ARE YOU METEOSENSITIVE?

Do you feel anxious on days when the wind is strong? Do your joints hurt with high humidity? Does your head hurt when it is overcast? There are many of us who, to a greater or lesser extent, notice some discomfort or pain when the weather changes. Our body is affected by changes in weather and this is called meteosensitivity.

Meteosensitive people are those who have a certain sensitivity to changes in some meteorological variable such as humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure or wind. To these factors, we must also add the permanent consequences of pollution. It is estimated that between 30 and 60 percent of the population is meteosensitive. Especially women because of their hormones and the elderly because they are more likely to have health conditions. Some more sensitive people may even suffer some degree of pain.

The explanation for this phenomenon is due to air ionisation, an invisible environmental factor. The atoms around us have a neutral electrical charge, but they can become negative or positive ions when they lose or gain electrons. Negative ions are linked to better physical and emotional health. The opposite happens with positive ions which harm the physical and mental state causing headaches, anxiety disorders and insomnia.

There are people capable of predicting atmospheric change as they feel discomfort in certain parts of the body such as the joints, for example. Changes in atmospheric pressure, such as an anticyclone or storm, can affect rheumatological diseases, causing symptoms in sufferers of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Certain people can feel these atmospheric changes in their body up to two days before the bad weather arrives.

In this part of southeastern Spain the predominant atmospheric factor is heat, followed by humidity for those who live near the coast. Exposure to very high temperatures can cause cardiovascular problems, dehydration, dermatological problems and cramps but can also affect mental health. Some people feel more apathetic or irritable and aggressiveness may be exacerbated.

Finally, there is another invisible element that surrounds us all and in fact affects the health of 9 out of 10 people, air pollution. It causes four million deaths a year worldwide and can reduce our life expectancy by up to eight months. It is greater in urban areas due to traffic or around certain petrochemical industries or other industries, but it can also reach us in rural areas due to agricultural burning or in times of haze.

If you are in the most sensitive group of people, a balanced diet and regular exercise will help mitigate your symptoms. If further help is needed, your GP can help you find a solution.