to ensure the thermal balance between the human body and the external environment in high-altitude and space flights.

Characteristic changes in the parameters of the atmosphere (temperature, pressure, chemical composition, electrical state) make it possible to conditionally divide the atmosphere into zones, or layers. Troposphere- the closest layer to the Earth, the upper boundary of which extends at the equator up to 17-18 km, at the poles - up to 7-8 km, in middle latitudes - up to 12-16 km. The troposphere is characterized by an exponential pressure drop, the presence of a constant vertical temperature gradient, horizontal and vertical movements of air masses, and significant changes in air humidity. The troposphere contains the bulk of the atmosphere, as well as a significant part of the biosphere; here all the main types of clouds arise, air masses and fronts are formed, cyclones and anticyclones develop. In the troposphere, due to the reflection of the sun's rays by the snow cover of the Earth and the cooling of the surface layers of air, the so-called inversion takes place, that is, an increase in temperature in the atmosphere from the bottom up instead of the usual decrease.

In the warm season in the troposphere there is a constant turbulent (random, chaotic) mixing of air masses and heat transfer by air flows (convection). Convection destroys fogs and reduces the dust content of the lower atmosphere.

The second layer of the atmosphere is stratosphere.

It starts from the troposphere as a narrow zone (1-3 km) with a constant temperature (tropopause) and extends to heights of about 80 km. A feature of the stratosphere is the progressive rarefaction of the air, the exceptionally high intensity of ultraviolet radiation, the absence of water vapor, the presence of a large amount of ozone and the gradual increase in temperature. The high content of ozone causes a number optical phenomena(mirages), causes the reflection of sounds and has a significant impact on the intensity and spectral composition of electromagnetic radiation. In the stratosphere there is a constant mixing of air, so its composition is similar to the air of the troposphere, although its density at the upper boundaries of the stratosphere is extremely low. The prevailing winds in the stratosphere are westerly, and in the upper zone there is a transition to easterly winds.

The third layer of the atmosphere is ionosphere, which starts from the stratosphere and extends to altitudes of 600-800 km.

Distinctive features of the ionosphere are the extreme rarefaction of the gaseous medium, a high concentration of molecular and atomic ions and free electrons, as well as high temperature. The ionosphere affects the propagation of radio waves, causing their refraction, reflection and absorption.

The main source of ionization in the high layers of the atmosphere is the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun. In this case, electrons are knocked out of the gas atoms, the atoms turn into positive ions, and the knocked-out electrons remain free or are captured by neutral molecules with the formation of negative ions. The ionization of the ionosphere is influenced by meteors, corpuscular, X-ray and gamma radiation of the Sun, as well as the seismic processes of the Earth (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, powerful explosions), which generate acoustic waves in the ionosphere, which increase the amplitude and speed of oscillations of atmospheric particles and contribute to the ionization of gas molecules and atoms (see Aeroionization).

The electrical conductivity in the ionosphere, associated with a high concentration of ions and electrons, is very high. The increased electrical conductivity of the ionosphere plays an important role in the reflection of radio waves and the occurrence of auroras.

The ionosphere is the area of ​​flights of artificial satellites of the Earth and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Currently, space medicine is studying the possible effects on the human body of flight conditions in this part of the atmosphere.

Fourth, outer layer of the atmosphere - exosphere. From here, atmospheric gases are scattered into the world space due to dissipation (overcoming the forces of gravity by molecules). Then there is a gradual transition from the atmosphere to interplanetary outer space. The exosphere differs from the latter by the presence of a large number of free electrons that form the 2nd and 3rd radiation belts of the Earth.

The division of the atmosphere into 4 layers is very conditional. So, according to electrical parameters, the entire thickness of the atmosphere is divided into 2 layers: the neutrosphere, in which neutral particles predominate, and the ionosphere. The temperature distinguishes the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere, separated respectively by tropo-, strato- and mesopauses. The layer of the atmosphere located between 15 and 70 km and characterized by a high content of ozone is called the ozonosphere.

For practical purposes, it is convenient to use the International Standard Atmosphere (MCA), for which the following conditions are accepted: the pressure at sea level at t ° 15 ° is 1013 mbar (1.013 X 10 5 nm 2, or 760 mm Hg); the temperature decreases by 6.5° per 1 km to a level of 11 km (conditional stratosphere), and then remains constant. In the USSR, the standard atmosphere GOST 4401 - 64 was adopted (Table 3).

Precipitation. Since the bulk of the atmospheric water vapor is concentrated in the troposphere, the processes of phase transitions of water, which cause precipitation, proceed mainly in the troposphere. Tropospheric clouds usually cover about 50% of the entire earth's surface, while clouds in the stratosphere (at altitudes of 20-30 km) and near the mesopause, called mother-of-pearl and noctilucent clouds, respectively, are observed relatively rarely. As a result of the condensation of water vapor in the troposphere, clouds form and precipitation occurs.

According to the nature of precipitation, precipitation is divided into 3 types: continuous, torrential, drizzling. The amount of precipitation is determined by the thickness of the layer of fallen water in millimeters; precipitation is measured by rain gauges and precipitation gauges. Precipitation intensity is expressed in millimeters per minute.

The distribution of precipitation in certain seasons and days, as well as over the territory, is extremely uneven, due to the circulation of the atmosphere and the influence of the Earth's surface. Thus, on the Hawaiian Islands, on average, 12,000 mm falls per year, and in the driest regions of Peru and the Sahara, precipitation does not exceed 250 mm, and sometimes does not fall for several years. In the annual dynamics of precipitation, the following types are distinguished: equatorial - with a maximum of precipitation after the spring and autumn equinoxes; tropical - with a maximum of precipitation in summer; monsoon - with a very pronounced peak in summer and dry winter; subtropical - with maximum precipitation in winter and dry summer; continental temperate latitudes- with a maximum of precipitation in summer; marine temperate latitudes - with a maximum of precipitation in winter.

The entire atmospheric-physical complex of climatic and meteorological factors that make up the weather is widely used to promote health, hardening, and for medicinal purposes (see Climatotherapy). Along with this, it has been established that sharp fluctuations in these atmospheric factors can adversely affect the physiological processes in the body, causing the development of various pathological conditions and the exacerbation of diseases, which are called meteotropic reactions (see Climatopathology). Of particular importance in this regard are frequent, long-term disturbances of the atmosphere and abrupt fluctuations in meteorological factors.

Meteotropic reactions are observed more often in people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, polyarthritis, bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer, skin diseases.

