ASOURCE Navi

The rainy season has arrived again this year. During the rainy season, there are probably more than a few people who are not feeling well, such as headaches and feeling sluggish. Discomforts caused by weather changes are called ``weather sickness'' (or ``weather pain'') and are said to be increasing year by year. Therefore, we will summarize the symptoms and causes of weather diseases, as well as how to deal with and prevent them.

Recent studies have shown that changes in weather have a significant impact on the human mind and body. Weather disease is a general term for poor physical condition caused by major changes in the weather such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. It is estimated that more than 10 million people suffer from poor physical condition due to the weather. Weather disease is not an official disease name, but it is also known as "weather pain" and recognition is spreading.

Common weather symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, stiff neck and shoulders, joint pain, numbness in hands and feet, depression, nausea, asthma, low blood pressure, and pain from old injuries. According to a large-scale questionnaire survey on weather conditions that affect chronic pain reported in 2015, out of approximately 6,000 residents over the age of 20 living in Owariasahi City, Aichi Prefecture, 2,687 responded with pain for more than three months. Approximately 40% of the respondents had chronic pain, of which approximately 25% and 24%, respectively, answered that their chronic pain worsened when the weather was bad and when bad weather was approaching. About 47% of respondents said their chronic pain worsened when it got cold.

These symptoms are caused by disturbances in the autonomic nervous system and are said to be susceptible to changes in barometric pressure. Among them, it is said that symptoms tend to appear when the atmospheric pressure drops. In the back of the human ear, there is a sensor called the inner ear that senses changes in atmospheric pressure, and conveys changes in atmospheric pressure to the autonomic nerves of the brain. It is thought that people with weather disease have sensitive sensors in their inner ear, and even the slightest change sends excessive information to their brains, causing the autonomic nervous system to become unbalanced.

As a countermeasure against weather disease, it is most important to balance the autonomic nervous system. Early to bed, early to rise, breakfast, moderate exercise, enough sleep, bathing, etc. lead a regular life. And it is known that the cause of the sensitivity of the sensor in the inner ear is poor blood circulation in the inner ear, so improving the blood circulation in the inner ear is an improvement method. It's also a good idea to put a hot towel or a warm plastic bottle behind your ears to keep them warm on a daily basis. Ear massage is also effective. Pinch both ears and pull up and down, sideways, or turn them backwards, or cover both ears with your palms and turn them backwards. It is said to have the effect of improving the flow of lymph fluid in addition to the blood flow around the ears.

Also, recently, apps that display changes in barometric pressure in real time and warn you of headaches or predict changes in barometric pressure have appeared, so it is also useful to make use of them. Although the number is small nationwide, outpatient clinics specializing in meteorological diseases are also open, so consultation is also possible.

I want to get through the gloomy rainy season by fixing my autonomic nerves.