Health Code - Harmony between Man and Environment

Author: Wang Jianguo / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The author of this book adopts a method that combines traditional Chinese theory with modern scientific theory. By integrating Chinese philosophy with modern natural sciences and blending China's macro thinking approach with the Western micro thinking approach, the author has conducted extensive reading of both Chinese and Western books and carried out numerous scientific experiments. Based on these efforts, the author has proposed unique perspectives and insights on the relationship between humans and the environment. The influence between humans and the environment is mutual, multifaceted, and complex. This book focuses only on the impact of the environment on human physical and mental health. It is an accessible book that can benefit a wider audience. The secret to human health lies in the mysterious exchange of matter, energy, and information between humans and the environment. This book explores the mysteries of the mutual influence and interaction between humans and the environment from the fields of environmental science, biology, modern medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, psychology, and traditional Chinese cultural theories. It deciphers the health code, promotes harmony between humans and the environment, and achieves human health and longevity.
(4) The Impact of Environmental Humidity on the Human Body
Air humidity is a physical quantity that represents the dryness or wetness of the air and has two expressions. One concept is absolute humidity, which is expressed as the mass (or pressure) of water vapor in a unit volume of air, indicating the amount of water vapor in the air. At a certain temperature, a certain volume of air can hold a maximum amount of water vapor. When this limit is reached, the water vapor in the air is in a saturated state, and the gas at this point is called saturated vapor. The second concept is relative humidity, which is expressed as the percentage ratio of the absolute humidity of the air at a certain temperature to the density (or pressure) of saturated water vapor at the same temperature, indicating how close the air's water vapor is to saturation. The most suitable relative humidity for the human body is 40%–50%, because within this humidity range, the lifespan of bacteria in the air is the shortest, the human skin feels comfortable, breathing is uniform and normal, and the risk of illness is reduced. When the relative humidity reaches 30%, the heat index for heatstroke is 38°C; when the relative humidity reaches 80%, and the temperature is 31°C, people with weaker constitutions may still experience heatstroke. This is because sweat primarily relies on evaporation to dissipate heat. If the external humidity is too high, sweat evaporates poorly, making it difficult to cool down. In such cases, even if a person sweats a lot, they may still feel stuffy and hot, increasing the risk of heatstroke. If people encounter low temperatures with high humidity in winter, they will feel damp and cold. When the air humidity exceeds 80%, the release of melatonin in the human body is also relatively high, leading to a decrease in the concentration of thyroid hormones and adrenaline, making people feel lethargic and sluggish. Prolonged exposure to high-humidity environments, such as working or living in high mountains or on islands, can also increase the risk of rheumatic and rheumatoid arthritis.
When the air humidity falls below 40%, evaporation accelerates, leading to dehydration of epidermal cells and reduced secretion of sebaceous glands, causing dry and cracked skin. The mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and lungs lose moisture, reducing their elasticity and mucus secretion. The ciliary movement of the mucous membranes slows down, making it easier for dust and bacteria to adhere to them. Irritation of the nasal mucous membranes weakens the respiratory system's resistance, leading to symptoms such as thirst, dry cough, hoarseness, and sore throat. Therefore, during the dry, cold air invasions in autumn and winter in northern China, it is very easy to trigger conditions such as pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, or to worsen respiratory diseases. P14-15