Bibliography: Belinsky V. A. and Pobiyaho V. A. Aerology, L., 1962, bibliogr.; Biosphere and its resources, ed. V. A. Kovdy. Moscow, 1971. Danilov A. D. Chemistry of the ionosphere, L., 1967; Kolobkov N. V. Atmosphere and its life, M., 1968; Kalitin H.H. Fundamentals of atmospheric physics as applied to medicine, L., 1935; Matveev L. T. Fundamentals of general meteorology, Physics of the atmosphere, L., 1965, bibliogr.; Minkh A. A. Air ionization and its hygienic value, M., 1963, bibliogr.; it, Methods of hygienic researches, M., 1971, bibliogr.; Tverskoy P. N. Course of meteorology, L., 1962; Umansky S.P. Man in space, M., 1970; Khvostikov I. A. High layers of the atmosphere, L., 1964; X r g and a N A. X. Physics of the atmosphere, L., 1969, bibliogr.; Khromov S.P. Meteorology and climatology for geographical faculties, L., 1968.

Effects of high and low blood pressure on the body- Armstrong G. Aviation medicine, trans. from English, M., 1954, bibliogr.; Saltsman G.L. Physiological bases of a person's stay in conditions of high pressure of the gases of the environment, L., 1961, bibliogr.; Ivanov D. I. and Khromushkin A. I. Human life support systems during high-altitude and space flights, M., 1968, bibliogr.; Isakov P. K., etc. Theory and practice of aviation medicine, M., 1971, bibliogr.; Kovalenko E. A. and Chernyakov I. N. Oxygen of fabrics at extreme factors of flight, M., 1972, bibliogr.; Miles S. Underwater medicine, trans. from English, M., 1971, bibliography; Busby D. E. Space clinical medicine, Dordrecht, 1968.

I. H. Chernyakov, M. T. Dmitriev, S. I. Nepomnyashchy.

The fact that the weather is in direct proportion to the magnitude of pressure earth's atmosphere, people noticed a few centuries ago. It is no coincidence that an aneroid barometer has been used for centuries to predict it. And, of course, they knew how the weather depends on atmospheric pressure.

Today, everyone knows that in areas of high atmospheric pressure, which are called anticyclones, the weather is better. That is, there is usually no precipitation in the anticyclone area, and the sun is shining. In a zone of low atmospheric pressure, called a cyclone, the weather is worse. In the cyclone area, it usually rains or snows, and the sun hides behind clouds or clouds.

That is, a decrease in atmospheric pressure is a harbinger of bad weather, and its increase indicates its possible improvement. "Possible" because the weather is affected by many factors and atmospheric pressure is only one of them.

Meteorological dependence: weather factors affecting well-being

The human body exists in constant interaction with the environment, therefore, all people, without exception, are characterized by meteosensitivity - the ability of the body (primarily the nervous system) to respond to changes in weather factors, such as atmospheric pressure, wind, solar radiation intensity, etc.

The main factor that is responsible for the weather on Earth is the Sun. Its rays warm the atmosphere, but do it unevenly. This happens, firstly, because the Earth rotates, and secondly, because the axis of its rotation is inclined to the plane of the orbit by 66 ° 33. This explains the presence of five climatic zones, and the change in seasonal temperatures, as well as fluctuations in night and daytime temperatures, notes Dr. Tatyana Lagutina in her book 200 Health Recipes for Weather-Sensitive People.

The amount of atmospheric pressure, the evaporation of water, and hence the humidity of the air, the amount of gases, and most importantly, the amount of atmospheric oxygen in the surface layer depend on how warm the surface of the earth and atmospheric air are in a particular region of our planet. Since the pressure of atmospheric air in different areas of the Earth is never the same, air is in constant motion, moving from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. As a result of air movement, wind, cyclones, anticyclones are formed, clouds are formed, precipitation falls, that is, weather is created.

Sometimes huge, up to several thousand kilometers in diameter, vortices are observed in the atmosphere, which are called cyclones and anticyclones. During the passage of such eddies over a certain territory, stable weather is established, the characteristic features of which are deviations from the average seasonal indicators of atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and atmospheric oxygen.
The cyclone brings with it a sharp change in the weather, increased wind, a decrease in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and an increase in humidity. There are bad weather, cold snap, cloudiness appears, depending on the season it's raining or snow.

An anticyclone, on the contrary, leads to an increase in atmospheric pressure and a decrease in air humidity. The weather is clear, sunny, without precipitation, frosty in winter, hot in summer, winds blow from the center to the periphery.
Depending on the influence of a particular weather on a person's well-being, 5 types of weather conditions are distinguished.

Indifferent type - minor changes in the atmosphere that do not affect the state of health and well-being of a person.

Tonic type - the establishment of such weather conditions that favorably affect the well-being of a person. Such weather is especially good for the well-being of patients suffering from chronic oxygen deficiency, hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis.

Spastic type - a sharp cold snap, accompanied by an increase in atmospheric pressure. Such weather, as a rule, leads to an increase in blood pressure, the occurrence of vasospasm, headaches and heart pain, and angina attacks.

Hypotensive type - a decrease in atmospheric pressure, which leads to a decrease in vascular tone, and consequently, to a decrease in blood pressure. On such days, hypertensive patients experience an improvement in well-being.

Hypoxic type - an increase in temperature and a decrease in the amount of atmospheric oxygen in the surface air layer. Such weather is especially unfavorable for patients with cardiovascular and respiratory insufficiency.

So, speaking about the influence of weather on human well-being, it is necessary to take into account many factors, which include temperature, humidity and air composition, pressure, wind speed, solar radiation fluxes, long-wave solar radiation, type and intensity of precipitation, atmospheric electricity, atmospheric radioactivity, subsonic noise.

Atmosphere pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by an air column per unit area. Traditionally, it is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A pressure of 1 atmosphere is considered normal, capable of balancing a column of mercury 760 mm high at a temperature of 0 ° C at sea level and a latitude of 45 °.

Depending on geographical conditions, time of year, day and various meteorological factors, the value of atmospheric, or barometric, pressure varies. So, if we do not take into account natural disasters, annual fluctuations in atmospheric pressure on the earth's surface do not exceed 30 mm, and daily fluctuations - 4-5 mm.

The role of atmospheric pressure in the formation of weather is very large. It is responsible for the strength and direction of the wind, frequency and amount precipitation and temperature fluctuations. So, a decrease in pressure is followed by cloudy, rainy weather, an increase - dry, with a strong cooling in winter.

A sharp change in atmospheric pressure causes drops in blood pressure, fluctuations in the electrical resistance of the skin, as well as an increase or decrease in the number of leukocytes in the blood. So, at low atmospheric pressure, the electrical resistance of the skin significantly exceeds the norm, the number of leukocytes increases, the pressure in the stomach and intestines increases, which leads to a high standing of the diaphragm. As a result, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed, the work of the heart and lungs is difficult.

As a rule, atmospheric pressure drops that do not go beyond the norm do not affect the well-being of healthy people. The situation is different with sick or overly emotional natures. With a decrease in atmospheric pressure, for example, in people suffering from rheumatism, pain in the joints worsens, in hypertensive patients the state of health worsens, doctors note a sharp jump in angina attacks. People with increased nervous excitability with sharp jumps in atmospheric pressure complain of a feeling of fear, insomnia and a deterioration in mood.

