Weather sensitivity — signals of underlying strain
Around one third of the population of the Federal Republic of Germany is sensitive to weather changes — which currently means well over 20 million people.
The degree of this “sensitivity” depends on factors such as age and gender, but above all, it depends on a person’s state of health! The more ill a person becomes, the more weather-sensitive they tend to be. That scars start to hurt again, or that healed bone fractures react to changes in the weather — everyone knows this by now. But the same applies when something is out of balance in the kidneys, the liver, the gut… or even on an emotional level — weather sensitivity appears.
So how many young children are actually weather-sensitive? My son is currently three years old, and it seems to make little difference to him whether it’s grey and dark outside, overcast, or even raining. His mood remains steady (and good), and he doesn’t complain of headaches, fatigue, or even depressive feelings.
It is only with the increase in illnesses — whether diabetes, rheumatism, depression, intestinal diseases (ulcerative colitis and many others) — that weather sensitivity grows, along with a greater tendency towards migraines.
The symptoms are varied: fatigue, low or irritable mood, lack of motivation, pressure in the head, restless sleep, difficulties concentrating, a higher tendency to make mistakes, forgetfulness, tightness around the heart — and, of course, pain in surgical scars and old fractures.
People who are sensitive to the weather tend, on average, to spend more time and more often under medical care than those who are not. They are also less physically active, more likely to struggle with excess weight, suffer more frequently from flu-like infections, and show a greater tendency towards vegetative (autonomic) disturbances.
So what happens physiologically, first of all? During a Foehn wind, we experience so-called descending winds in mountainous regions, bringing warm air — and with it, a range of challenges for the body. Heat causes blood vessels to widen. The body compensates by increasing the production of adrenaline in the adrenal medulla. Adrenaline narrows the blood vessels again — leading to higher blood pressure and, in some cases, a faster pulse. This creates physical strain. Especially for older people, this situation can be demanding.
Over the years, however, this counter-regulation becomes exhausted. As the production of adrenaline and noradrenaline declines, the well-known Foehn weakness eventually appears: fatigue, listlessness, and even dizziness.
At the same time, it must be said that both humans and animals need changing weather conditions in order to stay “in training”. The body remains in motion, adapts, and becomes more resilient. For our physical well-being, we actually need the constant stimulation of changing weather patterns.
Anyone who spends all their time indoors, at a comfortable 20 degrees, never exposing their body to any challenge (there are rain jackets — and there are saunas too), is missing this stimulation.
Who is affected?
Weather tends to have the strongest impact on people who are physically and emotionally unstable. It can only exert a negative influence where there is already a weak point. The claim that the weather is to blame for everything — something some people repeatedly put forward — is therefore false. As long as a person is psychosomatically out of balance, they are likely to remain weather-sensitive.
The weather itself does not make us ill. Anyone who wants to live without symptoms has to do something for their health. Weather affects people where they are most vulnerable — and it makes no difference whether that weak point is a healed bone fracture or a depression.
Common sense might tell us that sunshine makes depression disappear, while rainy weather makes it worse. Experience, however, has often shown the opposite: long periods of fine weather can be especially challenging for people with depression. Today we know that inhibited, low-energy individuals with moderate to severe depression often find their deep inner distress easier to bear when their surroundings reflect little cheerfulness or drive — when gloomy weather brings a quieter, more subdued atmosphere.
What we call “weather” is actually a complex conglomerate of physical factors. These include infrared radiation of specific wavelengths, humidity effects, air circulation, ultraviolet light intensity, trace elements and air pollution, sound waves, air ionisation, as well as electrostatic and electromagnetic fields.
Depending on the degree and nature of a person’s health imbalance, one individual may be more sensitive to certain factors, another to different ones.
When taking a medical history, weather sensitivity — its type and intensity — is highly relevant if we want to draw meaningful conclusions. Yet from a clinical perspective, questions about which symptoms worsen, how strongly, and under which weather conditions are still rarely asked — and even more rarely evaluated.
