Meteosensitivity is a violation of the body’s adaptation to changes in weather conditions. It occurs with vascular dystonia, chronic diseases, and the consequences of injuries. It is manifested on the eve and during the period of a sharp change in meteorological factors by deterioration of well-being, cephalgia, blood pressure drops, shortness of breath, autonomic dysfunction, dizziness, muscle and joint pain. It is diagnosed taking into account complaints, objective symptoms. Treatment is carried out within the framework of the main pathology. Compliance with a number of rules is recommended to reduce weather sensitivity and avoid complications.
General information
Meteosensitivity has synonymous names: weather dependence, meteopathy. The statistics of the ambulance service indicate a significant increase in the number of urgent patients during the days of a sharp change in meteorological conditions. Official medicine does not consider meteosensitivity as a disease. The diagnosis is absent in the ICD-10, because in the course of research, the link between the deterioration of health and the change in weather could not be accurately established. People who react pathologically to fluctuations in meteorological factors are called meteopaths. The greatest susceptibility is noted to atmospheric pressure fluctuations, geomagnetic storms, changes in humidity, air temperature. Meteopaths are 30-35% of the population, among patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system, the number of weather-dependent persons reaches 70%.
Causes
The etiofactors leading to the formation of weather dependence have not been determined for certain. Observations show that meteosensitivity develops with chronically occurring diseases, especially with damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. A healthy person does not feel discomfort with a sharp change in environmental parameters within one climatic zone, since adaptive mechanisms function normally in his body. The disorder of the latter forms an increased sensitivity to weather changes. The development of weather dependence is promoted by:
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia. The disorders underlying the disease cause inadequate triggering of compensatory reactions in response to changes in atmospheric pressure perceived by baroreceptors. The result is an excessive increase / decrease in vascular tone, causing a deterioration in well-being.
- Chronic diseases. Atherosclerosis, hypertension are accompanied by a violation of vascular regulation. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure provoke narrowing of the vascular lumen, aggravating the symptoms of the underlying pathology. Patients with diseases of the heart and respiratory system are sensitive to increased humidity, because moist air contains less oxygen.
- Migraine. Meteosensitivity in migraine is due to the increased susceptibility of the receptors of the scalp. Hyperexcitation of the receptor apparatus under the influence of cold air, wind triggers a cascade of reactions leading to the occurrence of migraine paroxysm.
- Residual effects of CNS diseases. Weather dependence is observed after a stroke, traumatic brain injury, encephalitis. Its formation is explained by receptor hypersensitivity, persistent disorder of neuro-regulatory mechanisms involved in the correction of vascular tone, respiration, reflex sphere.
- Pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis, arthrosis, spinal diseases, previous injuries (fractures, wounds) cause hypersensitivity to cold, humidity, low atmospheric pressure. The occurrence of pain is associated with swelling of the affected tissues, which appears in response to the action of these meteorological factors.
- An unbalanced type of nervous system. Emotionally labile, excitable people are susceptible to weather dependence. Meteosensitivity is a consequence of increased excitability of receptors (temperature, barometric, tactile, chemical).
- Old age. Aging processes lead to a decrease in the efficiency of adaptive mechanisms. An elderly person becomes sensitive to changes in the weather.
Pathogenesis
In the body of a healthy person, the reaction to a change in the weather is the work of compensatory mechanisms. Pressure drops are balanced by adjusting the lumen of the vessels. The decrease in oxygen concentration in the air in wet weather is compensated by the corresponding work of the respiratory system. In the heat, the body is cooled by vasodilation, increased sweating. Vasoconstriction in cold weather helps to keep warm. These processes allow you not to feel discomfort from changes in weather conditions.
Meteosensitivity is formed when the adaptation mechanisms work in an inadequate way: vessels are excessively spasmed / dilated, the respiratory rate increases, the autonomic system, pain receptors are activated, etc. The result is a deterioration of well—being, aggravation of the symptoms of the underlying disease, in severe cases – the development of serious complications.
Classification
Meteosensitivity is accompanied by variable symptoms. Each meteopath has a similar pattern of manifestations. Depending on the prevailing symptoms , there are five main types of pathology:
- Brain — dominated by cephalgia, dizziness, ringing / noise in the head.