Air temperature

Air temperature is responsible for the heat exchange processes occurring between the human body and the environment. Temperature effects are perceived by a person as a sensation of heat or cold. Moreover, from this point of view, it is associated not only with solar energy and its intensity, but also with wind speed and air humidity. Comfortable conditions for a healthy person, that is, when he does not experience either heat, or cold, or stuffiness, depend on the climatic zone of his residence, season, socio-economic conditions and age and cannot be unambiguously determined.

Moreover, the well-being of a person is affected not so much by temperature indicators as by its day-to-day fluctuations. So, a slight change in temperature is a deviation from the average daily norm by 1–2 °C, a moderate one by 3–4 °C and a sharp one by more than 4 °C. It is generally accepted that the optimal conditions for a person are those under which he feels an air temperature of 16–18 ° C at a relative humidity of 50%.

The most dangerous for people are sudden changes in temperature, as they are usually fraught with outbreaks of acute respiratory infectious diseases. Science knows such a fact, when during one night the temperature rose from -44 ° C to +6 ° C, which occurred in St. Petersburg in January 1780, 40 thousand inhabitants fell ill in the city.

Human vessels react most quickly to fluctuations in air temperature, which, narrowing or expanding, carry out thermoregulation and maintain a constant body temperature. With prolonged exposure to low temperatures, excessive vasospasm often occurs, which, in turn, in people suffering from hypertension or hypotension, as well as coronary heart disease, can cause severe headaches, pain in the heart area, and blood pressure jumps.

High temperature also negatively affects the work of the human body. Its detrimental effect is manifested in a decrease in blood pressure, dehydration of the body, and a deterioration in the blood supply to many organs.

Air humidity

The same air temperature with different indicators of its humidity is perceived by a person in different ways. So, with high humidity, which prevents the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the body, heat is difficult to tolerate and the effect of cold intensifies. Besides, wet air several times increases the risk of infections transmitted by airborne droplets.
Insufficient humidity leads to intense sweating, as a result of which, according to acceptable standards, a person can lose up to 2-3% of his weight. Together with sweat, a large amount of mineral salts is excreted from the body. Therefore, their stock in hot and dry weather must be constantly replenished with salted sparkling water. Profuse sweating dries up the mucous membranes. As a result, they are covered with the smallest cracks, into which pathogenic microorganisms penetrate.

In practice, to determine the humidity of the air, it is customary to use the term "relative humidity". This attitude absolute humidity(the amount of water vapor in grams contained in 1 m3 of air) to the maximum humidity (the amount of water vapor in grams required to saturate 1 m3 of air at the same temperature). Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage and determines the degree of saturation of the air with water vapor at the time of observation.

The optimal indicator of relative air humidity for a healthy person is 45–65%.

People suffering hypertension and atherosclerosis, days with high humidity (80-95%) are especially hard to endure. In rainy and inclement weather, the approach of an attack in such patients can be determined by the pallor that appears on their face.

High humidity, which heralds the approach of a cyclone, is usually accompanied by a sharp decrease in oxygen in the air. Lack of oxygen worsens the well-being of patients with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the musculoskeletal system.

Healthy people, although to a lesser extent, also experience oxygen deficiency, which can manifest itself in them in the form of increased fatigue, drowsiness, weakness, etc.

Especially dangerous high humidity combined with high temperatures. Such a meteorological combination makes it difficult to transfer heat and can cause heat stroke and other disorders of the body.

Wind direction and speed

Wind, or air movement, along with temperature and humidity, affects the heat exchange that occurs between a person and the environment. In hot weather, the wind increases the release of heat, having a beneficial effect on well-being, and at low temperatures, it enhances the effect of cold, leading to a cooling of the body. So, with an increase in wind speed by 1 m / s, a person perceives the air temperature 2 ° C lower.

In summer, we feel good at wind speeds of 1–4 m/s, but already 6–7 m/s bring us into a state of mild irritability and anxiety.

However, it is not the wind speed that is the decisive factor in the impact on human body. From this point of view, it is necessary to take into account all the sudden changes that, as a rule, accompany the movement of air masses: pressure, temperature, humidity, electric potential. That is why, along with the classical definitions of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, strength and direction of the wind, modern meteorologists have put forward another concept - "air mass". This is a certain volume of air that has the same physical and chemical properties. The air mass can spread over hundreds of kilometers and be over 1,000 meters thick. It forms at the equator or the poles, where, unlike at other latitudes, the atmosphere is relatively calm.

For a long time it remains motionless, acquiring the peculiarities of the climate of the place of its origin. Then the air mass begins to move, setting the weather that it absorbed in the process of formation and which is fundamentally different from the meteorological conditions of the territories along its path.

When 2 air masses collide, they do not overlap, although the lighter warm air tends to rise. Their dividing line forms an acute angle with the soil. In meteorology, this line is called a front, and the displacement of one air mass by another is called the passage of a front, which brings a change in the weather.

The confrontation between two air masses, preceding the victory of one of them, lasts about a day. Weather-sensitive people are able to pick up the very first signs of an impending collision between two air masses, which explains their ability to predict the weather.

Healthy people practically do not feel the passage air front. However, this does not mean that it does not have any effect on the biological processes occurring in their body. Doctors have established that at this time, for example, the properties of blood change. Shortly before the collision of two air masses, the rate of blood clotting increases, and when a cold front passes, blood clots dissolve faster. The air mass of tropical origin affects the amount of urine excreted, the activity of the endocrine glands, the content of sugar, calcium, phosphates, sodium and magnesium in the blood.

Windy days exacerbate chronic diseases, especially if they affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. For people with a nervous or mental pathology, such weather can cause a feeling of anxiety, unreasonable longing and anxiety.

The establishment of certain meteorological conditions also affects chemical composition air. Its main component, without which most biological processes are impossible, is oxygen. In the atmosphere, its content is 21%, although this figure may vary depending on geographical conditions. Thus, in rural areas, the oxygen content, as a rule, exceeds 21.6%, in the city it is approximately 20.5%, and in large metropolitan areas it is even lower - 17–18%. However, under adverse weather conditions, the amount of oxygen in the air can drop to 12%.

A healthy person practically does not feel the decrease in the oxygen content in the air to 16–18%. Signs of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) appear in most cases when the oxygen content drops to a level of 14%, and the figure of 9% threatens with serious disturbances in the functioning of vital organs.

The decrease in the amount of atmospheric oxygen, and, consequently, its entry into the body, is largely facilitated by increased air humidity, accompanied by high temperature. To compensate for the lack of oxygen in such conditions, a person has to breathe more often.

Lack of oxygen leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes, even practically healthy people complain of weakness, fatigue, distracted attention, headache, depression.

sunlight

Many people are well aware of the state of depression, bordering on depressive, that they experience in a rainy autumn or the same rainy winter, when the sun hides behind clouds for several days. The reason for this mood should be sought not in bad weather, but primarily in the lack of light.

