At altitude the pressure is higher or lower. Atmospheric pressure in mountains higher or lower
Hypertension, or arterial hypertension, is the most common disease of the cardiovascular system on the planet, the main manifestation of which is high blood pressure: indicators reach 140/90 mm. Hg Art. and higher.
Every second person on the globe suffers from hypertension, regardless of gender, age, race and social living conditions. However, scientists have not yet been able to find a method to completely cure this disease.
Symptoms of arterial hypertension
Despite its prevalence, most people do not know how hypertension manifests itself, and the first symptoms of the pathology are attributed to ordinary fatigue or, conversely, overexcitement. Unfortunately, very often the diagnosis is made in the hospital after the patient has been taken there by ambulance.
The following signs should be the reason to purchase a tonometer and be examined by a cardiologist:
- Frequent dizziness, ringing in the ears;
- Weakness, fatigue, fatigue;
- Decreased memory and performance;
- Headaches, migraines, often accompanied by attacks of nausea;
- Weak but rapid heartbeat;
- Visual and hearing impairment, blurred vision;
- Trembling hands, numbness of fingers;
- “Bags” under the eyes, swelling of the face, legs;
- Redness of the face and profuse sweating;
- Sudden panic attacks, causeless anxiety;
- Slow reactions, stupor.
Even if one or more of the listed symptoms bother you only periodically and are not observed at all on weekends, after a good rest, or on vacation, there is cause for concern - hypertension is an insidious disease that may not make itself felt for a long time, and then manifest itself as a hypertensive crisis and a sharp deterioration in condition.
Causes of development and risk factors
Hypertension cannot be cured, but it can be prevented. Risk factors that provoke its development are:
- Hereditary predisposition to vascular diseases.
- Bad habits – smoking and alcohol.
- Constant stress and anxiety.
- Chronic lack of sleep and overwork.
- Excess weight.
- Hormonal surges in women during menopause.
- Excessive consumption of salt and coffee.
The risk group includes men over 45 years of age, women over 55 years of age, and professional athletes of any age. If at least two risk factors are detected, there is already something to think about.
Complications of hypertension
Symptoms of the pathology, initially rare and not causing any particular problems, can lead to the following complications as the disease progresses:
- Cardiac ischemia;
- Myocardial infarction;
- Stroke;
- Fundus pathologies;
- swelling of the brain or lungs;
- Kidney failure.
And these are not all the consequences of hypertension. It cannot be cured, since it is a human condition rather than a specific disease.
But high blood pressure can be corrected and complications can be prevented with the help of the simplest actions and measures: stick to a salt-free diet, give up bad habits, exercise in moderation and avoid stress. Treatment of hypertension is not about taking medications and surgery, but about lifestyle.
Today many people prefer to relax in the mountains. Mountain holidays mean stunning views, fresh air and active pastime. However, when going on holiday in the mountains, it is necessary to take measures to avoid the so-called mountain sickness.
Tourists these days often go on vacation to the mountains without any preparation, ultimately risking their own health. Why do people get sick in the mountains? The reason for this is thin mountain air, strong winds, low atmospheric pressure - all these factors provoke the development of altitude sickness. Therefore, it is better to go to the mountains fully armed to avoid health problems.
For a person accustomed to the mountains, the threshold altitude is 2000-2500 m above sea level, but an unprepared person, going on vacation in the mountains, can feel the symptoms of mountain sickness already at an altitude of 1300-1500 m. What are these symptoms?
People who have climbed to an unusual height often experience:
- lethargy, apathy, decreased concentration;
- difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough;
- dizziness and headache, sleep disturbance;
- cardiopalmus;
- muscle weakness, poor coordination and deterioration in orientation;
- swelling of the legs;
- nausea, dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, loss of appetite.
How can you quickly adapt, avoid altitude sickness and enjoy your holiday in the mountains? Cardiologists advise the following: in order to avoid the above symptoms, take 1-2 tablets of Panangin 2 times a day, 0.5 tablets of Diacarb and 0.5 tablets of Dibazol (10 mg). Diacarb is a mild diuretic that will reduce intracranial pressure, while panangin will make it easier to bear loads, and dibazol will dilate blood vessels.
American scientists claim that a mountain vacation will be better if you stock up on... Viagra. In this case, Viagra will not be used for its intended purpose, but as a means of helping to establish good blood circulation in the lungs and limbs. It should be noted right away that only people whose cardiovascular system is normal are allowed to take Viagra in the mountains. In this case, Viagra is contraindicated for people with heart disease and people with high blood pressure.
