Geomagnetic storms do not harm us, but the fear of them does

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Geomagnetic storms do not harm us, but the fear of them does
Geomagnetic storms do not harm us, but the fear of them does
Anonim

Recently, information appeared in some media that the geomagnetic storms that erupted for three consecutive days in mid-February are seriously affecting our he alth. The subject was discussed quite heatedly, which caused alarm among the people. Especially among those who are chronically ill. To what extent this natural phenomenon affects our he alth, is the concern that covers society justified, and do we need to take any measures, are the topics we are talking about today with Prof. Sotir Marchev, specialist in cardiology and internal diseases. He specialized in echocardiography, invasive cardiology and electrophysiology in Vienna, Osaka and Belgrade. He is accredited in echocardiography by the European Society of Cardiology, of which he is an honorary member. He is an associate professor of cardiology at the Medical University in Pleven.

Prof. Marchev, alarming information has recently appeared regarding the negative impact of geomagnetic storms on our he alth. Your comment?

- Yes, this information intrigued me as well. It was claimed that during the days in question we are threatened with heart attacks, depressions and so on. So I decided to make a reference and I have something to say on the subject. The first and most important thing I want to emphasize is that the fear of geomagnetic storms causes more harm to he alth than they themselves. In general, as a popular song goes: if you worry when you're in trouble, you make it double. Therefore, I argue that it is most reasonable for people not to worry about such natural phenomena as geomagnetic storms. I will justify this statement of mine by saying that in our medical practice they are of no importance. Why? Geomagnetic storms matter in medical science, but they don't matter in our daily work. For the simple reason that they are something we cannot save ourselves from, nor can we escape. I say it in the following sense: first, that they have the same effect, regardless of whether you are behind the walls of your home or on the street, in this case it does not matter at all. Second, the effect of geomagnetic storms on us, humans, is absolutely the same on the territory of Europe and Australia. That is why I say we cannot escape from them.

In this situation, we, the practicing doctors of medicine, are taught to fight the preventable risk factors. We advise people not to smoke, not to overeat, not to drink, because these are things that depend on us. Whereas geomagnetic storms, figuratively speaking, are God's work and there is no point in meddling there. So we advise our patients to correct the risk factors that depend on them, and not to worry unnecessarily about external influences, because there is no benefit from this. This is in terms of everyday medical practice - there is nothing we can do about it. This first.

And secondly?

- Second, I can easily refute what has been reported in some newspapers on the matter, which has thrown a lot of people off the rails. I consulted both Russian and American special sources on this topic. Nowhere is there any indication of any increased solar activity for the three days in question from mid-February. This, of course, is not my speci alty, but it is generally said that solar activity has some kind of cycle - about a 12-year period, according to which in years of low solar activity there are about two or three geomagnetic storms a year. And in years with high solar activity, such as 2014, about 50 geomagnetic storms are recorded for the year. Anyway during the three days in question of February

there was no increased geomagnetic activity

In this situation, my personal advice to your readers is to pay attention to your complaints during such days. But let them know that they are not due to geomagnetic storms, because there are none. I.e. not to attribute them to geomagnetic storms, but to look for a clearer, more earthly, more medical cause. This is from a practical point of view.

Dr. Marchev, what are the true, correct things that we should observe, observe instead of worrying about phenomena beyond our control?

- There is no point in worrying about geomagnetic storms because it is unnecessary tension, futile anger and worry that can only harm us. The true, right things that we can keep and observe have not been discovered by me, you, your readers, or our generation. True things have been known for several thousand years. In the Bible already 2000 years ago, quite reasonable things were written. Here is a concrete example. Soon, a week or two ago, we celebrated the Christian holiday of Meat Imports. This was the last day on which meat was eaten, and from then on the Easter fast began. Again, the Bible says that the sick, the elderly, pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from this fast and should not observe it. The rest of us are wise to limit meat. And again there it is noted that during this long fast there are certain days on which a person can eat fish, because in this way he makes up for the trace elements that he loses during the fast. So the true things were written several thousand years ago and we don't need to re-invent them.