Interestingly, it is impossible to deceive the body with the help of artificial lighting on such days. Even if you spend the whole day in a room with a large number of lamps on, the body will still recognize the substitution, since the spectral composition of sunlight and artificial lighting is significantly different.

A person's eyes are part of his brain, which needs a stream of light impulses in order to work quickly and productively. Receptors of the retina, reacting to a light stimulus, send signals to the central nervous system - to the hypothalamus. He, in turn, with the help of the mechanism of hormonal and nervous regulation, carries out seasonal restructuring and adaptation of the body to changing meteorological conditions. However, during this transitional period, the body is most vulnerable and painfully reacts to any "abnormal" action of various environmental factors.

A large role in the synchronization of biological rhythms depending on the illumination is assigned to the pineal gland - the pineal gland located in the brain. With its help, even blind people at the level of biorhythms are able to feel the change of day and night. In addition, the pineal gland produces many biologically active substances that are involved in the regulation of immunity, puberty and fading (menopause), menstrual function, water-salt metabolism, pigmentation processes, aging of the body, as well as in the synchronization of sleep and wakefulness cycles. There is reason to believe that the influence of adverse meteorological conditions on the pineal gland explains the causes of meteopathy and desynchronosis (violation of the physical and mental functions of the human body under the influence of changes in its daily rhythms).

Magnetic storms

Magnetic storms are strong disturbances magnetic field Earth under the influence of enhanced solar plasma flows. They occur quite often, 2-4 times a month, and last for several days.

A calm geomagnetic environment has practically no effect on a person's well-being. But 50 to 75% of the world's population react to magnetic storms. Moreover, the beginning of such a reaction depends on each individual and on the nature of the storm itself. Thus, most people begin to experience various kinds of ailments 1–2 days before a magnetic storm, which corresponds to the moment of solar flares that caused it.

Scientists have established another curious fact. Almost half of the inhabitants of our planet are able to adapt to magnetic storms that follow one after another with an interval of 6-7 days, and practically stop noticing them.
Electromagnetic fluctuations that occur in the process of changing the geomagnetic background, combined with low-frequency sound vibrations that occur during the passage of cyclones, disrupt biorhythms. And most of all, this violation concerns mid-frequency biorhythms, close to them in frequency. This phenomenon is called forced synchronization, which causes a deterioration in human well-being.

Manifestations of forced synchronization can be very different: jumps in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, difficulty breathing, etc. Moreover, serious health problems occur in people suffering from chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Receptors located on the walls of large blood vessels pick up electromagnetic vibrations and disrupt the functioning of the vascular system. A spasm of blood vessels develops, the movement of blood in small vessels slows down, the blood thickens and there is a risk of blood clots, the blood supply to vital organs is disrupted, and the amount of stress hormones in the blood increases. This explains the fact that during the days of magnetic storms the number of heart attacks and strokes, sudden deaths increases sharply.

No less than the vascular system, during the period of geomagnetic disturbance, the pineal gland, one of the main regulators and synchronizers of human biorhythms, suffers.
AT recent times the media often publish long-term forecasts of unfavorable days for a week, a month, or even a year. This is just a tribute to fashion, which has nothing to do with science. According to the Center for Geomagnetic Situation Forecasts of the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism and Radio Wave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a magnetic storm on Earth can be predicted only 2–3 days in advance, not earlier.

Manifestations of meteosensitivity

The dependence of the human body on the weather is so great that, along with the term "meteosensitivity", which characterizes mild symptoms of malaise that occur under the influence of environmental factors, doctors introduced another one - "meteorological dependence" to refer to more serious condition caused by extreme weather fluctuations.

Meteorological dependence, or meteopathy, the main signs of which are a sharp deterioration in well-being and unmotivated mood swings, affects from 8 to 35% of the inhabitants of our planet.

It is not yet possible to determine a more accurate figure, since scientists have not yet established criteria that would distinguish the body's normal response to weather changes from pathological ones.

In the very general view we can say that meteorological dependence manifests itself as severe headaches, insomnia or, conversely, increased drowsiness, weakness, which leads to fatigue, mood changes. People with cardiovascular disease may experience a sharp increase in blood pressure, and in more severe cases- Pain in the region of the heart. With a sharp change in the weather, many chronic diseases and previous injuries are exacerbated.

To denote the reaction of the human body to meteorological changes in the environment, doctors use another term - "meteoneurosis", by which they define a type of neurotic disorder associated with weather changes. Meteoneurotics experience a sharp deterioration in well-being on unfavorable days: irritability, depression, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, etc. are observed. However, if you measure their temperature, pressure and other indicators, they will be in absolute norm. As a rule, meteoneurosis is observed in people with increased emotionality, or is an external manifestation of internal mental failures.

What happens in the body when the weather changes

The human body responds to any change in weather with rapid changes in hormone production, platelet count in the blood, blood clotting, and enzyme activity. This is nothing more than a protective reaction of the body, with the help of which it adapts to new meteorological conditions and which practically does not affect the well-being of a healthy person.

However, more than half of the inhabitants of the Earth "feel" the weather. Such meteorological sensitivity is explained by the fact that the body of these people is already in a state of pre-illness, which prevents the launch of the adaptation mechanism. Moreover, overweight, endocrine disorders during puberty, pregnancy and menopause, head injuries, influenza, tonsillitis, pneumonia, and chronic fatigue largely contribute to increased weather sensitivity.

How does the body react to each specific change in the weather?

With a sharp drop in air temperature, even healthy people feel some discomfort. Their skin becomes covered with small pimples, increased tension and trembling are observed in the muscles, skin vessels narrow, and cold diuresis (frequent urination) often begins. All these are manifestations of the “regular” reaction of the body, which, having tuned in to heat, again finds itself in the cold.
If the weather does not change in the near future and the unseasonable cold sets in for a long time, a decrease in immunity may occur. As a result, there is a sharp increase in the number of acute respiratory diseases and exacerbation of chronic ones - bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, sinusitis.

At a consistently high temperature, sweating increases, the heartbeat and breathing become more frequent, and the amount of urine excreted decreases. In addition, along with sweat and exhaled air, a large amount of water-soluble vitamins and mineral salts (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) is excreted from the body. The consequence of this, even in healthy people, is weakness, headache, apathy, drowsiness, and intense thirst.

Until now, scientists are not ready to describe in detail the process of the impact of meteorological factors on the human body. One of the most likely assumptions today is a sharp change in blood volumes in the systemic and pulmonary circulation.

In a small circle (heart - lungs), venous blood flows from the heart to the lungs. In the capillaries of the pulmonary vasculature, which permeate everything, even the smallest, bronchi, it is enriched with oxygen and returns to the heart again.
In a large circle, oxygenated blood flows through all vessels, including the smallest capillaries, oxygenates all muscles and tissues, and then returns to the heart and lungs.

