How does humidity affect how we feel?

Answer 1

You have the ability to control how you feel at any and all times. It takes practice, and most people don't take the time, but give in to any feeling that comes their way, good or bad.

Of course you might not mean how it makes us feel, but how it affects us physically, which is something different altogether. :-)

Answer 2

to learn more see this link
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/global/hi.htm

With basic climate regions around the world, there are some place where the weather is considered hot. But just heat alone does not make high temperatures a threat. There is an old saying stating "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". Well, actually it's both.

Heat waves are not easily photographed, like the destuction of tornadoes, hurricanes and floods and therefore tend to not have the same visual impact as these other disasters. Yet, heat waves kill more people in the United States than all of the other weather related disasters combined. The 10-year average (1997-2006) for heat related deaths in the U.S. is 170 in a typical year.

Our bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and, as the last extremity is reached, by panting. As the body heats up, the heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the tiny capillaries in the upper layers of skin are put into operation.

The body's blood is circulated closer to the skin's surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere by one or a combination of three ways...

radiation,
convection, and
evaporation.
At lower temperatures, radiation and convection are efficient methods of removing heat. However, once the air temperature reaches 95°F (35°C), heat loss by radiation and convection ceases. It is at this point that heat loss by sweating becomes all-important. But sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation (sweat changing to water vapor). The downside of this method of cooling is that high relative humidity retards evaporation.

Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor contained in the air, divided by the maximum amount the air can hold, expressed as a percent. A relative humidity of 50% means the air contains ½ of the water vapor it can actually hold. The maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold is dependent upon the temperature (the "relative" in relative humidity).

The higher the temperature, the more water (actually water vapor) the air can hold. For example, air with a temperature of 32°F (0°C) can hold about 0.16 ounces of water. Air with a temperature of 80°F (27°C) can hold about an ounce of water.

So, what does this all mean? Sweat is evaporated (changes from a liquid to a gas, i.e. water vapor) when heat is added. The heat is supplied by your body. The results are summed up in the table below...

Answer 3

Our bodies cool themselves by pumping perspiration out pores in the skin. When the air is reasonable dry the perspiration evaporates taking heat away from the body by doing so, and we are more comfortable. When its very humid the perspiration can't evaporate and we do not get cooled. And we are dripping with sweat. Moving air from a breeze, fan, or by being in a moving vehicle, enhances evaporation of our perspiration at a given humidity, and we are more comfortable.

Answer 4

The air can hold only so much water. Then it is saturated. If the humidity is high, your sweat is not evaporated. It is the evaporation of the sweat that cools your body. If the humidity is low, then your sweat is evaporated and you feel cooler.

High humidity, you feel warmer.
Low humidity you feel dryer.

Answer 5

I affects everyone differently. Some ppl will get aches and pains,some with arthritis will act up,some get head aches and some will feel just plain groggy and others nothing.

Answer 6

CLIMATE EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH

Humidity has an important impact on mortality since it contributes to the body's ability to cool itself by evaporation of perspiration. It also has an important influence on morbidity in the winter because cold, dry air leads to excessive dehydr ation of nasal passages and the upper respiratory tract and increased chance of microbial and viral infection.

D. HUMIDITY AND PRECIPITATION EFFECTS
1. Effects of Humidity

Humidity has an important impact on mortality since it influences the body's ability to cool itself by means of evaporation of perspiration. In addition, humidity affects human comfort, and the perceived temperature by humans is largely dependent upon atm ospheric moisture content (Persinger, 1980).

The effects of low humidity can be especially dramatic in winter, when low moisture content induces stress upon the nasal-pharynx and trachea. When very cold, dry air passes through these organs, warming occurs and air temperatures in the pharynx can reac h 30deg.F. The ability of this warmer air to hold moisture increases dramatically, and moisture is extracted at a prodigious rate from the nasal passages and upper respiratory tract, leading to excessive dehydration of these organs (Richards and Marriott, 1974). This appears to increase the chance of microbial or viral infection since a rise in the viscosity of bronchial mucous seems to reduce the ability of the body to fight offending microorganisms that may enter the body from the atmosphere. This may e xplain why Green (1966) found negative correlations between relative humidity and winter absenteeism in a number of Canadian schools.

In the summer, high moisture content during hot periods can lessen the body's ability to evaporate perspiration, possibly leading to heat stress. Recent weather/mortality models developed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate th at dewpoint temperature is directly related to mortality in several eastern cities when temperatures are very hot (Kalkstein, 1985). Another summer study indicated that mental well-being may also be influenced by summer relative humidity. Persinger (1975) found significant negative relationships between relative humidity and "mood scores," which represent a measure of happiness. Sanders and Brizzolara (1982) found relative humidity to be significantly related to a linear combination of three mood variable s (vigor: r = -.82; social affection: r = -.76; elation: r = -.56).

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/docs/001-338/001-338.html

Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (also called FMS) is a chronic condition of fatigue accompanied by pain and tenderness in muscles, tendons and other connective tissues. Fibromyalgia occurs mainly in women. Stress, activity level and weather are considered possible influences on the condition. A 1981 survey reported that more than 90% of fibromyalgia patients believed "cold and humid" weather, in particular, made them feel worse. Changes in barometric pressure may also affect those with FMS.

Migraines
Migraines are headaches caused by constriction or dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. Pain generally occurs on one side of the face or head. Sufferers sometimes feel nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Triggers include stress, hormonal fluctuations, certain types of food and weather.

According to research by the New England Center for Headache, as many as half of all migraines are triggered by weather. Many migraine sufferers single out cold, dry weather as the culprit, though almost any weather change can be a problem. Some doctors suggest that patients keep a detailed headache journal, so they can anticipate weather changes and take preventative medication, if necessary.

Sinus headaches
Sinuses are the air cavities in the bones around your nasal passages. When sinuses become clogged or infected, the resulting pressure can cause a headache. Symptoms include pain in the front of the head and around the eyes, yellow or green nasal discharge and perhaps a fever. It's believed that barometric pressure changes may bring on headaches, if the sinus cavities are slow to equalize air pressure. Damp, cold weather can intensify sinus pain.

A recent study suggests that most people who think they are suffering from sinus headaches may actually have migraines -- especially in cases where weather is an obvious trigger. Since symptoms of both types of headaches can vary, visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

http://www.weather.com/activities/health/achesandpains/achesandpains101/conditions.html

Answer 7

It makes you feel dehydrated, so you have to drink lots of water. When you feel dehydrated you don't feel to good.

Answer 8

By how much we sweat

Answer 9

being i live in houston i know first hand, it
makes you very tired and weak.