Allow a slightly more abstract question: is the human heart a mystery or an open book? Comment it in whatever sense you want

- This is an interesting topic. I have discussed it in a TV show. I mean, I was then provoked by a writer, screenwriter, and now a politician. In his Facebook status on the occasion of Valentine's Day, he wrote the following: "On this Valentine's Day, I want to remind everyone that the heart is just a pump that moves the blood, and everything else is the work of idlers."

I was quite offended by this statement. And I said to myself: Wow, how far have we brought her, in the 21st century for poets and writers to convince me that

the heart is only one pump

And we, the doctors, have the duty to protect the honor of the heart, since for the poets it was only a pump. In this sense, the people of the word are not right! They are wrong for the following several reasons. First, in addition to actually moving the blood like a pump of sorts, the heart produces hormones that regulate the body's fluid balance. I.e. the heart is also a hormonally active organ. The next thing: the heart is infinitely clearly related to the nervous system. The heart-nerve connection is huge. And on the occasion of Valentine's Day, I want to say why it is the heart that is a symbol of love, and not, for example, the spleen, or the liver, or any other organ. I will go back centuries again to point out that even the Egyptians in their "Book of the Dead" talk about the heart. So did the ancient Greeks. I.e. ever since those ancient times, since man has existed, people have been clear about the connection between the heart and emotions. Each of us has noticed when under stress, under tension, when falling in love, when worried, how his heart accelerates its rhythm, how the heartbeat changes. So for any self-observant person, the connection between emotions and the heart is obvious. The pulse of the heart changes immediately with all emotions. It is obvious that the heart is connected to the emotions.

Is the human heart connected only to emotions?

- This is exactly what I want to continue with. Even in the past, people associated the heart not only with emotions, but also with the mind and the soul. And they had reasons for that, and several. First, the heart is located in the middle of the chest, on the torso. Basically, the most expensive thing is always hidden in the middle. As the king is in the Citadel, which is in the middle of the fortress, in the heart of the fortress. The heart is inside the middle - most hidden, most precious. And that is why they connected both the mind and the soul precisely with the heart. Let me tell you that the very structure of the heart is in the shape of a cross.

The heart first has a plane that divides the atria down, the chambers up. It is called the atrioventricular plane. There is a vertical line that separates the left from the right half of the heart. These two planes, these two structures, their crossing in the form of a cross is very clearly visible at the back of the heart, and this part of the heart was already called by the ancients "crest cordis" - the cross of the heart. It is an anatomical term that we still work with to this day. Theologians in the past thought that in this so-called cross is found and the soul…

Scientists:

There is a connection between these natural phenomena and strokes

A major worldwide study has shown that on days of a magnetic storm, the incidence of brain strokes increases. It is not clear why, but it has been suggested that blood pressure and heart rhythm may change. With regard to medical science, things are quite different. It is constantly developing and seeking answers to many questions. For example, on April 22, 2014, the popular medical journal "Strough" published data from a meta-analysis of a large number of clinical studies on patients who suffered a stroke. Patients were included from New Zealand, where the study was conducted, from neighboring Australia, and from Europe - France, Germany and Sweden. All have experienced a stroke.

In the end, it turns out that on days when there is a geomagnetic storm, the incidence of strokes increases by 17% compared to other days. So the geomagnetic field affects us humans anyway. First, these geomagnetic fields affect communications - jamming compasses. They affect electronics - reduce the accuracy of jeeps. They also interfere with some animals by making it difficult for them to orient themselves. Because some species of penguins, for example, as well as dolphins, seals - these animals use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation.

By the way

We humans are physical bodies, therefore we are not exempt from the laws of physics, among other things. I.e. those physical laws that apply to electronics, to some penguins, to dolphins, they also apply to us humans. It is not clear why there is a 17% increase in stroke on days of geomagnetic storms. The speculation is that this geomagnetic activity maybe changes blood pressure, maybe changes blood clotting. Or it disrupts the heart rhythm. It is the irregular heart rhythm that is one of the causes of brain strokes.

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