Kharkov

International Medical University

Hygienic significance
of solar radiation,
climate and weather
 Main problems of lecture:
1. Sun radiation and its biological
significance
2. The concept of climate and weather,
their classification.
3. The influence of climatic and weather
conditions on human health.
Meteotropical diseases and their
prophylaxis.
4. Problems of acclimatization.
Sun radiation
 Distribution of absorbed
and emitted sun radiation
Spectrum of sun radiation
Season changes in physiological
functions
• in winter: skin sensitivity to
UV-radiation is higher
• In summer (at the expense of
blood redistribution from
internal organs to skin):
• Arterial pressure is lower
• Minute volume of blood
circulation is larger
• Vessel reaction fails
• Tissue consumption of oxygen
increases
• Iodine activity in thyroid gland
is higher
• Adrenal gland function
intensifies
11-year cycles of high sun
activity
• Mass epidemic
diseases of human and
animals
• Increased coagulability
results increase of
complications of
cardiovascular diseases,
including myocardial
infarction
• Sharp increase of mental
exacerbations
• Increased amount of
anthropogenic accidents
Visible radiation (light)
• Electromagnetic waves perceptible
by visual analyzer of human
• Sensitivity of visual analyzer -
from 380 nm up to 780 nm
• Маximum of eye sensivity – in point
555ч nm (in green field of spectrum)
UV-radiation
• Electromagnetic waves
non-perceptible by visual analyzer of
human

By biological effect such areas are separated:

• А (UVA) – suntan effect (400-320 nm)
• В (UVB) – anti-rachitic effect (320–275
nm)
• С (UVC)– bactericidal effect (275–100
nm)
vitamin D synthesis
 Ultraviolet affections

UV-
burns Melanoma (black cance

For restoration of blood

vessels after intensive
suntan – 4-15 months!

Photo-keratitis
Infra-red radiation
•Electromagnetic waves
In spectrum between red
visible waves and
mirowaves

• Jointly with
water vapour
creates
greenhouse
effect
Risk factor of:
• crystalline lens
cataract
• sun nettle rash
• sun eczema
Climate (κλίματος – «slope»)
• long-term weather
regime, repeating in
the particular
region
systematically
 The climate forming factors
The geographical latitude of the region
determinates the sun-raising above the horizon,
the solar radiation intensity per earth surface;
The height above sea level and the relief (flat
and undulating grounds, highlands);
The surface type (forests, forest-steppes,
steppes, deserts, water reservoirs);
The closeness to seas, oceans, the type of the
nearby sea currents;
 The air circulation types
 The climate characterizing
factors
• Regional temperature conditions
• Air humidity
• Atmospheric pressure
• Air movement direction and speed
• The light climate
• The soil
 The Earth climate
classification
Average
Name of the Geographical
annual Surface type
climate zone latitude
temperature

1. Tropical 0-13º 20-24ºC Evergreen forests, jungle

2. Hot 13-26º 16-20ºC Forests, steppe, desert
3. Warm 26-39º 12-16ºC Forests, steppe, desert
4. Moderate 39-52º 8-12ºC Forest-steppe
5. Cold 52-65º 4-8ºC Forests
6. Inclement 65-78º 0-4ºC Forests, tundra
7. Arctic (polar) 78-90º -4-0ºC Tundra
 Medical climatology
“Everybody who has a desire to heal
properly must study the influence of
climate and weather on the human body”
Hippocrates
Component parts of medical
climatology
climatic climatic
physiology pathology

Medical
climatology

climatic climatic
therapy prophylaxis
Influence of climate on human
health
• Determines biological
rhythms of different
physiological systems at
daily and season cycles
• Influences on prevalence
of season diseases and
acute attacks of chronic
diseases
• Determines appearance
of meteotropic pathology
• Influences on general
state, mood, activity,
working capacity
Weather
the physical and chemical
characteristics of the bottom layer
during the short period of time

a changeable dynamic
complex characterised by:
• air temperature
• air humidity
• the speed of wind
movement
• atmospheric pressure
• solar radiation
• electrical and magnetic state
of atmosphere.
 The weather forming factors
• Natural:
• The solar radiation intensity
• The type of underlying surface
• The atmospheric motion
 The weather forming factors
Anthropogenic:
• The atmosphere pollution by industrial
waste (smog);
• The destruction of the woods, land
reclamation (melioration), irrigation,
formation of artificial reservoirs;
 The weather characterizing
factors:
• Heliophysical
• Geophysical
• Atmospheric electricity
• Meteorological factors
• Synoptic phenomena
• Chemical characteristics of the bottom
layer
Тypes of weather changes
• periodic – take place gradually
during day or year, don’t influence
sharply on organism, influence
on rhythmicity of organism
functional reactions

