Abstract
Literature on the nature and possible causes of ‘föhn illness’ is reviewed. Seven physiological and psychological aspects of human well-being were solicited from 1828 residents of southern Alberta by telephone interview. Data were evaluated to determine if well-being was weather related. Meteorological parameters included eight 48-h weather types, temperature, humidity, wind and pressure. The expected increase in föhn illness symptoms during the frequent warm chinook and decrease at times of cold non-chinook weather were not present. However, with the cool chinook (temperature slightly below freezing) many people claimed additional irritability and, to a lesser extent, more pain in their joints, headaches and nervousness. Several adverse symptoms were positively correlated with wind velocity. However, no widespread ‘chinook illness’ comparable to the föhn illness was found.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amiel MF (1963) Geography of health. MD 7:109–114
Auliciems A (1978) Mood dependency on low intensity atmospheric variability. Int J Biometeorol 22:20–32
Driscoll DM (1974) Weather influences on mortality and morbidity. Rev Environ Health 1:283–304
Dunglison R (1844) Human health. Lea and Blanchard. Philadelphia
Fast J (1979) Weather language. Wyden, New York
Faust V (1976) Biometeorologie. Hippokrates, Stuttgart
Ficker H, Rudder B (1948) Föhn und Föhnwirkungen: Band 1, der Probleme der Bioklimatologie. Geest und Portig, Leipzig
Fletcher RJ (1987) Winter atmospheric ionization in the chinook area of southern Alberta. BC Geogr Ser 44:85–98
Ives RL (1950) Frequency and physical effects of Chinook winds on the Colorado High Plains region. Assoc Am Geogr Ann 40:293–327
Kals WS (1982) Your health, your moods, and the weather. Doubleday, Garden City, NY
Krueger AP (1985) The biological effects of air ions. Int J Biometeorol 29:205–206
Pavlik I, Loviskova M, Cabajova Z (1970) The meteorosensitivity of asthmatics. Biometeorology 4(2):85
Persinger MA (1975) Lag responses in mood reports to changes in the weather matrix. Int J Biometeorol 19:108–114
Reginato A, Jackson DC, Hollander JL (1967) Effect of rate of change in climatic parameters on rheumatoid arthritis. Biometeorology 3:181
Richner H, Graber W (1978) The ability of non-classical meteorological parameters to penetrate into buildings. Int J Biometeorol 22:242–248
Rohden M (1933) Einfluß des Föhns auf das körperlich-see lische defilden. Arch Psychol (Frankf) 89:605–658.
Rosen S (1979) Weathering. Evans. New York
Sarnowska K, Dubinski W (1967) Bronchial asthma and meteorological factors. Biometeorology 3:165
Schulman J, Leviton A, Slack W, Porter D, Graham JR (1980) The relationship of headache occurrence to barometric pressure. Int J Biometeorol 24:263–269
Sulman FG (1974) Meteorological front movements and human weather sensitivity. Karger Gaz 3:1–2
Sulman FG (1976) Health, weather and climate. In: Reis L van der (ed) Perspectives in medicine, vol 7. Karger. Basel New York, p 166
Sulman FG (1980) Keine Angst mehr vor dem Föhn: die Wetterfühligkeit und ihre Behandlung. Umsch Frankf a/M 80:291–292, 294–295
Thomson WAR (1979) A change of air. Charles Scribner, New York
Tromp SW (1979) Studies on the origin and biological effects of the chinook in western Canada. In: Tromp SW, Bouma JJ (eds) Biometeorological survey, vol 1, part A: Human Biometeorology. Heyden, London, pp 191–194
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fletcher, R.J. “Föhn illness” and human biometeorology in the Chinook area of Canada. Int J Biometeorol 32, 168–175 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01045275
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01045275