Sometimes it really is the weather if we don't feel good: Sensitivity to weather is a scientifically proven phenomenon. Experts know tricks that can be used to prevent.
Munich (dpa / tmn) ─ Headaches, poor sleep, dizziness and general exhaustion: These symptoms can be triggered by the weather. Many people describe themselves as sensitive to the weather - and that is not imagination.
"It has been clearly proven that there is a sensitivity to the weather," emphasizes Prof. Angela Schuh, head of the Department of Medical Climatology, Spa Medicine and Prevention at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. "Almost half of the population in Germany suffers from it."
When the organism reacts to the weather
But not everyone who feels the effects of the weather in their body is necessarily weather-sensitive. "We divide people into different groups," explains Prof. Andreas Matzarakis, who works as the scientific director of the Center for Medical-Meteorological Research of the German Weather Service (DWD) in Freiburg.
He explains: "We are actually all weather-reactive. When the sun shines, we are happy. If it rains for three days in a row, it affects the mood."
In weather-sensitive people, however, it is not just the mood that reacts, but the organism to changes in weather. "If, for example, a low pressure area comes after a high pressure area, it becomes an increased challenge for the body," says the biometeorologist.
The third group - besides those who react to the weather and are sensitive to the weather - are weather-sensitive people: "They show very strong symptoms, for example their knee hurts or they have difficulty breathing," says Matzarakis. In these cases, the weather is not the cause of the problems, but it makes them worse. "People who are sensitive to the weather usually have a longer medical history."
How to prevent sensitivity to weather
If you are sensitive to the weather, you do not have to have chronic illnesses. However, there are various prerequisites that make people susceptible to it: "Part of the responsibility for being sensitive to the weather is the physical condition of the body," explains Angela Schuh.
"A lack of endurance training has a negative effect, at the same time people who are overtrained are particularly sensitive," says the expert. Light, moderate endurance training is best for prevention. At best, you are not dressed too warmly.
A so-called thermoregulatory lack of training also leads to sensitivity to the weather. "We can also train this system," says Schuh. "For example, through Kneipp treatments, hot and cold showers or visits to the sauna - always in consultation with a doctor."
Diet and sleep behavior are further factors: "If you want to train your sensitivity to the weather, you should generally lead a healthy life," says the expert. "This also includes observing the internal clock and getting enough sleep."
High pressure areas rarely cause problems
A change in the weather, in particular, can throw people who are sensitive to the weather out of balance and, in addition to dizziness or headaches, can also lead to an irritated mood, concentration disorders and nervousness.
"Most of the symptoms of weather sensitivity show up in areas of low pressure," says Andreas Matzarakis. As a rule, there are few complaints caused by high pressure areas ─ unless they are very hot in summer.
What is often overlooked on the subject from Matzarakis' point of view: The weather can not only have negative but also positive effects on health: "Rheumatic complaints or cardiovascular problems can be alleviated."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200818-99-213068 / 4
Health weather website of the German Weather Service
