How Humidity Affects Our Bodies
You know that feeling on a hot day where your skin feels damp and sticky? The air is thick and heavy and makes it almost hard to breathe.
Those are very humid days.
When we mention humidity, what we are talking about is the amount of moisture in the air. On days when it is overly humid, that means there is an excess amount of moisture in the air.
On days where the humidity levels are low, there is not enough moisture, and the air will feel dry.
So we know how humidity feels, but do you know how it can affect your body? Let’s take a look at some of the adverse health effects of humidity.
Health Risks of High Humidity
When the body overheats, it will sweat to regulate our internal temperature. The sweat on the body evaporates into the air which will help cool you off.
But when the air is already holding too much moisture, your sweat won’t have anywhere to go. Your body will then work even harder to cool down, resulting in even more sweating.
On top of that, your blood circulation increases as well as your respiration. As you start to excessively sweat, you are at risk of depleting your water supply, along with all the minerals and chemicals your body produces to properly function.
Other health effects of being exposed to too high of humidity levels (also known as hyperthermia – over-heating from trying to cool the body down) include fatigue, muscle cramps, dehydration, heat exhaustion which can lead to fainting and heat stroke. If you start to feel nauseous, confused or have a headache when it is extremely humid, these are symptoms of heat stroke which requires medical attention.
Health Risks to Low Humidity
On the other side of the scale is too low of humidity levels. A good example of this feeling is during the winter months.
The air is dry because of the lack of moisture in it. The effects of low humidity on your body are more related to your skin, rather than internally.
You most likely will first notice low humidity with your eyes and skin. They both become quite dry which leads to irritation.
When the air is dry, it will try and suck up as much moisture as possible to balance it out. So when your eyes have that dry and irritated feeling, most likely the air is evaporating the tears from your tear duct which effects the natural moisture balance in them.
Your skin will start to feel dry, irritated and itchy because the air is evaporating out the oils in your skin. You may notice scaly, dry patches which can be painful.
How to Control Humidity
Inside your home, it is easier to control the humidity levels. There are systems like a heat recovery ventilation that circulates the air throughout the house with fresh air outside.
If you are outdoors a lot, drink lots of water and take breaks when it is very humid. On dry days, keep the skin moistened with lotion and covered as to protect from the outside elements.
This is a collaborative post.
Fancy checking out another post? Just click here!
Pin It
Oh this is so true! High humidity and me do not mix, I feel bloated and can’t breath. Clearly I’m living in the wrong region!
I did not know that high humidity can affect our bodies that much. All I know is that I sweat profusely and it is really very uncomfortable. Thanks for the information you provided. I will make sure my family and I replenish the fluid and electrolytes lost during excessive sweating in high humidity conditions.
I had no idea that humidity had a such a huge impact on our bodies! Loved reading all about it!
I live in an area with low humidity and it definitely has both positives and negatives. The summer brings less sweat, but my skin and hair are always dry!
I hate traveling to states that have high humidity levels. I always feel so uncomfortable when it’s heavy and sticky humid out.
Some days it seems there’s never a perfect percentage of humidity in the air. Too much, and you sweat a lot. Not enough, it affects your skin. Recognizing these are key to maintaining hydration, both body and skin.
I dislike when it’s extremely humid. The idea of sweating just sitting is not my idea of fun. Thank you for educating us on the effects of humidity on our bodies.
I can always tell when the humidity is high where we live. The horizons get hazy, and the air feels heavy to breathe. In those times, it’s even more important to keep hydrated. Great post!
I always thought sweating would be enough to keep my body from overheating on hot and humid days. It is uncomfortable on those sticky days but I don’t like overly dry windy days either.
All I know is that I can not breathe very good when there’s a lot of humidity in the air. And when it’s hot outside it just makes it worse. This info is good to know.
Oh wow. I had no idea humidity had a such a huge impact on our bodies outside of dry air making the skin drier. Great read.