• аperiodic – result of certain air

mass motion over earth
surface
 The medical classification of
the weather by G.P. Fedorov
Meteorological characteristics

The weather Air

Air Relative Air pressure
type movement
temperature air humidity, difference,
speed,
difference, 0С % gPa
m/sec

Optimal up to 2 40 - 70 up to 3 up to 3

Irritative 2-4 70 - 90 3-9 4-8

Acute above 4 above 90 above 9 above 8

 groups of risk by meteopathy
• 1. All chronic patients with tuberculosis,
rheumatism, allergy, ulcerous disease of
stomach and duodenum, nephritis, and so on.
• 2. Old people due to insufficient immunity.
• 3. Children in periods of rise of
meteosensitivity.
• 4. People whose illness are in the state of
convalescence.
 Medical weather classification
by V.F. Ovcharova
The weather characteristics
from the medical view The weather pattern characteristics

Stable indifferent The slow-moving anticyclone without atmospheric fronts

“Spastic” type An establishment of an inclination (ridge), a crest, a non-gradient

region with increased pressure.

A cold frontal passage or an occlusion frontal passage as a cold

type.

“Hypoxic” type The retreat of a cyclone, a saddle, a dish, a non-gradient region

with decreased (reduced) pressure

A warm front passage of an occlusion frontal passage as a warm

type
Meteopathic effects
• Тonic type – spastic effect when
atmospheric front with heightened
atmospheric pressure passes.
It is followed by increasing of
arterial pressure and heart pain
• hypotensive - hypoxic type – in
condition of low atmospheric
pressure when warm atmospheric
front passes.
It is followed by acute attack
of ischemia, vegetative dystonia
of hypotensive type, diseases
of bronchus - pulmonary system
 Meteopathic reactions
• States connected with changes of responsiveness of
meteolabile people in answer to alteration of
atmosphere electric state and meteorological factors
in time of aperiodical changes of the weather,
passing of atmospheric fronts, cyclones,
geomagnetic changes

• 80% sick persons with stenocardia

• 70% sick persons with essential hypertension
• 50% sick persons with arthritis
• 10% sick persons with eczema и pulmonary tuberculosis

Largest number of reactions in 1-2 days before atmospheric

front passing!
Phases of meteopathic reactions
• 1st phase - 1-2 days before atmospheric
front passing
• 2nd phase – during atmospheric front
passing
• 3d phase – 1-3 days after atmospheric
front passing
 Prophylaxis of meteotropical
reactions
• Measures of body hardening
• Physical culture
• Rational regimen of labor and rest
• Rational nutrition
•Changing of operation
time-table
• Limit of active motion
• Specific medication
 Аcclimatization
• a regular physiological process of adaptation of the
organism to new climatic conditions.
• connected with formation of new dynamic
stereotype
• accompanied by changes of functional conditions of the
central nervous system, blood circulation, and metabolism
and so on.
 Main stages of acclimatization
• The first stage – forming of urgent
reactions of adaptation
• The second stage - a phase of deep
changes of functional metabolic processes
• The third stage - a phase of full
and resistant acclimatization
«deadaptation neurosis»
• Appears in first months of
stay in high latitudes in
aggregate with sensory
impoverishment,
hypokinesia, monotony of
climatic and social irritants

manifestations:
• anxiety
• sleeplessness
• depression
• headache
• short breath
• tachycardia
• nervous breakdown
Аcclimatization to hot climate
Disorders:
• violation of heat balance
• degradation of working
capacity
• degradation of
basal metabolism
• tachycardia
• Non-stable arterial
pressure
• tachypnoe
• Mechanical injuries of mucous
membrane under the
influence of a hot wind with
dust
• Development of chronic
rhinitis
and pharyngolaryngitis
Аcclimatization
to cold
climate Disorders:
• violation of heat balance
• dampening in thermal
sensations
• discomfort
• muscle pain
• changes of blood
pressure
• shivering
• changes of metabolic rate,
heart rate and respiratory rate