Temperature roller coaster: "The more intense the weather change, the more severe the symptoms"
Temperature roller coaster Why the weather makes us slack
"The more intense the weather change, the more severe the symptoms"
The best researched are the thermal conditions. If the temperatures change, the body intervenes. When body temperature is too low, an increase in muscle activity, such as cold shivering, can provide heat production. A constriction of blood vessels restricts blood flow to the hands and feet to ensure the operating temperature for vital organs inside the body. In heat, on the other hand, the vessels are dilated and the evaporation of sweat through the skin and mucous membranes is stimulated in order to achieve cooling.
Sudden stress
This explains why sudden and drastic weather changes are particularly stressful for our bodies. Because they require our body to adapt quickly. This is hard work. In very hot weather, the circulatory system works at full speed to cool the body down. If the temperature then suddenly drops sharply again, this can be stressful. "The more intense the weather change, the more severe the symptoms occur", explains Ingo Frobose. "Many an organism is then overwhelmed". The result: the circulation goes crazy, we get dizzy.
Lifting the nose is dangerous
It is often said that pulling mucus up through the nose is not only rude and unappetizing, but also dangerous, as the mucus becomes trapped in the sinuses. Medical expert Carsten Lekutat clearly refutes this claim: it is not the pulling up of mucus that is dangerous, but blowing your nose too vigorously. Because the resulting prere directs the mucus from the nose in the worst case into the sinuses or through a channel in the nasopharynx into the middle ear. Even if blowing your nose is probably more mannerly, it is not healthier.
Sitting in an odd position is bad for the back
This popular wisdom is not true. Not strictly straight sitting, but dynamic sitting is relieving for the back. Scientific studies have shown that, contrary to popular belief, a backrest tilted backwards by 135 degrees is optimal for the back, as the intervertebral discs are most protected in this position. However, constant movement is just as important for the functioning of the joints, in order to provide the necessary blood flow to the cartilage and intervertebral disc tie.
Brushing teeth after eating prevents tooth decay
A common belief is: "Don't forget to brush your teeth after eating!"This is obvious, since caries-causing bacteria can be found in abundance in hard dental plaque. Carbohydrates ingested with food are converted into acids and attack the tooth. But according to Dr. Carsten Lekutat brushing teeth immediately after eating is counterproductive. "So if we scrub blithely right after eating, we are not destroying the caries bacteria with our toothbrush, but the enamel, the most important protective layer of the teeth," explains the physician. So after a meal, saliva should be relied upon as a natural bacterial protector. Don't reach for the toothbrush until half an hour later at the earliest – when the acid has been neutralized.
An antibiotic is needed for green nasal mucus
That the extent of respiratory diseases such as sinusitis can be recognized by the color of the nasal mucus is nothing more than a myth. A British study shows that antibiotics are prescribed much more frequently for this type of mucus than for clear discharge. However, this does not indicate the type of disease, as it occurs with both bacterial and viral inflammation, according to Lekutat. In addition, an improvement of the symptoms – regardless of whether antibiotics were administered or not – always occurred after seven days. So the discoloration says nothing about the need for treatment with antibiotics. Most inflammations subside on their own after a few days without medical therapy.
Finger cracking causes joint pain and rheumatism
The cracking of the fingers is declared to be dangerous. A widespread myth says that it causes joint problems or even rheumatism. Although the cracking is not completely harmless, because it can cause swelling of the finger and reduce the strength in the hands. However, the nervous squeezing of the fingers is not harmful to the joints. The scientists Castellanos came to this conclusion. Axelrod in a scientific study published in 1990. Chiropractors even use it as a treatment method to release blockages caused by untrained joints. Finger cracking therefore causes at most temporary swelling or weak hands, but not rheumatism-like complaints. Who operates the cracking as means for the stress dismantling, can and should however definitely on health-promoting measures as for example autogenous training or Yoga fall back.
A shot of schnapps after a meal stimulates digestion
This belief is among the most widespread. But the fact is: alcohol inhibits digestion. It distracts the liver from digesting the food. Even hinders the emptying of the stomach. "When feeling full, a walk or a warm tea is useful. Preventive helps of course also to eat moderately", Thomas Meier, gastroenterologist at the Diagnostic Center Fleetinsel Hamburg, knows.
Alternating showers strengthen the immune system
"Water is my best friend and will remain so until I die," Sebastian Anton Kneipp, the inventor of the well-known water cure, once said. It is at least proven by doctors that alternating showers have a positive effect on the immune system. A study by the University of Jena concluded that patients with chronic bronchitis developed a 13 percent stronger immune defense and the number of infections decreased after ten weeks of Kneipp water treatment.
