Prof. Dr. med. Horst Jungmann, Associate Professor of Medical Climatology at the University of Hamburg
and a member of the Scientific Council
comes to the topic „Room temperature and health“. „The human body has the ability to adapt to heat and cold, to acclimatize. It takes at least four weeks. Autumn is enough for the body to prepare for winter. However, our civilized life can prevent this adjustment.
Always staying in too hot rooms, too coarse clothes during a short stay outside are the most important disturbing factors. Indeed, most people are more resilient in the summer than in the winter, because they are more often lightly dressed and also exposed to colder temperatures than in the weaker months of the sun. This explains, at least in part, the increased susceptibility to infectious diseases of the respiratory tract in the winter, popularly called „cold“.
Room temperature above 20 degrees Celsius has not been healthy for a long time, especially for people living in temperate zones (e.g. Central Europe). Doctors and scientists agree on this. They give a simple reason for this: our diet, which serves as a source of energy, is burned in the body. This creates heat: „thermogenesis.“ After all, heat continually escapes through the skin and breath. Adequate, not too high room temperature activates metabolism, keeps the body powerful, sensitive and much leaner.
In overheated rooms, the relative humidity drops very easily below the „comfort zone“ (approx. 45-60%). As a result, resistance to infections is reduced, especially in the respiratory tract: Those who live too hot have more frequent rhinitis, cough, and bronchitis. Having too much heat in the bedroom is uniquely unhealthy. Temperatures that are 3 to 5 degrees lower than other rooms provide a deep restorative sleep
Application possibilities
Infrared deep heat has various areas of use and can positively affect multiple diseases:
High blood pressure, low blood pressure, circulatory disorders, renal dysfunction, detoxification, stress, neck-nose, tinnitus, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, arthritis, arthritis, skin diseases, torn muscles, bronchitis, asthma, colds, menstrual pain, low back pain, low back pain, sciatica, insomnia, heartburn, back pain, indigestion, constipation, fatigue, joint stiffness, pneumonia, lower abdominal pain, etc.
Muscle tension/pain
The stresses are released or removed by thermal radiation. Reducing muscle tension relieves pain.
Sport
Infrared radiation can maintain muscle condition even during breaks caused by the injury. Before sports, it is recommended to use a dressed infrared sauna or a hot tub due to the strong effect of heatwaves.
Passive training effect for heart vessels
The infrared heating system also allows people in wheelchairs or the disabled who cannot be burdened with exercise or fitness programs to train their blood circulation and cardiovascular system.
Infrared heat increases tissue flexibility
This effect is essential for injured tendons, ligaments or muscles, but is to minimize the risk of injury to athletes. It also reduces the stiffness of the limbs.
Supporting your vitality
It is mainly heat rays that, thanks to their deep effects, also have a positive impact on our internal organs. Heat rays penetrate into the body to a depth of 4 mm. Infrared rays, unlike other thermal media, are incredibly useful because they heat the metric without using air as the transport medium.
Relieves pain and heals wounds faster
When wounds after gastric and intestinal surgery are irradiated with special infrared light, they heal better and cause less pain, this was revealed in a small study at the University Clinic in Heidelberg.
Besides, gentle and less expensive treatment shortened the stay at the clinic and thus reduced costs. This emerged from a study of 111 patients at the University Surgery Clinic in Heidelberg. According to doctors, the reasons for this favourable course are better blood circulation and oxygen supply to the wound tissue. The investigation was a so-called double-blind study: neither patients nor doctors knew whether the wounds after irradiation were irradiated with a standard lamp with visible „placebo-light“ or additional filtered infrared light. Irradiation was performed twice a day, 20 minutes from 2. until the 10th day after surgery. The study at the Heidelberger Surgical Clinic was published in the British Journal of Surgery, together with a sports doctor in Frankfurt.
Heat and high oxygen content promote wound healing
Wound healing after abdominal surgery can be lengthy and painful. Depending on the degree of difficulty of the procedure, it takes one to two weeks. Depending on the age and additional diseases, this can still occur in up to 15% of patients with infections that complicate the treatment process. Therefore, surgeons are looking for more gentle ways to heal wounds better.
The heat and high oxygen content are known to promote healing,“ explains Dr Hartel, first study author and physician at the Heidelberg University Surgical Clinic. The results of the study were encouraging: all 46 patients in the Infrared-Group complained of less pain and needed fewer sedatives. Their wounds healed faster and better, wound healing disorders occurred at 7% compared to 15% in the control group, and the cosmetic results were satisfactory. Patients with infrared radiation were at the clinic on average for nine versus 11 days.
Doctors explain the positive effect of irradiation through a local impact in wound tissue. Heat improves blood flow, pain-producing substances are washed away by increased blood flow, and high oxygen pressure activates the production of proteins and cells that close the wound.
Source: idw / GesundheitPro; 10.08.2006