With an increase in atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the pulmonary vessels increases, and blood is forced out of the small circle into the large one. With a decrease, on the contrary, blood rushes into the small circle, which means that it becomes less in the large circle.
Thus, both an increase and a decrease in atmospheric pressure lead to the same result - an imbalance in the body.

Manifestations of meteosensitivity in various diseases

If healthy people react to weather changes in almost the same way or do not react at all, then people with chronic diseases have their own set of symptoms corresponding to sudden changes in temperature, pressure, oxygen content in the air, etc. Moreover, such a “barometer”, depending on specific disease as the main one will be guided by different parameters.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

The well-being of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, as a rule, begins to deteriorate rapidly a few hours before a sharp change in temperature and atmospheric pressure. Moreover, an attack of angina pectoris can be caused even by a change in the direction of the wind. During a magnetic storm, blood pressure rises in the cores and coronary circulation is disturbed, which often leads to a hypertensive crisis, stroke and myocardial infarction. However, the most unfavorable factor for this category of patients is high humidity. And on the eve of a thunderstorm, doctors register an increase in cases of sudden death.

Hypertensive patients react most acutely to changes in the weather in spring. In summer, it is difficult for them to endure windless heat, but in winter and autumn, their body is more tolerant of changes in meteorological indicators. Typical manifestations of meteotropic reactions in people with hypertension: jumps in blood pressure, headache, tinnitus.

Both hypertensive patients and hypotensive patients equally painfully perceive sudden changes in atmospheric pressure.

Respiratory diseases

Patients suffering from respiratory diseases (especially chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma) endure the worst of all a sharp drop in air temperature, strong winds and relative humidity of more than 70%. In addition, this category of patients reacts heavily to changes in atmospheric pressure, and it does not matter whether it rises or falls, and to a low oxygen content in the air. The response to such meteorological "aggression", as a rule, is general weakness, shortness of breath, coughing, and in especially severe cases - suffocation.

Magnetic storms have the same adverse effect, changing biological rhythms. Moreover, some patients feel their approach, and their health worsens on the eve of a magnetic storm, while the body of others reacts to it after. Physicians regret to state the fact that the possibility of adaptation of patients with chronic diseases respiratory system to the conditions of magnetic storms is almost zero.

Joint diseases

Although there are many examples of joint pain and aches, especially in cold and wet weather, the mechanism that causes these symptoms is still not understood.

At present, scientists tend to believe that the most typical sign of the influence of weather on the health of people suffering from diseases of the joints and the musculoskeletal system is atmospheric pressure, which, of course, is influenced by ambient air. A decrease in atmospheric pressure on the eve of a thunderstorm can provoke swelling of the periarticular tissue, which, in turn, causes pain in the joints.

Diseases of the nervous system

It has already been mentioned above that sharp fluctuations in meteorological parameters primarily have a detrimental effect on the work of adaptation mechanisms, knocking down biological rhythms. And if in a healthy body the distortion of biorhythms leads only to a subtle change in well-being that does not affect the general state of health, then with existing disorders of the autonomic nervous system, a person can feel very bad. The number of people with problems of the autonomic nervous system has been steadily increasing recently, and this is mainly due to the action adverse factors modern civilization: stress, haste, physical inactivity, overeating or, conversely, malnutrition and many others.

Different reactions to the weather, when, for example, people with the same disease under the same meteorological conditions may have diametrically opposed medical indicators, are explained by the unequal functional state of their nervous system. Pronounced meteosensitivity is noted in people with a weak (melancholic) and strong unbalanced (choleric) type of nervous system. But sanguine people, who have a strong balanced type of nervous system, begin to feel the weather only when the body is weakened.

A special category of people who react painfully to the weather are the so-called meteoneurotics, in whom, in the absence of chronic diseases, their mood is directly dependent on the state of the weather. Doctors have found that the cause of bad mood, unmotivated fatigue, apathy, etc., caused by certain meteorological indicators, should be sought in childhood memories. If the child’s parents, who for him, undoubtedly, were an indisputable authority, often quarreled in rainy weather or, on the contrary, looked tired and broken, then a logical chain formed in the baby’s head: it’s raining outside - people are angry and unfriendly in the rain - such a day can bring nothing good.

Meteoneurosis can also be congenital. People with this type of meteoneurosis have a genetic need for a certain amount of sunlight and heat.
Traditionally, solar warm weather- it's good. However, there are meteoneurotics who can hardly endure such grace and look forward to the onset of rainy cloudy weather that lifts their spirits. And the point here is not in physiology, but in personality traits. That is why it is not doctors who help to get rid of meteoneurosis, but psychologists, who, of course, need the help of the patient himself, who has firmly decided to get rid of the dependence of his mood on the vagaries of the weather.

mental illness

Especially hard people suffering from mental illness endure magnetic storms and windy weather. In addition, their condition can deteriorate significantly before a thunderstorm or snowfall. Aggravation of the depressive state is observed at abnormally high temperatures in winter, which are the reason for the establishment of cloudy and slushy weather, as well as with a long absence of the sun in summer.

With sudden changes in the weather or prolonged exposure to anomalous meteorological factors, the human body works at the limit of its capabilities, but it should be remembered that this in no way causes serious mental disorders. Depression, suicidal ideation and exacerbation of mental illness occur for a variety of other reasons (physiological, psychological and social), and meteorological factors play only the role of a catalyst.

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Dependence on the weather: how to survive?

Hostile whirlwinds blow over us and change - either atmospheric pressure, then humidity, then the concentration of oxygen in the air, then some other vital indicator. Because of this, people have headaches, cramps, rumbling in the stomach, can’t sleep, and in general ... Every year more and more Russians fall into the category of “weather-dependent”. Why? And what to do with it?

We immediately inform you that there is no official diagnosis of “meteorological dependence”. Rather, it is the average value of three conditions - meteorological sensitivity (when a person is subject to weather fluctuations to a slight degree), meteorological dependence itself (when a change in weather causes a noticeable deterioration in well-being) and meteopathy - a severe dependence on weather phenomena, forcing a person to take medicine or see a doctor. It is generally accepted that the more chronic diseases a person has and the weaker the immune system, the stronger the reaction to the weather. However, not all doctors agree with this ...

Most researchers argue that of all the races living on the planet, Caucasians suffer the most from weather dependence. Especially living in temperate continental climatic zones - in the center of Europe, in the European part of Russia and Central Siberia. In about 10% of cases, meteorological dependence is inherited (more often through the maternal line), in 40% it is the result of vascular diseases, and in the remaining half, doctors include health problems that have accumulated over a lifetime - from birth trauma to obesity and stomach ulcers ...

Meteorological dependence in children is almost always a consequence of severe pregnancy, prematurity or postmaturity, or difficult childbirth. Alas, most often the ailments received in this period remain with a person for life.

The most insidious diseases that can lead to meteorological dependence during life are chronic respiratory diseases (tonsillitis, tonsillitis, recurrent pneumonia), atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases (for example, diabetes), hypotension and hypertension.