In addition, researchers speak of a "learning effect of the body". By getting used to temperature changes, the organism can also cope with them better. According to specialist Carsten Lekutat, regular alternating showers have a threefold positive effect: they invigorate, strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of infection.
The effects of fluctuations in air prere have also been studied, such as those that occur more frequently during stormy weather. Various studies have shown that they have an effect on heart rate, blood prere, concentration and short term memory. This can lead to complaints such as headaches, general malaise and even a heart attack.
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"A heart attack is certainly never triggered only by changes in air prere", emphasizes Ursula Marschall. A young healthy person without previous illnesses does not have to fear changed air prere. But in a patient with risk factors such as corresponding previous damage to the heart, calcified veins and stress, altered oxygen prere may well be a final piece in the mosaic for triggering a heart attack, Marschall says.
We are effeminate
How sensitively we react to the weather depends to a large extent on the state of health and the adaptability of the organism. One is not powerless against weather sensitivity. On the contrary. According to doctors it is a homemade problem. Heating and air-conditioning systems in homes, offices and cars really make us feel soft. The worst are the Americans, says Ingo Frobose, who turn on the heating in the car before they leave the house. "You have to feel the weather stimuli and not only look out of the window."
The "comforts of civilization deprive our body of the exercise possibilities for the reaction to warmth and cold, with which the blood vessels must be put wide and narrow, explains also Ursula Marschall. "The body has to cope with completely different conditions than in the past, when life was mostly outside." She therefore advises to avoid air-conditioning at times and to undergo "vascular training" through exercise in the fresh air to undergo.
What you can do about weather sensitivity? Here are the most important tips:
Tips against weather sensitivity
As a year-round preventive measure against circulatory problems, alternating showers, Kneipp treatments and sauna sessions are recommended. This trains the circulation and blood vessels. "Taking a sauna is a highly intense stimulus", Frobose explains. Sensitive persons or people with pre-existing diseases of the respiratory or cardiovascular system should therefore discuss sauna visits with their doctor beforehand. After a shower, it's a matter of gritting one's teeth, turning the shower on cold and showering off the legs. This not only refreshes and wakes up in the morning, it also helps the body to train the opening and closing of blood vessels.
Regular stays outdoors are recommended, because fresh air boosts oxygen supply. This also weans the body off air conditioning and heating systems and helps it get used to temperature changes again.
A stressful situation is easier to put away when you are relaxed and balanced. Weather changes are also stressful, so relaxation exercises and yoga can help against weather sensitivity. Sufficient sleep is important for physical and mental recovery and thus for well-being. We feel better after spending several hours in silence. Nights spent awake are a stress factor, and this also reduces physical resilience.
Especially at high temperatures it is important to drink enough. Water should be used first and foremost. Those who do heavy work outside, such as construction workers or high-performance athletes, should make sure they drink low-sodium water so as not to upset the body's salt balance. But this does not apply to the normal office worker who "walks outside for 20 minutes", according to Marschall. Those who do not feel thirsty (especially children and the elderly) can orient themselves by the color of their urine – if it is dark yellow, they need to drink more.
Those who do not like to drink should pay attention to the selection of liquid-containing foods. Marschall recommends watermelon, soup, salad or yogurt. "Regional and seasonal fruit contains a lot of vitamin C, so you're also doing something good for your immune system". Fatty and heavy foods only put additional stress on the body.
Exercise and sports challenge the body. Even a daily walk helps to adjust the body to the natural temperature fluctuations. The motto is: Get out of the gym, even in winter. Important: Act according to the individual possibilities and forces. "It is all good, whereby one also feels good", says Marschall. Those who feel underchallenged by walking can also go jogging – in doing so, one should listen to one's body and not, as an untrained person, immediately set off in the greatest midday heat. It is necessary to know one's own limits and to move within them.
So far there is no scientific data that individual homeopathic preparations reduce weather sensitivity. Marschall says: "It is very important that you always see the topic of weather sensitivity as only one piece of a mosaic in a big picture of many factors". Therefore, one cannot expect that one preparation will affect all facets at once. "Homeopathy can be helpful and supportive for some patients", adds Marschall. Psychological effects should not be underestimated. The feeling that you are doing something to make yourself feel better – for example through diet, sleep or exercise – may mean that additional drugs are no longer necessary.