What other means will help make your mountain holiday better and avoid altitude sickness?
- Vitamin C is an excellent remedy for oxygen starvation. Once in the mountains, take up to 500 mg twice daily.
- Take vitamin E 200 mg and lipoic acid 300 mg twice a day, these funds help normalize breathing and are also antioxidants.
- Riboxin should be taken 1-2 tablets per day, it normalizes the functioning of the heart and liver.
- Take calcium pantothenate (vitamin B3) 1 tablet (100 mg) per day, it improves metabolism.
What happens to a man in the mountains
Every 150 meters of ascent, the air temperature drops by 1°C. Therefore, it is not recommended to go on vacation to the mountains without a thick jacket. In addition, ultraviolet radiation sharply increases at altitude, so the risk of getting a retinal burn increases. Be sure to bring sunglasses and a hat with you on your hike.
In the mountains, the air is rarefied, which leads a person to oxygen starvation, increased intracranial pressure and often causes arrhythmia.
Foods that promote the production of serotonin (bananas, chocolate) help combat oxygen starvation. In the mountains, it is recommended to eat muesli, cereals, and nuts. It must be said that meat is not very suitable for mountain hiking; it is better to replace it with fish. The preferred drinks are weak tea with lemon and orange juice. It is better to avoid strong tea and coffee - such drinks cause blood thickening. It is also not recommended to drink alcoholic drinks at altitude - they increase oxygen starvation.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that mountain holidays may be associated with health risks if you have diseases of the cardiovascular system, neurological diseases, severe bronchial asthma or cerebral circulatory disorders.
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Atmospheric pressure is even mentioned in weather forecasts, but what is its nature? What determines low and high atmospheric pressure? How does its change affect human health?
What it is?
Back in 1638, people had little idea that such a phenomenon existed at all, until the Duke of Tuscany decided to decorate Florence with fountains at great heights. His attempt failed miserably, as the water did not rise above ten meters. Then the time came for the first experiments in this area.
With the development of science, it became clear that pressure is a physical quantity that reports the amount of force perpendicular to a unit area of a surface. The atmosphere is no exception. It presses on our planet with the help of air, which is present everywhere.
The mass of the air around us is millions of times less than the earth's, but this is quite enough for all objects and creatures to experience its influence. About fifteen tons of air press on us every day, but we cannot feel it, because the internal pressure of the human body is the same as atmospheric pressure.
Low and high atmospheric pressure
Like any physical quantity, pressure can be measured. In the International System of Units, pascal (Pa) is used for this; in Russia, bars and millimeters of mercury are also used.
The average value is taken at a temperature of zero degrees at sea level at a latitude of 45 degrees. It is designated as normal atmospheric pressure and is 760 millimeters of mercury or 101,325 pascals.
What does atmospheric pressure depend on? First of all, it depends on the amount of air per unit area: the less it is, the lower the pressure and vice versa. It directly depends on the height. At high altitudes, the air is thinner, so its value decreases as it rises. At an altitude of 5 km its strength is only half as strong, at an altitude of 20 km it is approximately 18 times less.
Pressure tends to change at different times of the day and seasons. An important factor is temperature. At night, when the temperature drops, the pressure is slightly lower than during the day. On continents, high atmospheric pressure is observed in winter, low - in summer.
Pressure zoning
Regions of the globe warm up unevenly, as a result, pressure distribution occurs zonally. In some places the air heats up and reduces its pressure. Rising upward and gradually cooling, it moves to neighboring areas, increasing the pressure there.
Such a redistribution of air masses is clearly visible in the equatorial belt, where due to high temperatures the pressure is always low, and in neighboring tropical zones it is usually increased. In Antarctica and the North Pole, constant high pressure is a consequence of the influx of air from moderate latitudes.
As mentioned above, pressure is characterized by seasonal fluctuations, but these changes are not too significant. In general, pressure indicators are stable: there are always zones of high and low pressure on the planet.
Effect of high atmospheric pressure
A person can feel the power of this phenomenon on himself when climbing mountains. Many people are familiar with popping ears when overcoming sometimes minor inclines. You can feel it by diving deep underwater; by the way, the maximum depth of such a dive without special equipment is no more than 170 meters (although this is also quite risky).
In everyday life, a person also feels changes in pressure, especially if sudden changes occur. High atmospheric pressure is accompanied by clear weather and dryness; harmful substances in the air are felt more sharply. As a result, allergies and respiratory problems worsen.
