Low atmospheric pressure and its impact on health

Arabia's weather - pressure is the force exerted over a specific area, and atmospheric pressure is the weight of an air column over a specified area of ​​the earth. The atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 760 mm of mercury, or in millibars, it is 1013.25. These values ​​differ between the mountain region and the valley but the mean is what is measured at sea level.

Atmospheric pressure, like other components of the weather, can affect the human body and its health in general, as its change constitutes a reflection and effect on the body, especially if there is a pre-existing disease, for example the human head is an organ of the brain located inside a surrounding fluid and closed inside a bony skull. The external pressure on this fluid leads to its expansion or contraction. This change can expose a healthy person or a patient more clearly to the feeling of pain or the emergence of other symptoms.

Therefore, many studies were conducted to study the effect of changing atmospheric pressure on a variety of diseases, including the relationship of low air pressure, migraines, joint pain, and ear diseases.

Hypotension and migraine

Migraine or migraine , is one of the types of chronic headache affecting women more, and is characterized by severe attacks of headache affecting one side of the head often and this headache is accompanied by vomiting and a feeling of nausea, in addition to the discomfort of light and the inability to speak. This headache can recur and last between 4-72 hours. A group of factors affect the occurrence of headaches, including change in the weather, lack of sleep or sleep a lot, and severe tension, also associated with some women the occurrence of a headache in the period before the onset of the menstrual cycle, and the effect of some types of food such as sugars has been proven related to the frequency of headaches .

In addition to all of the above, the weather with its various components such as temperature, wind speed, humidity, and air pressure affects the course of migraines, and can cause migraine attacks in 20% of cases. There are many theories regarding the explanation for the cause of migraine, the most important of which is a change in blood flow due to an aneurysm in the brain. This change in blood vessels and their dilation is affected in some way by the different atmospheric pressure affecting the human body in general.

The effect of temperature difference and the accompanying difference in the rate of atmospheric pressure was documented in a Japanese study conducted on 7054 migraine patients, it was observed that a temperature rise of 5 degrees Celsius during the 24 hours preceding admission to the hospital increases the likelihood of a severe headache attack by an average of 7.5 %. In addition, the time before the storms by 48-72 hours increases the rate of admission to the hospital due to headaches in general, whether it is a headache associated with migraine or headache in healthy people.

The ideal atmospheric pressure is 1013 atmospheric pressure units (hectopascals), and a decrease in barometric pressure between 6-10 units has been associated with a higher likelihood of migraine headaches. This change in air pressure usually precedes the occurrence of air storms by a short period, so it is possible that migraine patients feel this because of the headache.

It should be noted that migraine patients are more sensitive than others to the change in the level of atmospheric pressure, and their nervous system is more sensitive to the change in pressure, and their pain level is low, so they feel pain more than others. Therefore, there is a good proportion of migraine patients affected by the change of weather significantly, in these cases it is advised to keep the necessary medicines within the reach of the patient to alleviate the severity of the headache as much as possible.

Low air pressure and joint pain

The joint consists of cartilages that envelop the bones to reduce the friction between them, and cushion-like bodies that contain a viscous gelatinous fluid within them, and the function of these bodies is to prevent direct bone friction, pressure distribution, and flexibility of movement of the joint. In addition to intra-articular fluid.

The effect of weather on joint pain is not a scientifically proven matter, but elderly people (patients with osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis) often complain of joint pain in cold weather, and some tell that they can know when the weather will be cold and rainy due to the increase in joint pain Therefore, researchers have tried, through a large number of studies, to explain this link between the exacerbation of joint pain and cold weather.

One of the theories that explained this relationship is that the increase in joint pain is not only due to cold weather and low temperature, but also due to the effect of atmospheric pressure, as the decrease in atmospheric pressure means the decrease in the pressure on the gel and liquid cushions inside the joint, which gives it an opportunity to expand, this The expansion of the fluid increases pressure on the surrounding nerves, which creates a sensation of pain.

There are also other theories that talk about a decrease in air temperature and an increase in the viscosity of the fluid inside the joint, which makes the joint more stiff. In addition to lack of movement during cold weather, it affects the flexibility of muscles and tendons. All of these factors combined can affect joint pain, especially in the event of a previous problem such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Low air pressure and ear diseases

The inner ear is naturally filled with fluid, and this fluid is sensitive to sudden changes in atmospheric pressure that occur in the spring in particular. When the atmospheric pressure drops rapidly, this means that the pressure outside the ear drops before the pressure inside the ear has adapted. The result is an imbalance in pressure inside the ears. This can cause a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears. Seasonal allergies exacerbate the problem by causing the Eustachian tube to narrow, making equalizing the pressure more difficult.

Patients with Menière's Disease, in particular, can suffer greatly during the weather changes in the spring. Because, in general, the fluid in the inner ear circulates, but problems occur when the excess fluid production that characterizes Meniere's disease is under the influence of increased pressure outside, causing swelling of the fluid pool inside the lymph chambers and the result is discomfort, a feeling of fullness and pressure inside the ear, as well as the possibility of other symptoms. Like tinnitus and vertigo.

A sudden change in pressure to the ears while diving or riding a plane can be harmful to people with problems with the ears and the Eustachian tube. Therefore, one should be careful not to experience a sudden change in pressure for them.

Altitudes and low air pressure

Altitudes and rise to higher than sea level are associated with a decrease in the total air pressure, and the amount of oxygen in the surrounding air, the decrease is gradually. As a result, the work required by the heart and lungs increases to provide the necessary oxygen, and the body needs a sufficient period of time to acclimatize to the difference in external pressure, up to 6 weeks, of course, the time required to adapt to the increase in altitude and pressure decreases.

Different parts of the body respond to the decrease in pressure and the accompanying decrease in the level of oxygen in the air in different ways, as the brain functions decrease, the performance of mental tasks becomes more difficult and the person's ability to make decisions is affected. The respiratory system is also affected by low pressure, and some people who go to high areas suffer from fluid accumulation in the lungs, whose only treatment is to return to a lower and more pressure area to restore balance to the body, in addition to the importance of placing an oxygen tube. There are many other symptoms of ascending to heights, but gradual exposure to low pressure and low oxygen helps the body adapt and reduces the side effects that can affect a person.

Medical.