It is interesting that people with different ailments react differently to various changes in the weather - and it often happens that, for example, for some, the bright sun is a holiday and a feeling of a surge of strength, while for others, it is an occasion to urgently drink painkillers and go to bed ...

High atmospheric pressure This means - rising above 755 mmHg. Information about the current atmospheric pressure can always be obtained from the weather forecast. Who does it badly if the column rises above the mark of 750 - 755 mm? Firstly, asthmatics and people with mental disabilities who are prone to violent manifestations. Asthmatics sharply lack oxygen, and in the second category, anxiety increases sharply. The "cores" do not feel well either, especially those diagnosed with angina pectoris. But hypotensive and hypertensive patients tolerate increased absolute pressure relatively normally - however, only if it reached its indicators gradually, and did not jump by 20 mm over several hours. And most importantly - then it did not fall sharply ...

How to improve your condition during such a period? First, avoid physical activity - sport requires a lot of oxygen supply. Secondly, in an affordable way to dilate blood vessels and thin the blood - with the help of medicines, hot black tea or, if there are no contraindications, a serving of alcohol (cognac or red wine).

Low atmospheric pressure Also not a gift ... Absolute atmospheric pressure below 748 mmHg brings with it much more problems. Firstly, it becomes very bad for hypotensive patients - they have no strength, they are drawn to sleep, feel sick, dizzy. Hypertensive patients are not much better - they begin to knock in the temples, the headache intensifies. People with heart rhythm disturbances - tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmia also have a hard time.

However, the main problem low atmospheric pressure - a strong deterioration in well-being in people with a tendency to depression and suicide.

However, doctors say that it is easier to neutralize the effects of low pressure than high pressure: you just need to provide yourself with fresh air (no time or energy to walk - open the window) and long sleep, and preferably also daytime. The ideal time for a siesta in winter is from 10 to 12 noon, in summer - from 14 to 16 hours. It is important that you wake up at least three hours before dusk.

You can correct your well-being with the help of nutrition - eat something moderately salty, for example, a piece of herring or salted tomato. This will have a good effect on the ionic balance in the body.

Snowfall In fact, snowfall snowfall is different. We will consider the classic one - when snow flakes fall in almost calm weather. For 70% of people, this weather does not bring anything bad. But for those who suffer from vegetovascular dystonia, snowfall can be a very unpleasant period: improperly functioning brain vessels can respond to the weather with dizziness, a feeling of stupor, and even nausea.

To prevent this from happening, at the very beginning of the snowfall, take the usual vascular preparations, as well as means to increase tone - ginseng tincture, succinic acid or eleutherococcus extract.

storm front This is perhaps the most annoying weather phenomenon in terms of well-being. Moreover, according to statistics, the legendary "thunderstorm in early May" is the most dangerous. An abnormal electromagnetic field, which always precedes a thunderstorm, can affect people with an unstable psyche so strongly that it can provoke a relapse of manic-depressive psychosis. It is hard on the eve of a thunderstorm for ladies of menopausal age - they are exhausted by "hot flashes", sweating and hysterical mood.

Avoiding the effects of thunderstorms is almost impossible. The only thing that can really ease the tension a little is the opportunity to hide somewhere underground. So if you have a suitable underground restaurant or shopping center nearby - welcome!

Heat Heat tolerance is directly related to wind strength and relative humidity. The windier and wetter, the harder it is. It is generally accepted that the average Russian begins to feel discomfort if the air temperature exceeds 27 C and the relative humidity is 80%. The exception is coastal regions, where the heat is more easily tolerated. Worst of all, at high air temperatures, people with autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury feel the worst.

There are only two ways to defeat the heat - drink plenty of water (preferably mixed with pomegranate or apple juice) and take a cool shower as often as possible - not so much for hygiene reasons, but to activate the nerve receptors of the skin responsible for thermoregulation.

Cold snap Doctors believe that a decrease in air temperature by more than 12 degrees Celsius within 12 hours is not capable of in the best way affect a person's well-being. At the same time, it is no less important in which particular range this cooling occurred: if, for example, the temperature dropped from +32 to +20 C, then nothing particularly bad will happen. But if the spread of readings is about 0 C or in a sharp "minus", then problems cannot be avoided.

Worst of all, such weather affects people with diseases of the vessels of the brain and heart, as well as those who have had a heart attack and stroke.

Wind Strong wind, as a rule, accompanies the movement of air masses of different densities. Surprisingly, adult men hardly react to it, but women have a hard time - especially those prone to migraines. Children also react badly to the wind, especially babies under 3 years old. By the way, for some people the wind brings a significant improvement in well-being - in particular, it becomes much easier for asthmatics to breathe.

If you can't stand the wind, take note of the old folk recipe: mix honey, lemon and nut butter in equal proportions and take a tablespoon several times during a windy day.

Calm It may seem strange, but completely calm weather can also be a source of problems! Complete calm causes anxiety in people suffering from schizophrenia, as well as in adolescents and people 45-60 years old: due to age-related hormonal fluctuations.

Doctors cannot accurately explain the cause of the problems, and so far they are of the opinion that it is associated with the lack of mixing of the air layers, which is why the concentration of pollution reaches a maximum at a height of 1-1.5 m above the ground.

If they are right, then you can alleviate the condition in an air-conditioned room or just near a fan.

Doctor's opinion Marina Vakulenko, therapist:

Half a century ago, such a thing as "meteorological dependence" in relation to the entire population did not exist. Experienced doctors, for example, knew that during a period of low pressure, the well-being of newly operated patients and women in childbirth may worsen, and during the bright sun and severe frost, one should expect an influx of so-called “violent” mentally unhealthy people. But mass weather dependence was not considered. Even now, doctors of the classical school believe that, at least in half of the cases, “meteorological dependence” is the result of meteoneurosis, when a person who has heard something about “magnetic storms” and the like, after reading another forecast, begins to wind himself up.

Normal atmospheric pressure varies from 750 to 760 mm Hg. Art. For a year it can change by 30 mm, and for a day - 1-3 mm. Many people complain that they feel worse when the weather changes, calling themselves weather dependent. Also, similar symptoms occur in people with hypertension and hypotension.

Blood pressure shows how intensely blood is pushed out of the heart and how vascular resistance occurs. Mainly influenced by changes in anticyclones or cyclones. Symptoms vary depending on whether the person has high or low blood pressure.

Hypotensive patients usually suffer from low atmospheric pressure, but this does not affect hypertensive patients so much. But if the high temperature is accompanied by high humidity, the state of health often worsens and the pressure rises. This is the reason why it is harmful for hypertensive patients to play sports in the heat.

When climbing a mountain or immersing in water, the effect of atmospheric pressure on blood pressure is noticeable. Climbing to altitude often requires an oxygen mask. Symptoms such as respiratory pathology, nosebleeds, and rapid heartbeat are observed.