An increase in blood pressure clearly affects the well-being of hypertensive patients. By helping to reduce white blood cells in the blood, it can weaken the immune system. Therefore, during periods of high blood pressure, it is more difficult for a person to fight infections and other diseases.
As altitude changes, significant changes in temperature and pressure can be observed. The terrain can greatly influence the formation of a mountain climate.
It is customary to distinguish between mountain and alpine climates. The first is typical for altitudes less than 3000-4000 m, the second - for higher levels. It should be noted that climatic conditions on high, vast plateaus differ significantly from conditions on mountain slopes, in valleys or on individual peaks. Of course, they also differ from the climatic conditions characteristic of a free atmosphere over the plains. Humidity, atmospheric pressure, precipitation and temperature change quite strongly with altitude.
As altitude increases, air density and atmospheric pressure decrease, and the content of dust and water vapor in the air decreases, which significantly increases its transparency to solar radiation, its intensity increases significantly compared to the plains. As a result, the sky appears bluer and denser, and light levels increase. On average, atmospheric pressure decreases by 1 mmHg for every 12 meters of ascent, but specific indicators always depend on the terrain and temperature. The higher the temperature, the slower the pressure decreases as it rises. Untrained people begin to experience discomfort due to low pressure already at an altitude of 3000 m.
With altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature also drops. Moreover, it depends not only on the altitude of the area, but also on the exposure of the slopes - on the northern slopes, where the influx of radiation is not so large, the temperature is usually noticeably lower than on the southern ones. At significant altitudes (in high-mountain climates), firn fields and glaciers influence the temperature. Firn fields are areas of special granular perennial snow (or even a transitional stage between snow and ice) that form above the snow line in the mountains.
In the interior regions of mountain ranges, stagnation of cooled air may occur in winter. This often leads to temperature inversions, i.e. temperature increases as altitude increases.
The amount of precipitation in the mountains increases with altitude up to a certain level. It depends on the exposure of the slopes. The greatest amount of precipitation can be observed on those slopes that face the main winds, this amount further increases if the prevailing winds carry moisture-containing air masses. On leeward slopes, the increase in precipitation as you ascend is not as noticeable.
Most scientists agree that the optimal temperature for normal human well-being is from +18 to +21 degrees, when the relative humidity does not exceed 40-60%. When these parameters change, the body reacts by changing blood pressure, which is especially noticeable by people with hypertension or hypotension.
Weather fluctuations with significant changes in temperature conditions, when differences are more than 8 degrees Celsius within one day, negatively affect people with unstable blood pressure.
With a significant increase
temperature vessels
They expand sharply so that blood circulates faster and cools the body. The heart begins to beat much faster. All this leads to a sharp change in blood pressure. U
hypertensive patients
if there is insufficient compensation for the disease, a sharp jump may occur, which will lead to a hypertensive crisis.
Hypotonic people feel dizzy when the air temperature rises, but at the same time
heartbeat
becomes much faster, which somewhat improves well-being, especially if hypotension occurs against the background of bradycardia.
A decrease in air temperature leads to constriction of blood vessels,
pressure
decreases somewhat, but against the background of this there may be a severe headache, since vasoconstriction can lead to spasm. With hypotension, blood pressure can drop to critical levels.
As the weather becomes stable, the autonomic nervous system adapts to the temperature regime, and the state of health stabilizes in people who do not have serious health problems.
Patients with chronic diseases with strong changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure should especially carefully monitor their health, measure blood pressure more often using
tonometer take
prescribed by a doctor
drugs
If in the background
the usual dose of pharmaceuticals, unstable blood pressure is still observed, you need to consult a doctor to review the tactics
or changes in doses of prescribed medications.
- How the air temperature is changing in 2017
Temperature (t) and pressure (P) are two interrelated physical quantities. This relationship manifests itself in all three states of matter. Most natural phenomena depend on fluctuations in these quantities.
A very close relationship can be found between fluid temperature and atmospheric pressure. Inside any liquid there are many small air bubbles that have their own internal pressure. When heated, saturated steam from the surrounding liquid evaporates into these bubbles. All this continues until the internal pressure becomes equal to the external (atmospheric) pressure. Then the bubbles cannot stand it and burst - a process called boiling occurs.
A similar process occurs in solids during melting or during the reverse process - crystallization. A solid consists of crystalline
Which can be destroyed when atoms move away from each other. The pressure, increasing, acts in the opposite direction - it presses the atoms towards each other. Accordingly, in order for the body to melt,
more is needed
energy and temperature rises.
The Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation describes the temperature dependence
from pressure
in gas. The formula looks like this: PV = nRT. P – gas pressure in the vessel. Since n and R are constant values, it becomes clear that pressure is directly proportional to temperature (at V=const). This means that the higher P, the higher t. This process is due to the fact that when heated, the intermolecular space increases, and the molecules begin to move quickly in a chaotic order, which means they hit each other more often.
vessel walls
Which contains gas. Temperature in the Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation is usually measured in degrees Kelvin.
There is a concept of standard temperature and pressure: temperature is -273° Kelvin (or 0 °C), and pressure is 760 mm
mercury
note
Ice has a high specific heat capacity of 335 kJ/kg. Therefore, to melt it, you need to spend a lot of thermal energy. For comparison: the same amount of energy can heat water to 80 °C.
A decrease in air pressure with increasing altitude is a well-known scientific fact that substantiates a large number of phenomena associated with low pressure values at high altitudes above sea level.
You will need
- 7th grade physics textbook, molecular physics textbook, barometer.
Read in a physics textbook
definition of the concept of pressure. Regardless of what type of pressure is considered, it is equal to the force acting on a unit area. Thus, the greater the force acting on a certain area, the greater the pressure value. When it comes to air pressure, the force in question is the gravity of air particles.
Note that each layer of air in the atmosphere makes its own contribution to the air pressure of the layers below. It turns out that with increasing altitude above sea level, the number of layers pressing on the lower part of the atmosphere increases. Thus, as the distance to the ground increases, the force of gravity acting on the air in the lower parts of the atmosphere increases. This leads to the fact that the layer of air located near the surface of the earth experiences the pressure of all the upper layers, and the layer located closer to the upper boundary of the atmosphere does not experience such pressure. Accordingly, the air in the lower layers of the atmosphere has a much higher pressure than the air in the upper layers.
Remember how the pressure of a liquid depends on the depth of immersion in the liquid. The law that describes this pattern is called Pascal's law. He states that the pressure of a liquid increases linearly with increasing depth of immersion in it. Thus, the tendency for pressure to decrease with increasing height is also observed in liquid if the height is measured from the bottom of the container.
Note that the physics of increasing pressure in a liquid with increasing depth is the same as in air. The lower the layers of liquid lie, the more they have to support the weight of the upper layers. Therefore, in the lower layers of the liquid the pressure is greater than in the upper ones. However, if in a liquid the pattern of pressure increase is linear, then in air this is not the case. This is justified by the fact that the liquid is not compressible. The compressibility of air leads to the fact that the dependence of pressure on the altitude above sea level becomes exponential.
Remember from the course on the molecular kinetic theory of an ideal gas that such an exponential dependence is inherent in the distribution of the concentration of particles in the Earth’s gravitational field, which was identified by Boltzmann. The Boltzmann distribution, in fact, is directly related to the phenomenon of a decrease in air pressure, since this decrease leads to the fact that the concentration of particles decreases with height.
A person spends his life, as a rule, at an altitude of the Earth's surface, which is close to sea level. The body in such a situation experiences pressure from the surrounding atmosphere. The normal pressure value is considered to be 760 mmHg, also called “one atmosphere”. The pressure we experience externally is balanced by internal pressure. In this regard, the human body does not feel the heaviness of the atmosphere.
Atmospheric pressure can change throughout the day. Its performance also depends on the season. But, as a rule, such pressure surges occur within no more than twenty to thirty millimeters of mercury.
Such fluctuations are not noticeable to the body of a healthy person. But in people suffering from hypertension, rheumatism and other diseases, these changes can cause disturbances in the functioning of the body and a deterioration in general well-being.
A person can feel low atmospheric pressure when he is on a mountain and takes off on an airplane. The main physiological factor of altitude is reduced atmospheric pressure and, as a result, reduced partial pressure of oxygen.
The body reacts to low atmospheric pressure, first of all, by increasing breathing. Oxygen at altitude is discharged. This causes excitation of the chemoreceptors of the carotid arteries, and it is transmitted to the medulla oblongata to the center, which is responsible for increasing breathing. Thanks to this process, the pulmonary ventilation of a person who experiences low atmospheric pressure increases within the required limits and the body receives a sufficient amount of oxygen.
An important physiological mechanism that is triggered by low atmospheric pressure is considered to be an increase in the activity of the organs responsible for hematopoiesis. This mechanism manifests itself in an increase in the amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. In this mode, the body is able to transport more oxygen.
