Hot – cold: What this temperature change does to the body

The rapid change between hot and cold weather is currently causing problems for many people. The famous Greek doctor Hippocrates reported on the influence of temperature fluctuations on our health. These represent a real stress factor for the body. Fatigue, circulatory problems and headaches are often the result. Already known symptoms can temporarily worsen due to temperature jumps.

“Older people are affected by the so-called weather sensitivity more often and more severely than young people. Gender also seems to play a role: women suffer from it more than men,” says Angelika Reitböck, a general practitioner from Klaus and a preventive officer at the Medical Association for Upper Austria.

The negative impact of temperature jumps is greater the more the body has had to fight beforehand to keep everything in a stable balance. The doctor explains that the weather is essentially the lever that throws everything out of balance again.

Complaints increase

After accidents, injuries, operations or serious acute and chronic illnesses, temperature fluctuations could increase the intensity of the symptoms. “In particular, cold, damp weather like we are currently experiencing leads to increased problems in the area of ​​joints and muscles.”

Sudden onset of cold can contribute to the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases because low temperatures cause the blood vessels to constrict. This can create negative consequences for blood pressure and heart rate. “We also know that, especially in people with cardiovascular health risks and who already have high blood pressure or diabetes, the likelihood of a heart attack and the development of thrombosis increases significantly when there are temperature fluctuations,” says the doctor.