People who suffer from high blood pressure often faint because of this. During immersion in water, an increase in atmospheric pressure occurs, which can also harm hypertensive patients.

It is necessary to dive to depth through locks in which the pressure changes slowly. At high atmospheric pressure, the gases that are present in the air dissolve in the blood, which is called "saturation". Decompression provokes their release from the blood. The process is called "desaturation".

When lowering under the ground or water in violation of the sluice mode, a supersaturation with nitrogen will occur. This can lead to decompression sickness. It consists in the penetration of gas bubbles into the vessels, which lead to the appearance of embolism in large quantities.

This problem is expressed in painful sensations in the joints and muscles. In the advanced stages, the eardrums burst, dizziness appears, and labyrinthine nystagmus develops. The disease can lead to death.

A cyclone appears due to warm air and water evaporating from the ocean. The weather changes, becomes warmer, there are rains, high humidity. The amount of oxygen in the air decreases and carbon dioxide increases. The cyclone has a bad effect on people with diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is expressed as a decrease in atmospheric pressure.

The anticyclone is expressed in clear, dry weather without wind. The air is standing, there are no clouds. This can take up to 5 days. If the duration exceeds 14 days, fires often start during the warm season due to abnormal heat and drought. An anticyclone is expressed by increased atmospheric pressure.

If atmospheric pressure exceeds 760 mm Hg. Art. , there is no wind and precipitation - an anticyclone is coming. At this time, there are no sudden temperature jumps, harmful impurities in the air increase.

This weather is negative impact for patients suffering from high blood pressure. The ability to work decreases, throbbing pains in the head are observed, the heart hurts.

You can also see symptoms such as:

1. Tachycardia;
2. General deterioration of well-being;
3. Tinnitus;
4. The area of ​​the face is covered with red spots;
5. Blurred eyes.

The anticyclone has a particularly bad effect on pensioners suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system of a chronic nature. The risk of a crisis increases, especially with indicators of 220120 mm Hg. Art. It can also lead to coma, thrombosis, embolism.

Cyclone also provides Negative influence at elevated pressure. Outside the window there is increased humidity, rain, cloudy weather. The air pressure drops to less than 750 mmHg.

Hypertension patients often take medicines, therefore, low atmospheric pressure can cause the following symptoms:

• General deterioration of well-being;
• Headache;
• Dizziness;
• Drowsiness;
• Deterioration of the digestive tract.

With an anticyclone, hypertensive patients should not go in for sports, pay more attention to rest. Eat better low-calorie foods, eat more fruits. If heat is observed during the anticyclone, physical activity should be excluded. Make sure the air conditioner is working in the room.

With a cyclone, you need to drink plenty of fluids, herbal decoctions. You need to sleep well, on awakening you can drink coffee or tea. You need to check the pressure readings on the tonometer several times during the day.

The anticyclone renders negative impact on hypertensive patients, but also hypotensive patients sometimes suffer from unpleasant symptoms. This can be explained by the adaptive properties of the body. If hypotensive patients have at least a slight increase in pressure (even if for ordinary people this indicator is the norm), they tolerate it very badly.

The cyclone is bad for the health of hypotensive patients. They show symptoms such as:

• Slowing down the speed of blood flow;
• Deterioration of blood supply to tissues and organs;
• Pressure drop;
• Weakened pulse;
• respiratory pathology;
• Dizziness;
• Weakness;
• Drowsiness;
• Nausea;
• Spasmodic head pain;
• The heart rate becomes faster.

Complications from the influence of a cyclone are a hypotonic crisis and coma.

To improve well-being, you need to raise blood pressure. A sound sleep will help with this, when you wake up, you can drink a drink with caffeine, take a contrast shower. During the negative effects of the cyclone and anticyclone, you need to drink more water, you can use ginseng tincture. Hypotension patients are very well influenced by hardening procedures.

A negative reaction to weather changes manifests itself in three stages:

1. Weather sensitivity - the appearance of weakness, which is not confirmed by medical research.
2. Meteorological dependence. Symptoms: decrease or increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
3. Meteopathy is the most difficult stage.
4. Meteopathy is a negative reaction of the body to changes in weather conditions. Negative reactions begin from a slight deterioration in well-being and end with severe pathologies of the myocardium, causing tissue damage.

The duration of symptoms and their intensity depend on weight, age, chronic diseases. Sometimes they can last a week. Meteopathy affects 70% of patients with chronic diseases and 30% of ordinary people.

If hypertension is combined with meteorological dependence, ailments can be affected not only by changes in atmospheric pressure, but also by other environmental changes. Such people need to be especially attentive to weather forecasts.

Atmospheric air is an environment that constantly surrounds a person, through which his primary vital needs are satisfied. The role of air in the occurrence and treatment of diseases was emphasized by Hippocrates. F.F. Erisman noted that any changes in the physical or chemical properties of the air easily affect the well-being of a person, violating the harmonic balance of our body, i.e. health.

Ecological role air environment for humans is as follows:

1. air delivers oxygen to the body;

2. accepts carbon dioxide and gaseous metabolic products;

3. affects thermoregulation;

4. through the air, the sun's rays act on the body;

5. air is a reservoir of harmful gases, suspended solids and microbes that affect a person.

In this topic, we will consider the impact on human health of the physical factors of air: temperature (T), humidity, atmospheric pressure, air velocity, ionization and solar radiation. It should be immediately noted that physical factors, unlike chemical factors, act on the body only complex.

The physical properties of atmospheric air - temperature (T), humidity, atmospheric pressure and speed of movement are meteorological factors of air. The measurement of their physical parameters is carried out with special devices: temperature - using a thermometer, humidity - a psychrometer and a hygrometer, air speed - an anemometer (in the atmosphere) and a catathermometer - in a dwelling, atmospheric pressure - a barometer. Hygiene assessment meteorological factors is carried out according to the degree of their impact on the body, for which integral indicators are used: temperature reaction - changes in T of the skin of the forehead (normal - 33-34 ° C) and hands (30-31 ° C), the amount of sweat evaporation (weight change) , pulse rate, respiration, blood pressure and subjective sensations of a person, for example, on temperature changes - on a 5-point scale: cold, cool, good, warm, hot; to the light - brightness, brilliance.

Air temperature depends on the time of year, climate zone, time of day, intensity of sunlight and the underlying surface of the earth. The sun's rays passing through the atmosphere do not heat it. The heating of the air comes from the heat transfer of the soil, which absorbs the sun's rays. Warm air rises to give way to cold air - this movement is called convection- it contributes to the movement of air masses and uniform heating of the surface layers of the atmosphere. The hygienic significance of air temperature lies in its effect on the body's heat exchange. Moreover, not only the absolute values ​​of air temperature, but also the amplitudes of its fluctuations are of hygienic importance. In humans, heat is generated as a result of oxidative processes in cells and tissues, and its normal existence is possible at a constant body temperature. Due to the complex mechanism of thermoregulation with the environment (in children under 7-8 years old it is imperfect), the body maintains a thermal balance. The most favorable for a person's well-being is T-18-22 o C (for men - 20 o C, for women - 22 o C) and the amplitude of its fluctuations is 2-4 o C during the day.

