Is there any health problem related to changes in humidity in the air?
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M$3 Answers
1) Asthma ... I suffer from bronchial asthma personally ... and humidity can really affect it - frequently being the trigger to an attack. This is also true from mold build-up due to excessive and constant humidity/moisture, as "awesome" mentioned above.
Oddly enough, one of the at-home treatments you commonly hear for asthma is to turn on your shower hot enough for it to steam your bathroom and just stand/sit in the bathroom for a bit and let the steam work. *shrugs* If humidity can cause an asthma attack, I don't think humidity with ease it LOL.
Now, sticking your head in the freezer does help because it contracts the bronchial tubes membranes, thus making it easier to breath.
2) Arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. Both can be affected by humidity. But like with asthma, this can vary from person to person, because no two patients have the exact same disease and symptoms. For some, humidity causes flare-ups, and for others humidity eases flare-ups.
3) A cousin to arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is Fibromyalgia, which I also have. Again, the effects of humidity on someone will vary. Both cold and humidity affect me, causing varying degrees of flare-ups ... muscles aching, etc.
With all of the above, the effects of low humidity levels and high humidity levels will vary from person to person, due to their uniqueness in their medical conditions, other environmental factors, etc.
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Actually I'm refering to a situation when you are used to one type of weather and then you move to the oppossite type. How does the body adapt? How long does it take?
It would depend on several factors. Age, elderly persons would have a harder time adjusting, especially if moving to a more humid climate. As would someone with a lower immune system.
As for an actual time frame, it would be hard to tell. The way a body responds to change differs from person to person. A healthy person would probably take from days to weeks until their body would settle to new temperatures while someone more feeble might take much longer. It also depends how abrupt the change is. If you were living in 70% humidity area and then moved to the very dry climate of 15%, You would notice your skin drying out rapidly as well as a scratchy throat, dry nose.. Your body might also respond with nausea, headaches, light-headedness etc.. From 15% to 70%, well 70% humidity is quite alot and can take a toll on the body. This could also lead to all the symptoms stated in all these answers.
Now 15% and 70% are too extremities and in themselves not very comfortable environments.
"The human body is comfortable when relative humidity ranges between 20 and 60 percent. In your home, an average relative humidity of 35 to 40 percent is appropriate when the outside temperature is 20°F or above. However, during cold weather, higher humidity ranges may cause structural damage because of condensation on windows and on the inside of exterior walls. As outdoor temperatures fall, condensation problems inside may develop." http://www.blueflame.org/datasheets/humidity.html
Now i do not know how to answer this anymore clearly and for future referrence, you may want to be more precise in your questions if you want a more specific answer. You originally asked for health problems concering changes in humidity, so don't be disapointed if those are the answers you are getting. Good luck.
Since i cannot move to a drier climate, i am currently using a dehumidifier. Since i've been using it, My since has gotten much clearer and my skin much softer. My nose is not constantly stuffed and the increase in my overall energy has increased. My brothers have asthma and using one has decreased the overall frequency and severity of their attacks.
Now If your asking for which problems would be caused by less humidity, I can't really say. I would assume over dryness could have it's downfalls( dry skin, dry mucous membranes..) but overall i think a drier atmosphere is better. Any abrupt change would cause the body a bit of discomfort as it adapts itself to a new environment.
You are right about the problems regarding humidity. What I would like to know is what hapens when it changes. Or when a person moves from a humid weather to a dry one (or vice versa).
Good Answer.
@nushka , I think the diseases here are relevant. :?
No, the question specifically asks about the change, not the humidity itself. I don't know how much clear I'm suppossed to be about this. Many things are affected by the change itself and not specific states. There are health problems related to both types of weather, of course, I already know that. However it is not the same to live your entire life in a humid place and suddenly move to a dry one.
I would really like the answerers to take the time to read carefuly the question before answering. If this was a test, they were all be failing.
there were two good answers here, so I could not vote for both.
Good job, very clear and concise! Maybe supply your source next time, but very good :-D
I guess I didn't make my answer clear, as I did understand your question and I was answering the subject of the changing of humidity.
Asthma, arthritis, and conditions like Fibromyalgia are all affected by changes in humidity. The actual even of rising and falling of humidity can cause a flare up in any of those conditions, or it can relieve a flare-up. That all depends on the individual's ailment, since no two people react quite the same way under the same environmental conditions.
As for my sources: My mom and I have all three conditions. My boss has the second two conditions. And all the doctors and specialists my Mom and I have visited over the last 20+ years.
Actually, it doesn't answer the question.
Thank you. I would like to be clear about the question. What I'm looking for is the effect of the change. Not the humidity itself. I could easyly find the effects of humid or dry weather (although the accurate personal experience is harder to find). But I have problems finding about the sudden switch.
Wow, really excellent answer. I'm looking forward to seeing you a bunch around Mahalo. Welcome!
Thanks for the responses. I am quoted my sources - me ... first-hand experiences. =)