Relative air humidity and how it affects health

We have repeatedly heard "absolute" and "relative humidity". What are these indicators? With absolute magnitude, everything is clear: this is the amount of particles of water vapor that is contained in one cubic meter of air. But what practical benefit will the news bring us that five units of moisture per cubic meter are invisibly present in the environment around us? After all, we can not even say whether the air is dry, normal or too moist, because its composition varies at different temperatures. After all, the atmospheric environment is like a sponge, the warmer it is, the more water vapor in it dissolves. When it cools down sharply (for example, on clear nights), the cold with an invisible hand squeezes the "sponge" and drops out the dew. And the heat, in contact with the carafe with ice water, leaves on the glass "sweat".

So, if "5 units per cubic meter" is an absolute indicator, but relative to the temperature of the medium, it can be considered dry (in heat), normal or high (in the cold). It is more convenient in household needs to use a different indicator, namely "relative humidity". At a certain degree of temperature, the atmosphere can contain a certain amount of steam. If it is saturated with pairs, we say that the "dampness" is 100%. This is, for example, a Russian bath, where it's hot, but it's also a dense fog, and being inside the cloud at a considerable height, where it's cold. That is, the absolute amount of water in the form of steam in a bath, fog and cloud is different, but the saturation with water is the same - 100%.

And this relative humidity of air plays not the last role in changing our state of health. Remember how hard it is to breathe and how to sleep before a thunderstorm. This environment is filled with invisible water: its fullness rises from normal 50% to 80. But excessive drying also leads to problems: pershit in the throat, the body loses a lot of moisture. This is especially evident in the winter in our homes.

Look: the room gets cold (say, on the street - 10 C). Even if the relative humidity of the air outside the window is high, in absolute terms it is low (since it is cold outside). Heating from the stove or central heating batteries, the percentage of water in our environment varies from high to low. If the room is + 25 C, the frosty masses literally suck out moisture from objects and people in the room. The wooden furniture is drying up, the flowers turn yellow, and people feel the perspiration in the mouth, the lips crack, the skin and hair are dried. It is not easy in this situation for those who wear contact lenses: eyes blush, itch. Allergy sufferers are also unwell - excessive dryness exacerbates the reaction to dust. Therefore, it is advised to put saucers with water near the batteries, although this is not a panacea.

To always be aware of the percentage of water vapor contained in the air, you can purchase special moisture meters, which are called hygrometers. After all, in a damp environment, as is known, microbes are multiplying. Therefore, outbreaks of epidemics of influenza and acute respiratory infections fall just on the periods of winter thaws, when the southern wind raises the temperature and increases "phlegm". In the heat, when "soars" and stuffy, the number of heart attacks increases, it is not easy for asthmatics. With a high humidity, the cold and heat are carried more heavily than when dry. Optimal for our body - 50-60% saturation of the ambient atmosphere.

Using two simple thermometers you can build your own hygrometer. How to measure the humidity in the home, without reagents? We put both thermometers in the shade, but the lower part of one of them is wrapped with a piece of felt soaked in water. Evaporation of moisture cools the thermometer. If the relative humidity is high, the felt dries slowly, and both thermometers - wet and dry - show the same temperature. And if it's low, the cloth dries quickly, and the sweeter-covered meter gives a smaller reading.