How atmospheric pressure affects a person and his health

No matter how a modern person tries to isolate himself from nature, to show himself as an independent unit, the environment has an influence on him. This was established in antiquity, although the relationship between health and atmospheric pressure was not immediately proved.

Why is this happening, what atmospheric pressure is considered normal for a person?

Why is it necessary to know the indicators of atmospheric pressure?

For a long time, the air seemed to people to be absolutely weightless, even though its pressure was used with quite clear goals: to inflate the sail of the ship, to start the work of the blades of the mill. It was not until the mid-17th century that a pupil of Galileo invented a barometer, a device that made it possible to track the fluctuations of the air. It was then that it became clear that for every square centimeter of the Earth's surface, air presses with a force of 1.033 kg, and if we take into account the size of the body, then about 16,000 kg of air exerts pressure on a person every day. Discomfort does not occur only because this volume is distributed evenly and, in addition, it encounters resistance from the inside, from the internal organs, which also have oxygen in dissolved form.

• The barometer gives the measurement result in millimeters of mercury - abbreviated "mm Hg". Normal atmospheric pressure for a person is within 750-760 units. This is the most optimal corridor, taking into account the relief of the Earth.

The established standard of atmospheric pressure varies for each region: for Moscow, the average is 747-748 mm Hg, while in St. Petersburg the norm is much higher - this is 753-755 mm Hg. However, this does not mean that every resident of the city will perceive such indicators correctly: some need the very same 750-760 mm Hg, regardless of where they live, temporary or permanent. In this summer, the numbers are always higher than in winter.

• During the day, changes in atmospheric pressure by 1-2 units in either direction are considered normal and do not affect the human condition. Impairment of well-being is observed with distortion of 2-3 units in 3 hours.
• Normal atmospheric pressure over the entire surface of the globe is impossible: it is associated with the relief and remoteness (in height) from sea level, therefore it falls seriously in mountainous terrain. In addition, the closer to the north or south pole, the more pronounced these differences are felt. In the Equator zone, on the contrary, due to the flat terrain, there are almost no such jumps.
• It is noteworthy that even a rise of 100 m, which often happens to those who are forced to stay in high-rise buildings, already leads to a change in the zone of atmospheric pressure. But a person often subject to this quickly adapts.

The human body is very flexible, with proper training, it can adapt to fluctuations in atmospheric pressure (within certain limits), and its long-term decrease or increase will pass smoothly. Athletes, due to altered indices of physical endurance, can stay in low atmospheric pressure for a long time and feel good. But an ordinary person often feels all the fluctuations on himself, especially if they do not occur within 2-3 units, and happen in a short time.

Acclimatization after a long flight, i.e. changes of time and climate zones are one of the simplest examples of the effects on the body of changes in atmospheric pressure.

How atmospheric pressure affects a person?

When the force of air gravity on the body increases or decreases sharply, the activity of internal resistance should also change. Thus, there is a reaction of vessels in which oxygen is mixed with blood. In response to fluctuations in atmospheric pressure inside a person, arterial pressure oscillations begin. If the body is healthy, the vessels adapt quickly and smoothly, there will be no special problems, the changes "will pass by". But if they are very sluggishly compressed and unclenched, the normal blood flow is disturbed: it thickens, goes in jerks, or, on the contrary, hardly goes its own way. This is characteristic of persons with pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

• In order not to react sharply to such situations, doctors advise to pay attention to strengthening the vessels and improving their adaptation: a contrast shower, walking, gymnastics, physical exertion — all this naturally trains the cardiovascular system.

However, this step does not always save from meteorological dependence. Moreover, the effect of atmospheric pressure on a person’s blood pressure is not the only negative point. There is also a relationship between the respiratory system and the severity of air, especially for a person living in the metropolis, where the situation is aggravated by gas, oxygen deficiency due to the abundance of "concrete boxes" and the almost complete absence of green space. The immune system also suffers, as there is a decrease in the proportion of leukocytes, which leads to a weakening of the protective functions of the body. Accidentally flown virus can cause a long and serious illness.

• The main risk group for meteorological dependence is hypertension, persons with cardiac abnormalities, intracranial pressure disorders, asthmatics, and allergies. It is also highly likely to react sharply to fluctuations in atmospheric pressure in office workers who have to be in stuffy rooms and at high altitude.

The impact of natural instability affects both the physical condition of a person and the psychological:

• The inability to take a full breath, the feeling of lack of oxygen is the most common complaint that doctors record. In addition, shortness of breath can be added with minimal physical exertion (up to the usual walking through flat terrain), arrhythmia, tachycardia.
• There are headaches (most often - migraines, although there may be a feeling of "hoop" or pain in the back of the head), weakness, loss of concentration, drowsiness, and a feeling of heaviness in the limbs.
• Some people respond to atmospheric pressure surges with intestinal upset and / or epigastric pain. Poor circulation can lead to loss of sensation or cooling of the limbs.

It should be noted that not always blood pressure jumps after atmospheric: sometimes the symptoms listed above are the only one, which indicates a change in the weather. However, doctors still recommend that people with meteozavisimosti carry a blood pressure monitor to monitor the state of the vascular system at such times. If the body does not adapt to the frequent fluctuations in pressure in the region, doctors advise, if possible, to change their place of residence.