12 Tips for Midlife Weight Loss From Guinness Record-Holder
Fix Your Form: Make Over Your Crunches
How the cold weather affects your health
Posted on Feb 5th 2007 5:00PM by Bethany SandersFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
It's cold outside! Even my winter-loving, snowball-chasing dog pokes her nose out the door, then returns with a sigh and a flop to the sunny spot on the floor for yet another nap. Schools all around us are closed and we've all been warned to stay inside, lest we turn into icicles upon contact with the arctic air outside. Since a large portion of the country is stuck in the same cold snap, I thought today might be a good day to talk about this article from the Weather Channel.
Have you ever heard anyone claim that they can predict the weather by judging how they feel day to day? Though experts can't pinpoint any scientific data that says chronic conditions flair up more when it's cold or windy or raining, they admit that people are feeling real pain, and feeling it more intensely when the weather is bad. Gloomy weather certainly affects our moods, especially in the late months of winter, and some experts believe that when people are feeling low emotionally, their pain seems worse. But many arthritis sufferers swear their symptoms worsen with the weather, and those with chronic diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, fibromyalgia, migraine or sinus headaches, and asthma may notice a difference as well.
The major culprit seems to be barometric pressure, which fluctuates as the weather changes. People with sinus problems may have sinus cavities that are slow to equalize the pressure, leading to sinus headaches. As many as half of all migraines may be triggered by weather, with cold, dry weather (such as wintertime) carrying the most complaints. Asthmatics may suffer on windy days, when gusts bring in pollen and pollutants to irritate delicate airway passages.
What about you? Do you have a chronic condition that flairs in the winter time or when cold or warm fronts come through? Or do you agree with some of the experts, and think that bad weather just makes us grumpy and more susceptible to complaining?
Have you ever heard anyone claim that they can predict the weather by judging how they feel day to day? Though experts can't pinpoint any scientific data that says chronic conditions flair up more when it's cold or windy or raining, they admit that people are feeling real pain, and feeling it more intensely when the weather is bad. Gloomy weather certainly affects our moods, especially in the late months of winter, and some experts believe that when people are feeling low emotionally, their pain seems worse. But many arthritis sufferers swear their symptoms worsen with the weather, and those with chronic diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, fibromyalgia, migraine or sinus headaches, and asthma may notice a difference as well.
The major culprit seems to be barometric pressure, which fluctuates as the weather changes. People with sinus problems may have sinus cavities that are slow to equalize the pressure, leading to sinus headaches. As many as half of all migraines may be triggered by weather, with cold, dry weather (such as wintertime) carrying the most complaints. Asthmatics may suffer on windy days, when gusts bring in pollen and pollutants to irritate delicate airway passages.
What about you? Do you have a chronic condition that flairs in the winter time or when cold or warm fronts come through? Or do you agree with some of the experts, and think that bad weather just makes us grumpy and more susceptible to complaining?
