Newsletter #06
Weather or Not?
by Andrew Rader, LAc, MS
This is the time of year when we, in the northern hemisphere, are tilted away from the sun and experience the effects of short days and long nights. The further north we are, the more extreme the situation. Temperatures drop, weather patterns shift, and so do our daily routines.
Now we have the specter of global warming and the unpredictable nature of what were once more dependable weather patterns. Light patterns; however, have not changed. Many folks wake in the dark predawn hours, leave for the day, then return again in the dark. Only on weekends do some people actually see their homes during daylight hours.
What does it mean for our psyches and somas to experience significantly less sunlight at this time of year as opposed to the long days of spring and summer? How do the affects of global warming affect our health? In the latest issue of Alternative Therapies, Larry Dossey, MD has written a review of how weather influences health. I have summarized some of his findings here with particular concern for fall and winter.
SEASONAL AFFECT DISORDER
Somewhere between 2% and 5% of the populace of North America suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder, (SAD). It is a type of depression related to the loss of light. When spring comes around those afflicted return to normal. The connection with loss of light is bolstered by the results of controlled studies that demonstrate between 60% and 90% of SAD sufferers respond to as little as 30 minutes a day of full spectrum light therapy. I would suggest that unless you are living in the extreme north or areas where the sun rarely shines, one should make it a priority to get some exposure to authentic sunlight as often as possible. When this is not possible, the full spectrum lighting may be utilized as an alternative.
MIGRAINES
A Canadian neurologist, Werner Becker, has studied the experiences of 75 migraine sufferers and compared the weather findings to their symptoms. It appears that the Chinooks, the warm winds that may appear in midwinter, seemed to precipitate an exacerbation of migraine attacks. Becker postulates that a drop in barometric pressure may stimulate headaches. Another unpublished 11-year study of Canadian migraine patients associated sunny, dry days of high pressure with decreased frequency and severity of migraines.
HEART DISEASE
Cold weather and extreme hot weather have been shown to correlate to increases in heart attacks. It appears that sudden change in temperature or exposure to exreme temperature is most crucial. For instance, leaving an overheated house to shovel snow is one well-known risk factor for heart attack. Deer hunting is another. Both situations combine non-acclimation to cold temperatures with vigorous activity--a deadly combination. In Chinese medicine, it is recognized that cold is an element that causes contraction, and an increase in blood viscosity, which is exactly what you don't want if your arteries are occluded. Basically, any activity that puts a significant stress on the body is risky business. Additionally, a drop in barometric pressure provokes an increase in risk for heart attacks and coronary death. It is imperative that anyone who is not aerobically in shape must take into account the stress and strain of cold weather. Hire a local high school student to shovel that driveway. As always, discretion is the better part of valor.
HIV/AIDS
It appears that exposure to UV light stimulates the activity of HIV. Concomitantly, there is a 12% dip in AIDS diagnosis in winter compared with summer. For someone with HIV/AIDS and SAD, one is faced with a dilemma. My hunch is that the small amount of sunlight that it would take to improve winter blues would not be enough to stimulate significant viral activity.
"Although we spend most of our hours in climate controlled environments, there is no escaping the effects of Mother Nature. Our lack of exposure to the elements in modern times has weakened us so that when we do experience being outdoors in inclement weather, our defenses are weakened. We are not hardened and inured to the vagaries of climactic conditions. If we are aware of how much of an impact weather has, we will be more apt to respect it, to enjoy it, and less likely to suffer the consequences of being left out in the cold."
References:
*Dossey. Alternative Therapies, Sept/Oct 2001
*Terman et al. Neuropsychopharmacology
*Lloyd, E.L. Public Health
*Stephenson, J. JAMA
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