Boiling is the process of vaporization, that is, the transition of a substance from a liquid state to a gaseous state. It differs from evaporation by a much greater speed and rapid flow. Any pure liquid boils at a certain temperature. However, depending on the external pressure and impurities, the temperature boiling may change significantly.
You will need
- - flask;
- - test liquid;
- - cork or rubber stopper;
- - laboratory thermometer;
- - curved tube.
As a simple device for determining temperature
boiling
You can use a flask with a capacity of about 250–500 milliliters with a round bottom and a wide neck. Pour the test product into it
liquid
(preferably within 20-25%
from volume
vessel), plug the neck with a cork or rubber stopper with two holes. Insert into one of the holes
laboratory thermometer, in the other - a curved tube that plays the role of a safety
for vapor removal.
If you have to determine temperature boiling clean liquid - the tip of the thermometer should be close to it, but not touching it. If you need to measure temperature boiling solution - the tip should be in the liquid.
What heat source can be used to heat a flask with liquid? This could be a water or sand bath, an electric stove, or a gas burner. The choice depends on the properties of the liquid and its expected temperature boiling.
Immediately after the process begins
boiling
Write it down
temperature
Which is shown by the mercury column of the thermometer. Monitor the thermometer readings for at least 15 minutes, recording readings every few minutes at regular intervals. For example, measurements were taken immediately after the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 15th
experience. There were 8 of them in total. After
graduation
experience, calculate the arithmetic mean
temperature boiling
according to the formula: tcp = (t1 + t2 +…+t8)/8.
It is necessary to take into account a very important point. In all physical, chemical, technical reference books
temperature indicators boiling liquids
given at normal atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg). It follows from this that simultaneously with measuring the temperature, it is necessary to measure
atmospheric
pressure and make the necessary adjustments to the calculations. Exactly the same amendments are given
in tables
temperatures
boiling
for a wide variety of liquids.
- How will the boiling point of water change in 2017?
How temperature and atmospheric pressure change in the mountains
When your head starts to hurt before a thunderstorm, and every cell of your body feels the approach of rain, you begin to think that this is old age. In fact, this is how millions of people around the globe react to changing weather.
This process is called weather dependence. The first factor that directly affects well-being is the close relationship between atmospheric and blood pressure.
What is atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is a physical quantity. It is characterized by the action of the force of air masses on a unit of surface. Its magnitude is variable, depending on the altitude of the area above sea level, geographic latitude and is associated with the weather. Normal atmospheric pressure is 760 mmHg. It is with this value that a person experiences the most comfortable state of health.
What does the change in atmospheric pressure depend on?
A deviation of the barometer needle by 10 mm in one direction or another is sensitive to humans. And pressure drops occur for several reasons.
Seasonality
In summer, when the air warms up, the pressure on the mainland drops to its minimum values. In winter, due to heavy and cold air, the barometer needle reaches its maximum value.
Times of Day
In the morning and in the evenings, the pressure usually rises slightly, and in the afternoon and midnight it becomes lower.
Zoning
Atmospheric pressure also has a pronounced zonal character. The globe is divided into areas with a predominance of high and low pressure. This happens because the Earth's surface warms up unevenly.
At the equator, where the land is very hot, warm air rises and areas of low pressure are formed. Closer to the poles, cold, heavy air descends to the ground and presses on the surface. Accordingly, a high pressure zone is formed here.
Does pressure increase or decrease in the mountains?
Let's remember the geography course for high school. As you gain altitude, the air becomes thinner and the pressure decreases. Every twelve meters of ascent reduces the barometer reading by 1 mmHg. But at high altitudes the patterns are different.
See the table for how air temperature and pressure change with altitude.
0 | 15 | 760 |
500 | 11.8 | 716 |
1000 | 8.5 | 674 |
2000 | 2 | 596 |
3000 | -4.5 | 525 |
4000 | -11 | 462 |
5000 | -17.5 | 405 |
How are atmospheric and blood pressure related?
This means that if you climb Mount Belukha (4,506 m), from the foot to the top, the temperature will drop by 30°C and the pressure will drop by 330 mm Hg. This is why high-altitude hypoxia, oxygen starvation, or miner's disease occurs in the mountains!
A person is designed in such a way that over time he gets used to new conditions. Stable weather has established itself - all body systems work without failures, the dependence of blood pressure on atmospheric pressure is minimal, the condition is normalized. And during periods of change of cyclones and anticyclones, the body fails to quickly switch to a new mode of operation, health worsens, blood pressure may change, and blood pressure may jump.
