Humidity can be defined as the amount of water vapor that is present in the atmosphere. To put it in simple terms we can say that if the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is high the humidity is high and we can feel more wet outside.
There is a range of ideal humidity above which one can experience some sort of illness. 30-50% humidity is considered the ideal humidity range. In this article, we will discuss some of the common humidity illnesses and how we can prevent them.
common humidity sicknesses: High And Low Humidity Conditions
Humidity plays an important role in keeping us comfortable. A notable variation in humidity leads to a change in our body’s thermal comfort and this eventually leads to certain illnesses.
When the weather is warm and the humidity is high we may feel too hot because our body’s evaporation process is disturbed and by this, our body can’t keep itself cool. A notable increase in humidity can lead to a lot of ailments and a sudden decrease in humidity level can also affect us in certain ways.
The sickness caused by high humidity is:
- During high humidity, our body is incapable of letting out heat and as a result, we might feel too hot. This overheating leads to a condition called hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is a condition that can cause several other problems like dehydration, and fatigue …
- Molds and dust mites are excessively grown in high humidity conditions. This can seriously affect people with allergies and asthma. Also, it can cause irritation and some infections to people resulting in colds, coughs…
- Fever, headache, and cough are more common during highly humid regions because the body can’t take up too much heat and let out this heat in the form of a fever and so on.
- Heat rashes are also formed as part of the variation in humidity. This is caused by excessive sweat production and if this sweat is blocked by not letting it completely out this will bring in heat rashes or otherwise called as prickly heat.
- Heatstroke is serious among all heat-related issues. This happens when your body can no longer control its temperature and hence the sweating mechanism of your body fails. As a result, our body does not cool down and there is a sudden increase in body temperature afterward.
The sickness that is caused by low humidity
- Low humidity brings about issues like dry and flaky skin, itchy eyes and nose, irritated throat, and nasal passage.
Ways to reduce humidity sickness
- Wear as much light clothing as possible. You can wear clothes that are made using linen or cotton. The fabric should be breathable and don’t try to layer more clothes as this can trap in sweat and can cause you illness. Scratchy fabrics should be completely avoided to reduce irritation and itchiness.
- Staying hydrated is another key tip to control and prevent humidity sickness. Remember to incorporate more fluids that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes in it.
- Doing exercise can help you with humidity sickness and it is important to increase the level of exercise that you do at a slower pace.
- Protect yourself from sunburn. It is not good to step out in the sun during the peak hours as there is a high chance of sunburn.
- Air conditioning can give you maximum comfort and effect in dealing with humidity sickness.
- Avoid doing any kind of hard exercises in the scorching heat.
- You can use any kind of talcum powder that is unperfumed in areas that are affected by heat as a result of humidity increase.
- Try to include foods that are simple and can cool your body naturally such as salads.
Through this article, a general idea about what humidity is and how its variation can affect our day-to-day life is also discussed. Sickness caused by both high humidity and low humidity is also mentioned.
Major steps to reduce and prevent such humidity diseases are explained. Thus it is important to take good care of yourself in such changing humid conditions. If left untreated it can completely affect your daily routine and can affect the quality of your life.