The Impact of Weather Conditions on Humans

The state of the weather affects transportation, daily plans, and what people wear. It even has a profound affect on how we feel. Aside from exacerbating medical conditions, the weather can directly correlate with things like mood and level of pain.

History

• The effects of hot and cold weather on pain and illness were noted by ancient Greeks 2,400 years ago, and Civil War physicians described amputee soldiers feeling phantom pain during changing weather.

Effects

• Dry, cold air has been correlated with migraine headaches, arthritic and general aches and pains, an increased rate of asthma attacks, and even exacerbation of circulatory conditions.

Types

• Mortality rates are higher in hot weather than during cold spells, studies have shown, with a significant effect on cardiovascular disease. The risks of mortality during heat waves are exacerbated by alcoholism, living on higher building floors, and using tranquilizers.

Psychological

• Longer periods of winter darkness seem to cause seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that can make people sleep up to 12 hours a day, have little energy, and isolate themselves from others.

Wind

• More than an indication of changing barometric pressure, wind can carry pollution and allergens such as pollen for long distances, affecting people with respiratory diseases like asthma.