Appearance of magnetic storms
The existence of meteorological dependence or the effect of space weather on humans has always been questioned and even rejected by scientists. However, recent research in solar biology suggests otherwise.
“Space weather is a combination of disturbances in the Earth’s geomagnetic field and atmospheric phenomena. We live in the magnetosphere – this is a protective shell that covers the entire Earth and protects it from cosmic influences, especially solar flares. However, at polar latitudes, the solar wind (from solar flares) There are “holes”, called climaxes, through which a stream of ionized particles originating from the Earth can penetrate the Earth. Tamara Breus, Doctor of Mathematical Sciences.
Penetration of the solar wind causes disruption of the Earth’s geomagnetic field, that is, the appearance of magnetic storms and other phenomena such as auroras.
space provocateur
According to the heliobiologist, a person is adapted to such events, but sometimes it still has a significant impact on health – many studies show this.
The fact is that each cell in our body has its own charge, so they react to changes in the magnetic field, which manifest themselves in the form of magnetic storms. In that respect, we all depend on the weather,” Breus explained.
According to the professor, VIOYu, principal investigator of the Earth Institute of Physics. Magnetic field fluctuations also play a role, according to Schmidt from Natalia Kleimenova of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
“Vibrations are amplitude and frequency. If the oscillation frequency of the magnetic field coincides with the frequency of some human organs, a tuning fork effect occurs. We’ve studied strokes and heart attacks a lot, and we’ve found that when a magnetic field fluctuates for periods of 1-2 seconds during a magnetic storm – and that’s the work of our heart – then sick people can have problems with their hearts. form of stroke and heart attack ”, – Kleimenova told socialbites.ca.
All cells of the body are accustomed to work in a certain rhythm, and geomagnetic disturbances disrupt this rhythm, so they have a negative impact on health, experts say every three hours a day) cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system and even the human psyche.
Even Chizhevsky expressed the hypothesis that the increase in solar activity contributes to the activation of thoughts of large population groups. We tested this hypothesis,” says Breus.
According to the scientist, the team investigated the frequency of occurrences of words from certain semantic groups in the messages of scientific forum users. In total, more than 11,000 messages were analyzed using a specially designed bot. The team found a correlation between the Kp index of geomagnetic activity and the frequency of occurrence of words from semantic groups related to the philosophical understanding of fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics, general and special relativity.
“The maximum number of posts on these topics falls on the days when Kp index values peak from 4 to 6. Our study provides additional arguments in favor of the validity of AL. Chizhevsky about the effect of solar activity on the psyche and nervous system of people, ”explained Breus.
If we talk about the cardiovascular system, then under the influence of the magnetic field erythrocytes – red blood cells – can stick together, the blood begins to coagulate, the vessels narrow, and the pressure in them increases. One of the scientists’ studies showed that an additional 11,000 heart attacks and 7,000 strokes occur annually during magnetic storms.
“Magnetic storms also affect heart rate. If it goes astray, tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmia occur. “For a very sick person with serious ailments in the cardiovascular system, a storm can take a hit and even cause a stroke or heart attack,” he said.
Space weather also affects the musculoskeletal system. Like all organs of the body, bones are also supplied with blood. Therefore, pain in the musculoskeletal system can occur during a magnetic storm. The specialist added that people with inflammation in their joints, such as their knees, can feel it.
“Air addiction is now a fact proven by science. Many would say that in this case we will be affected by everything around us, but rhythms are the basis of this influence. If everything around us changed the magnetic field rhythmically, then a simple tram would have an effect on a person, but this would not happen,” Breus concluded.
danger poles
The danger of magnetic storms for a person also depends on the state of his body, time of day, season and location. Therefore, according to Breus, the most intense storms rage at northern latitudes, while at the equator, on the contrary, they occur less frequently. For this reason, people living at high latitudes feel the effects of space weather more strongly.
“Furthermore, magnetic disturbances have a seasonal course: they reach their maximum in March-April and are almost nonexistent in summer and winter. The sun has its peak – at 12 o’clock, at noon, its influence on us falls. That’s why noon is the most dangerous time,” Breus added.
Young children may not feel this effect at all, but from the age of 16 adolescents become as sensitive as adults. Breus noted that the groups most susceptible to strong magnetic storms are the elderly and infants.
“The most vulnerable groups are the elderly and infants. We conducted a study together with pediatricians, and the results showed that during a strong magnetic storm, that is, with a high index of Kp, they can experience sudden death, ”said the expert.
According to Natalia Kleimenova, magnetic storms only have little effect on healthy people, but people with any disease should be wary of geomagnetic changes.
“There are different perspectives on the impact of magnetic storms on people. The truth is, a magnetic storm is usually a weak perturbation. A lot of work has been done. For example, experiments were conducted with soldiers and sailors at different latitudes: both at the equator and to the north. The scientists tried to determine the effect of magnetic disturbances – they found no changes in either blood or behavior. How large organisms can resist stress, shrink and ignore changes. Another thing is when it comes to a weak body, for example, a sick person. Then they are very sensitive to the slightest changes,” the expert concluded.
Just a coincidence?
Despite the research, not everyone in the scientific community agrees that a person is dependent on the weather. Some scientists still consider this an unproven fact.
“This is a somewhat explored area. Many scientists deny this effect, and I am one of them. In the conditions of a big city, a tram passing by creates more magnetic field disturbances than any magnetic storm. On the other hand, there are statistics confirming that ambulance calls increase during magnetic storms,” he said. said Head of the “Gazete.Ru” Institute for Earth Physics, the near-Earth space physics laboratory. O.Yu. Schmidt RAS, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Vyacheslav Pilipenko.
From his point of view, the paradox is unexplained: any industrial object generates much greater perturbation than a magnetic storm, while storms reflect on biological objects.
“But this effect cannot be completely denied, as the effect may not be on everyone, but on borderline people – for example, this is a woman giving birth in a hospital or a person with heart failure. In the rest, the effect is very weak, often imperceptible,” said Pilipenko.
Cardiologist Anton Rodionov, employee of the Faculty of Therapy at Sechenov University, denies the existence of meteorological dependence.
“To quote my heart book, what symptoms are most often described by “changes in the weather”? Headache, increase or decrease in pressure, drowsiness … Remember and try to answer the question honestly, but before the weather changes, do you have a headache, do you experience drowsiness? Of course it is. It happens in any weather. When does the weather change more often? That’s why the weather changes often, ”said the expert.
As for blood pressure, during the day in any person blood pressure fluctuates between 50-60 mm Hg. Art., says Rodionov.
“Weather is not a risk factor. People die from diseases, not from the weather. A healthy body adapts quite normally to changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure. And if it is unhealthy … then it is not the air to blame. If you behave normally, no change in the weather is terrible, ”concluded Anton Rodionov.