Air humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. It depends on the climatic zone, the season of the year and the proximity of water basins: in a maritime climate there is more moisture than in a continental or desert climate. The degree of air humidity is determined by three indicators: absolute, maximum and relative humidity. Absolute humidity - the amount of water vapor in grams per 1 m 3 of air at a given temperature. Maximum humidity - how much water vapor can be contained in the air at a given temperature, measured in g per m 3. Relative humidity is the ratio of absolute humidity to maximum, measured in%. Optimal parameters for health relative humidity - 30-60%. The hygienic significance of humidity is in its effect on human perspiration, which, by affecting body temperature, maintains its constancy. With an increase in humidity - in warmth a person becomes hot, in the cold - cold, chilly.

Atmosphere pressure is the pressure of the atmospheric column of air as a result of gravity. At sea level, the pressure is constant: per 1 cm 2 - 1.033 kg or 760 mm of mercury. The hygienic value of atmospheric pressure is in maintaining blood pressure (BP). An increase or decrease in pressure affects human physiology. For a healthy person, these changes are imperceptible, but for a patient they are sensitive: changes in pressure are signaled by well-being. At increase in pressure the partial pressure of oxygen increases (% of it remains the same): the pulse and respiratory rate slow down, the maximum blood pressure decreases and the minimum blood pressure rises, the vital capacity of the lungs increases, skin sensitivity and hearing decrease, there is a feeling of dryness of the mucous membranes (in the mouth), intestinal motility increases and gas outlet; blood and tissues absorb oxygen better, which improves performance and well-being. With an artificial increase in pressure (in divers), the dissolution of atmospheric nitrogen increases, which dissolves well in fats, nervous tissue and subcutaneous tissue, from where it slowly exits during decompression. When a diver quickly rises from a depth, nitrogen boils and clogs the small vessels of the brain, which causes the death of the diver, which requires him to be slowly removed from the depths. But even under normal operating conditions, divers cannot avoid vascular nitrogen embolism - their joints hurt and hemorrhages are frequent.

pressure drop causes a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen, and when climbing mountains and a decrease in its concentration. There are symptoms of "altitude sickness": drowsiness, an increase in maximum blood pressure and a decrease in minimum blood pressure, heaviness in the head, headaches, apathy, depression; the dissolved nitrogen released into the blood acts as pain in the joints and itching. In the city, the atmospheric pressure is lower than outside the city or on the plain, and the partial pressure of oxygen is lower. This determines the manifestation of symptoms of "altitude sickness" in people moving to the city from their summer cottage or from the countryside: shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, and nosebleeds occur.

air movement- is determined by the speed of its movement and the direction of the wind. Wind speed is measured in m/s. Good health is maintained when air moves at a speed of 0.1-0.3 m / s - this is the norm for residential premises. The lower limit of air movement from the hygienic side is determined by the need to blow off the enveloping person

SW FROM

from where it moves, and is called rumbo m. A graphical representation of the frequency of wind in a given area in the direction of parts of the world is called wind rose. For example, in fig. No. 1 shows a wind rose with a prevailing NE wind. The wind rose must be taken into account by architects when building residential areas and industrial enterprises: residential areas should be located on the windward side in relation to industrial enterprises.

In addition to meteorological factors, the quality of the air environment is characterized by air ionization and solar radiation.

Air ionization It is formed under the influence of electric discharges, radioactive elements, UV and cosmic rays. AT clean air Light negative ions predominate, while heavy positive ions predominate in polluted water. Polluted air in cities is less ionized than in rural areas and resort areas. Negative ions enter the dwelling from the street, and already in the window opening they make up only 20% of the street concentration. In multi-storey buildings, they are actively absorbed by concrete walls, dust, CO2, moisture, higher air temperature. In this case, instead of negative ions, the number of positive ions increases. It is stuffy for a person, it seems that there is “little air”, but in reality there are few negative ions. Therefore, the level of ionization of the dwelling is an indicator of the purity of the air. The hygienic role of negative ions - they negatively charge red blood cells, they absorb and release oxygen better, metabolic processes in tissues go better, acidosis decreases - mental work improves, efficiency increases, old age recedes. Mice in a 5-liter jar, which is supplied with ambient air passed through the electrodes, die after 2 hours, while the control with ordinary air live. Therefore, air ionizers such as Chizhevsky's lamps are used in dwellings. For medicinal purposes, air ionization is used to treat hypertension and bronchial asthma. Therefore, for a healthy lifestyle, it is advisable for people to be in the fresh air more often, and not sit out in an apartment.

Solar radiation. We owe life to the sun - it is a source of heat and light. Sunlight is a stream of electromagnetic vibrations, which, passing through the Earth's atmosphere, is partially absorbed, scattered, and only 43% reaches the soil. Sunlight affects the body with all parts of its spectrum. Visible part It has a general biological effect on the body, on the organ of vision, the central nervous system and through it on all organs. But different areas of visible light act differently: red rays excite; yellow, green - soothe; purple - oppressive. With a lack of light, vision strains and deteriorates (sharpness and speed of discrimination). High brightness - blinds and tires, and with prolonged exposure (snow) causes inflammation of the retina. Invisible part of the world: infrared and ultraviolet - very biologically active. infrared radiation is divided into 1) long-wave and 2) short-wave. Long-wavelength is absorbed by the surface layer of the skin and causes it to warm up, a burning sensation is felt. Shortwave is not felt and penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin, causing burns and general overheating of the body. In production, short-wave radiation causes changes in the cornea of ​​​​the eye, up to cataracts. At noon, short-wave radiation prevails, so sunbathing at this time is dangerous. UFL have the highest biological activity. In the spring, under their influence, metabolism, immunity, and working capacity increase. They have an anti-rachitic effect, tk. under their influence, vitamin D is synthesized in the skin, which improves calcium metabolism and blood formation, and the resistance of capillaries. Without UV radiation, rickets occurs in children, and osteoporosis in adults: calcium depletion of bones, leading to their fragility, teeth decay (caries). This condition is called “light starvation” - it is often of professional origin: among miners, among people sent to the North, and also among people who rarely go out into the fresh air. Prevention of hypovitaminosis D: exposure to the sun, exposure to UV lamps, taking calciferol. UV lamps also have a bactericidal effect - they kill microbes, which is used in medicine to destroy them with the help of UV lamps. Window glasses weaken UV radiation, so they need to be cleaned more often from dust. UV radiation has a harmful effect on the eyes, causing their inflammation (photophthalmia) - an occupational disease of welders, as well as climbers, residents of mountainous and arctic regions. Prevention: use of protective shields, black glasses, etc.