Arterial, or blood pressure, is the pressure of blood on the walls of blood vessels - veins, arteries, capillaries. It is responsible for the uninterrupted movement of blood through all vessels of the body, and directly depends on the atmospheric one.
First of all, people with chronic heart and cardiovascular diseases suffer from horse racing (perhaps the most common disease is hypertension).
Also at risk are:
- Patients with neurological disorders and nervous exhaustion;
- Allergy sufferers and people with autoimmune diseases;
- Patients with mental disorders, obsessive fears and anxiety;
- People suffering from lesions of the articular apparatus.
How does a cyclone affect the human body?
A cyclone is an area with low atmospheric pressure. The thermometer drops to 738-742 mm. Hg Art. The amount of oxygen in the air decreases.
In addition, low atmospheric pressure is distinguished by the following symptoms:
- Increased humidity and air temperature,
- Cloudiness,
- Precipitation in the form of rain or snow.
People with diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and hypotension suffer from such weather changes. Under the influence of a cyclone, they experience weakness, lack of oxygen, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath.
Some weather-sensitive people experience increased intracranial pressure, headaches, and gastrointestinal disorders.
What features should be taken into account by hypotensive patients?
How does a cyclone affect people with low blood pressure? When atmospheric pressure decreases, blood pressure also becomes lower, the blood is less saturated with oxygen, resulting in headaches, weakness, a feeling of lack of air, and a desire to sleep. Oxygen starvation can lead to hypotensive crisis and coma.
Video: Atmospheric pressure and human well-being
We'll tell you what to do at low atmospheric pressure. Hypotonic patients need to monitor their blood pressure during a cyclone. It is believed that pressure from 130/90 mmHg, elevated for hypotensive patients, may be accompanied by symptoms of a hypertensive crisis.
Therefore, you need to drink more fluids and get enough sleep. In the morning you can drink a cup of strong coffee or 50 g of cognac. To prevent weather dependence, you need to harden the body, take vitamin complexes that strengthen the nervous system, tincture of ginseng or eleutherococcus.
How does an anticyclone affect the body?
When an anticyclone approaches, the barometer needles creep up to the level of 770-780 mm Hg. The weather changes: it becomes clear, sunny, and a light breeze blows. The amount of industrial pollutants harmful to health is increasing in the air.
High blood pressure is not dangerous for hypotensive patients.
But if it increases, then allergy sufferers, asthmatics, and hypertensives experience negative manifestations:
- Headaches and heartaches,
- Decreased performance,
- Increased heart rate,
- Redness of the face and skin,
- Flickering of flies before the eyes,
- Increased blood pressure.
Also, the number of leukocytes in the blood decreases, which means a person becomes vulnerable to disease. With blood pressure 220/120 mmHg. there is a high risk of developing hypertensive crisis, thrombosis, embolism, coma.
To alleviate the condition, doctors advise patients with blood pressure above normal to perform gymnastics exercises, arrange contrasting water procedures, and eat vegetables and fruits containing potassium. These are: peaches, apricots, apples, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, spinach.
You should also avoid strenuous physical activity and try to get more rest.. When the air temperature rises, drink more liquid: clean drinking water, tea, juices, fruit drinks.
Video: How high and low atmospheric pressure affects hypertensive patients
Is it possible to reduce weather sensitivity?
It is possible to reduce weather dependence if you follow simple but effective recommendations from doctors.
- The advice is banal, keep a daily routine. Go to bed early, sleep at least 9 hours. This is especially true on days when the weather changes.
- Before bedtime drink a glass of mint or chamomile tea. It's calming.
- Do a light warm-up in the morning, stretch, massage your feet.
- After gymnastics take a contrast shower.
- Be positive. Remember that a person cannot influence the increase or decrease in atmospheric pressure, but it is within our power to help the body cope with its fluctuations.
Summary: weather dependence is typical for patients with pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, as well as for older people suffering from a bunch of diseases. People with allergies, asthmatics, and hypertension are at risk. The most dangerous for weather-sensitive people are sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. Hardening the body and a healthy lifestyle saves you from unpleasant sensations.
ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE
Since air has mass and weight, it exerts pressure on the surface in contact with it. It is calculated that a column of air with a height from sea level to the upper boundary of the atmosphere presses on a 1 cm area with the same force as a weight of 1 kg 33 g. Man and all other living organisms do not feel this pressure, since it is balanced by their internal air pressure. When climbing in the mountains, already at an altitude of 3000 m, a person begins to feel unwell: shortness of breath and dizziness appear. At an altitude of more than 4000 m, a nose may bleed, as blood vessels rupture, and sometimes a person even loses consciousness. All this happens because atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the air becomes rarefied, the amount of oxygen in it decreases, but a person’s internal pressure does not change. Therefore, in airplanes flying at high altitudes, the cabins are hermetically sealed, and they are artificially maintained at the same air pressure as at the surface of the Earth. Pressure is measured using a special device - a barometer - in mm of mercury.
It has been established that at sea level at parallel 45° with an air temperature of 0°C, atmospheric pressure is close to the pressure produced by a column of mercury 760 mm high. The air pressure under such conditions is called normal atmospheric pressure. If the pressure indicator is greater, then it is considered increased, if less, it is considered decreased. When climbing mountains, for every 10.5 m, the pressure decreases by approximately 1 mmHg. Knowing how pressure changes, you can use a barometer to calculate the altitude of a place.
Pressure changes not only with altitude. It depends on the air temperature and the influence of air masses. Cyclones lower atmospheric pressure, and anticyclones increase it.
To begin with, let's remember the high school physics course, which explains why and how atmospheric pressure changes depending on altitude. The higher the area is above sea level, the lower the pressure there. It is very simple to explain: atmospheric pressure indicates the force with which a column of air presses on everything that is on the surface of the Earth. Naturally, the higher you rise, the lower the height of the air column, its mass and the pressure exerted will be.
In addition, at altitude the air is rarefied, it contains a much smaller number of gas molecules, which also immediately affects the mass. And we must not forget that with increasing altitude, the air is cleared of toxic impurities, exhaust gases and other “delights”, as a result of which its density decreases and atmospheric pressure drops.
Studies have shown that the dependence of atmospheric pressure on altitude differs as follows: an increase of ten meters causes a decrease in the parameter by one unit. As long as the altitude of the area does not exceed five hundred meters above sea level, changes in the pressure of the air column are practically not felt, but if you rise five kilometers, the values will be half the optimal ones. The strength of the pressure exerted by the air also depends on the temperature, which decreases greatly when rising to a higher altitude.
For the level of blood pressure and the general condition of the human body, the value of not only atmospheric pressure, but also partial pressure, which depends on the concentration of oxygen in the air, is very important. In proportion to the decrease in air pressure, the partial pressure of oxygen also decreases, which leads to an insufficient supply of this essential element to the cells and tissues of the body and the development of hypoxia. This is explained by the fact that the diffusion of oxygen into the blood and its subsequent transportation to the internal organs occurs due to the difference in the partial pressure of the blood and the pulmonary alveoli, and when rising to a high altitude, the difference in these readings becomes significantly smaller.
How does altitude affect a person's well-being?
The main negative factor affecting the human body at altitude is the lack of oxygen. It is as a result of hypoxia that acute disorders of the heart and blood vessels, increased blood pressure, digestive disorders and a number of other pathologies develop.
Hypertensive patients and people prone to pressure surges should not climb high into the mountains and it is advisable not to take long flights. They will also have to forget about professional mountaineering and mountain tourism.
The severity of the changes occurring in the body made it possible to distinguish several altitude zones:
- Up to one and a half to two kilometers above sea level is a relatively safe zone in which no special changes are observed in the functioning of the body and the state of vital systems. Deterioration in well-being, decreased activity and endurance are observed very rarely.
- From two to four kilometers - the body tries to cope with the oxygen deficiency on its own, thanks to increased breathing and taking deep breaths. Heavy physical work, which requires the consumption of large amounts of oxygen, is difficult to perform, but light exercise is well tolerated for several hours.
- From four to five and a half kilometers - the state of health noticeably worsens, performing physical work is difficult. Psycho-emotional disorders appear in the form of high spirits, euphoria, and inappropriate actions. When staying at such a height for a long time, headaches, a feeling of heaviness in the head, problems with concentration, and lethargy occur.
- From five and a half to eight kilometers - it is impossible to do physical work, the condition worsens sharply, the percentage of loss of consciousness is high.
- Above eight kilometers - at this altitude a person is able to maintain consciousness for a maximum of several minutes, after which deep fainting and death follow.
For metabolic processes to occur in the body, oxygen is necessary, the deficiency of which at altitude leads to the development of altitude sickness. The main symptoms of the disorder are:
- Headache.
- Increased breathing, shortness of breath, lack of air.
- Nose bleed.
- Nausea, attacks of vomiting.
- Joint and muscle pain.
- Sleep disorders.
- Psycho-emotional disorders.
