By: Angel Steiner
“Just blame it on the weather!” Most of the time we use this phrase in jest when we feel the need to blame our problems on SOMETHING instead of the actual cause. Science has confirmed though that were are people who suffer from what is called S.A.D. — Seasonal Affective Disorder — a condition that affects people’s moods because of the weather status. And it doesn’t only apply to the dark cold months of winter. Just as the lack of sunlight and warmth can affect a person’s chemical balance, so can the climate changes that come along with the summer months.
It all starts with the fact that once summer has hit and the sun is warm & bright, we want to be in it as long as possible — it’s helping our body makes some vitamin D, right? Yes, while this is true, the sun also causes sunburn when skin is overexposed. This inflamed skin causes the body to send extra iron to the sight to repair the skin damage. Iron leaves the body in higher volume because of this process, desquamation. Low iron levels in the blood will cause fatigue which leads to irritability and down moods. Lesson to be learned: don’t stay in the sun too long or cover up if you need to be in the sun for extended periods of time. The sun also causes a person to sweat which dehydrates their body’s systems. Dehydration leads to fatigue, muscle aches, and irritability. Melatonin levels are also at an all time low because of the extra hours of rays, and melatonin equalizes are awake/sleep cycle known as circadian rhythm.
Besides all the chemistry, S.A.D. sufferers also have trouble sleeping, tend to be overly anxious, have a loss of appetite and can be cranky.
The bottom line is this: be mindful of what you are doing out of doors during the summer months — cover up, have cool drinks, popsicles, ice cream, cold meals, take cool showers. Taking these sorts of precautions will help a person to stave off any unwanted moods which could thwart enjoying the summer time fun.
