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> I've been told that a Russian or Eastern European weather forecaster sometimes gives health advice based on the air pressure changes. The weather forecaster

by dpark 10y ago

> I've been told that a Russian or Eastern European weather forecaster sometimes gives health advice based on the air pressure changes. The weather forecaster is not qualified to give medical advice, so this does not seem to constitute "employing scientific information" in daily life. If by "woo" you mean pseudoscience worth ignoring then yes, it sounds like "woo".

internaut 10y ago
This is very real. Barometric pressure directly affects your ability to breathe. Recently several people died by asthma attack in Australia and thousands of people with no preexisting history of respiratory illness suddenly developed symptoms. The most likely explanation so far was the sudden change in barometric pressure and high pollen counts. If atmospheric pressure decreases it shall lower your blood pressure. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058250 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pre... More generally, weather has a direct effect on mood and behaviour. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/11/09/weather-can-change-your-mood/ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/11/09/weather-can...
- dpark 10y ago
  > Barometric pressure directly affects your ability to breathe. Sure. Go for a jog on a mountain and you'll find that you miss the higher pressure. > Recently several people died by asthma attack in Australia and thousands of people with no preexisting history of respiratory illness suddenly developed symptoms. The most likely explanation so far was the sudden change in barometric pressure and high pollen counts. Thousands unexpectedly developed symptoms? This is hard to believe. Also impossible to separate from the high pollen count that's known to cause problems for millions. > If atmospheric pressure decreases it shall lower your blood pressure. That's some serious cherry-picking. It's an article about cold weather causing higher blood pressure with a brief mention of other potential factors that mostly only affect people over 65. > More generally, weather has a direct effect on mood and behaviour. Obviously.
  - internaut 10y ago
    > Thousands unexpectedly developed symptoms? This is hard to believe. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/thunderstorm-asthma-eighth-person-dies-from-melbourne/8074776 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/thunderstorm-asthma-ei... "An eighth person has died following last week's freak thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne, health authorities have said. One person remains in a critical condition in intensive care, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said. Last week hospitals were overwhelmed when after a cool change and storm caused respiratory problems for thousands of people, with more than 8,500 attending emergency departments." "It caused many people, including those who had no history of asthma or respiratory issues, to experience mild to severe breathing difficulties." "The humid weather change last Monday caused pollen, most likely from rye grass, to burst into tiny particles that were able to be inhaled through the nose and enter the lungs." The good name of Russian Meteorology is exonerated from charges of pseudoscience.
    - dpark 10y ago
      That article says nothing about increased atmospheric pressure being at fault. It lays the blame squarely on pollen as expected. This is why pseudoscience is so difficult to discuss meaningfully. It's supporters cherry pick, exaggerate, and outright lie to support the claims they make because the actual science does not support the claims.
      - internaut 10y ago
        You mean low barometric pressure, not high. The chain of causality was this: Low pressure causing high pollen density causing respiratory illness. This has the power to explain why large numbers of people were abruptly affected. It's all there in the article. "Last week hospitals were overwhelmed when after a cool change and storm caused respiratory problems for thousands ... The humid weather change last Monday caused pollen, most likely from rye grass, to burst into tiny particles that were able to be inhaled through the nose and enter the lungs." And I repeat myself from 20 hours ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13109702 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13109702

by dpark 10y ago

internaut 10y ago

This is very real. Barometric pressure directly affects your ability to breathe. Recently several people died by asthma attack in Australia and thousands of people with no preexisting history of respiratory illness suddenly developed symptoms. The most likely explanation so far was the sudden change in barometric pressure and high pollen counts. If atmospheric pressure decreases it shall lower your blood pressure. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058250 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pre... More generally, weather has a direct effect on mood and behaviour. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/11/09/weather-can-change-your-mood/ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/11/09/weather-can...

dpark 10y ago
> Barometric pressure directly affects your ability to breathe. Sure. Go for a jog on a mountain and you'll find that you miss the higher pressure. > Recently several people died by asthma attack in Australia and thousands of people with no preexisting history of respiratory illness suddenly developed symptoms. The most likely explanation so far was the sudden change in barometric pressure and high pollen counts. Thousands unexpectedly developed symptoms? This is hard to believe. Also impossible to separate from the high pollen count that's known to cause problems for millions. > If atmospheric pressure decreases it shall lower your blood pressure. That's some serious cherry-picking. It's an article about cold weather causing higher blood pressure with a brief mention of other potential factors that mostly only affect people over 65. > More generally, weather has a direct effect on mood and behaviour. Obviously.
- internaut 10y ago
  > Thousands unexpectedly developed symptoms? This is hard to believe. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/thunderstorm-asthma-eighth-person-dies-from-melbourne/8074776 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-29/thunderstorm-asthma-ei... "An eighth person has died following last week's freak thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne, health authorities have said. One person remains in a critical condition in intensive care, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said. Last week hospitals were overwhelmed when after a cool change and storm caused respiratory problems for thousands of people, with more than 8,500 attending emergency departments." "It caused many people, including those who had no history of asthma or respiratory issues, to experience mild to severe breathing difficulties." "The humid weather change last Monday caused pollen, most likely from rye grass, to burst into tiny particles that were able to be inhaled through the nose and enter the lungs." The good name of Russian Meteorology is exonerated from charges of pseudoscience.
  - dpark 10y ago
    That article says nothing about increased atmospheric pressure being at fault. It lays the blame squarely on pollen as expected. This is why pseudoscience is so difficult to discuss meaningfully. It's supporters cherry pick, exaggerate, and outright lie to support the claims they make because the actual science does not support the claims.
    - internaut 10y ago
      You mean low barometric pressure, not high. The chain of causality was this: Low pressure causing high pollen density causing respiratory illness. This has the power to explain why large numbers of people were abruptly affected. It's all there in the article. "Last week hospitals were overwhelmed when after a cool change and storm caused respiratory problems for thousands ... The humid weather change last Monday caused pollen, most likely from rye grass, to burst into tiny particles that were able to be inhaled through the nose and enter the lungs." And I repeat myself from 20 hours ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13109702 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13109702