- Cardiac — manifested by shortness of breath, discomfort in the cardiac region.
- Mixed — cardiac and brain symptoms are noted at the same time.
- Asthenoneurotic — characterized by irritability, increased nervousness, sleep disorders, fluctuations in blood pressure.
- Indefinite — the patient is worried about arthralgia, myalgia without a clear localization, general malaise.
Symptoms
Deterioration of well-being is observed against the background of full health or current chronic condition, several hours / days ahead of the weather change. Patients who have suffered from brain diseases suffer from a cerebral variant of symptoms – headaches, difficulty concentrating, dizziness are noted. Possible migraine attack, cerebrospinal hypertension crisis. Meteosensitivity of the cardiac type occurs in cardiac pathology, is characterized by discomfort, pain in the heart, aggravation of shortness of breath. The mixed type occurs against the background of arterial hypertension, VSD. The clinical picture may include a hypertensive crisis, a panic attack.
Asthenoneurotic type meteosensitivity is characterized by a pronounced psychoemotional coloration of complaints. During the period of meteorological changes, patients are “irritated by everything”, their working capacity decreases, insomnia occurs. An indeterminate type is observed in lesions of the motor apparatus. It is characterized mainly by pain syndrome of various localization: in the area of affected joints, bones, places of old injuries.
Complications
The most serious reactions to the weather are observed in diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Meteorological adaptation is accompanied by inadequate severe vascular spasm, which can cause a hypertensive crisis, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke. According to some reports, during the days of the passage of cyclones, the incidence of myocardial infarction increases almost twice. These complications require urgent medical care, can cause death, deep disability.
Diagnostics
Most often, therapists, cardiologists, neurologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists face meteopathy. Usually, the syndrome is considered in the totality of symptoms corresponding to the current chronic disease. Meteosensitivity is established as a result of complaints, a patient’s survey. On days of weather changes, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, arterial hypotension, shortness of breath, discoloration of the skin of the face, distal extremities are objectively determined. There are no instrumental diagnostic methods capable of reliably diagnosing meteopathy.
Differential diagnosis is carried out with meteoneurosis — neurotic hypersensitivity to the weather, due to mental characteristics, the mood of the patient. Those suffering from meteoneurosis complain of a deterioration in their well-being with the onset of weather changes, after getting acquainted with the data of the weather forecast. Patients’ concern about meteorological changes comes to the fore. Objective symptoms are often absent.
Treatment
Since meteopathy is not a disease, there is no need for additional treatment. Therapy is carried out in relation to the underlying pathology, aimed at achieving stable remission, preventing complications. There are a number of recommendations to mitigate the manifestations of weather dependence.
- Exclusion of unfavorable factors. Those suffering from joint diseases are recommended to keep the body warm, and in the coldest, wettest weather, if possible, stay at home. If you are prone to migraines on windy days, you should wrap your face with a scarf.
- Giving up bad habits. Frequent alcohol intake and smoking weaken the body’s ability to adapt to meteorological changes.
- Medical support. There are urgent remedies that help prevent acute episodes of many diseases. A timely medication taken can get rid of a migraine attack provoked by weather conditions, a developed vegetative-vascular paroxysm, a hypertensive crisis, an attack of bronchial asthma.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A balanced fortified diet, moderate physical activity, a normal sleep/wake regime, water procedures, fresh air allow you to maintain the body in a healthy form.
- Reception of adaptogens. Preparations of Chinese lemongrass, ginseng, radiola rosea, eleutherococcus increase the adaptive abilities of the body. The expediency of taking the drug should be discussed with your doctor.
Prognosis and prevention
Since meteosensitivity is associated with chronic diseases, it is difficult to get rid of it. With the help of the above recommendations, it is possible to significantly reduce the severity of symptoms, significantly improve the quality of life of a meteopath. Primary prevention is reduced to general measures to maintain health, prevent injuries, strokes, timely treatment of acute diseases before their transformation into chronic forms. Secondary prevention and prevention of complications are based on compliance with medical recommendations.