At high altitudes, the body begins to experience a lack of oxygen, as a result of which the functioning of the heart and blood vessels is disrupted, arterial and intracranial pressure increases, and vital internal organs fail. To successfully overcome hypoxia, you need to include nuts, bananas, chocolate, cereals, and fruit juices in your diet.
Effect of altitude on blood pressure levels
When rising to a high altitude, a decrease in atmospheric pressure and thin air cause an increase in heart rate and an increase in blood pressure. However, with a further increase in altitude, blood pressure levels begin to decrease. A decrease in the oxygen content in the air to critical values causes depression of cardiac activity and a noticeable decrease in pressure in the arteries, while in the venous vessels the levels increase. As a result, a person develops arrhythmia and cyanosis.
Not long ago, a group of Italian researchers decided for the first time to study in detail how altitude affects blood pressure levels. To conduct research, an expedition to Everest was organized, during which the participants’ pressure levels were determined every twenty minutes. During the hike, an increase in blood pressure during ascent was confirmed: the results showed that the systolic value increased by fifteen, and the diastolic value by ten units. It was noted that the maximum blood pressure values were determined at night. The effect of antihypertensive drugs at different altitudes was also studied. It turned out that the drug under study effectively helped at an altitude of up to three and a half kilometers, and when rising above five and a half it became absolutely useless.
The higher a person climbs into the mountains or the higher his plane takes him, the thinner the air becomes. At an altitude of 5.5 km above sea level, atmospheric pressure decreases by almost half; the oxygen content decreases to the same extent. Already at an altitude of 4 km, an untrained person can get so-called mountain sickness. However, through training, you can accustom your body to staying at higher altitudes. Even when conquering Everest, heroic climbers did not use oxygen devices. How does the body adapt to oxygen-poor air?
The main role here is played by an increase in the number, and therefore an increase in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. In residents of mountainous regions, the number of red blood cells reaches 6 or more million per 1 mm 3 (instead of 4 million under normal conditions). It is clear that in this case the blood gets the opportunity to capture more oxygen from the air.
By the way, sometimes people who have visited Kislovodsk attribute the increase in the amount of hemoglobin in their blood to the fact that they had a good rest and recovered. The point, of course, is not only this, but also simply the influence of the mountainous area.
Divers and those who work in caissons - special chambers used in the construction of bridges and other hydraulic structures, are forced, on the contrary, to work at increased air pressure. At a depth of 50 m under water, a diver experiences pressure almost 5 times higher than atmospheric pressure, and yet he sometimes has to dive 100 m or more under water.
Air pressure has a very unique effect. A person works under these conditions for hours without experiencing any trouble from high blood pressure. However, with a quick rise to the top, acute pain in the joints, itching of the skin, appears; In severe cases, deaths have occurred. Why is this happening?
In everyday life, we do not always think about the force with which atmospheric air presses on us. Meanwhile, its pressure is very high and amounts to about 1 kg per square centimeter of body surface. The latter for a person of average height and weight is 1.7 m2. As a result, the atmosphere presses on us with a force of 17 tons! We do not feel this enormous compressive effect because it is balanced by the pressure of body fluids and gases dissolved in them. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure cause a number of changes in the body, which are especially felt by patients with hypertension and joint diseases. Indeed, when the atmospheric pressure changes by 25 mm Hg. Art. the force of atmospheric pressure on the body changes by more than half a ton! The body must balance this pressure shift.
However, as already mentioned, being under pressure even at 10 atmospheres is relatively well tolerated by a diver. Why can rapid ascent be fatal? The fact is that in blood, as in any other liquid, with increased pressure of gases (air) in contact with it, these gases dissolve more significantly. Nitrogen, which makes up 4/5 of the air, is completely indifferent to the body (when it is in the form of a free gas), dissolves in large quantities in the diver’s blood. If the air pressure decreases rapidly, the gas begins to come out of solution and the blood “boils,” releasing nitrogen bubbles. These bubbles form in the vessels and can clog a vital artery - in the brain, etc. Therefore, divers and working caissons are raised to the surface very slowly so that gas is released only from the pulmonary capillaries.
No matter how different the effects of being high above sea level and deep underwater are, there is one link that connects them. If a person ascends very quickly in an airplane into rarefied layers of the atmosphere, then above 19 km above sea level, complete sealing is needed. At this altitude, the pressure decreases so much that water (and therefore blood) no longer boils at 100 °C, but at . Phenomena of decompression sickness, similar in origin to decompression sickness, may occur.