The natural desire of absolutely every person is to never get sick, always be in a cheerful mood, and be less dependent on external circumstances, such as the weather outside the window, climate, or place of residence.
It is especially difficult not to get sick when living in a metropolis or a large city. A person in an urban environment is under constant stress from a large amount of work, irregular schedules, traffic jams on the street, malnutrition, and a sedentary lifestyle.
If insufficient time for rest and sleep is added to these circumstances, then a person will inevitably fall ill.
Life in big cities is always different from the leisurely and measured rhythm of life in the countryside. The metropolis requires a person to forget about his health and accept the rules he has established.
That is why many people ask themselves the question: “Is it possible to reduce the negative impact of a big city on human health?”. If you are determined to lead a healthy lifestyle while living in a metropolis, then you should take into account some features of life in the city.
Stress management
Stress is the cause of many serious diseases, such as disorders of the immune system. During times of stress, you are most exposed to viruses and bacteria, and as a result, you often get sick. That is why a person needs to be as nervous as possible and get rid of depressive thoughts.
One of the ways to relieve stress is entertainment – for example, you can try to bet in a casino using Woo Casino login.
There are many ways to relieve stress, such as a relaxing bath after a hard day at work, watching a comedy, good music, relaxing with friends and loved ones, a favorite hobby, walking in the fresh air, dancing or yoga, swimming, and other methods.
Of course, the best way to get rid of stress is to eliminate its cause. If there is nothing to worry about, the stress goes away. It’s up to you to decide how to deal with stress, but you can’t be constantly nervous.
Healthy sleep
To maintain health, a person needs to get enough sleep every day. In order not to upset your biological rhythm, do not allow yourself to sleep long or just lie in bed on weekends. You need to sleep about 8 hours a day. This will allow your body to produce the necessary amount of melatonin – the “sleep hormone.”
It is well-known that healthy sleep should begin at 22-23 hours and last until 4 am. That is why it is better to go to bed and get up early. Compliance with the sleep schedule contributes to the preservation of health for many years to come.
Clean water and proper nutrition
Many dangerous diseases arise due to malnutrition and the presence of a large number of harmful impurities in the liquid consumed. A huge minus of life in the metropolis is the lack of natural vegetables and fruits that have grown in summer cottages and vegetable gardens.
In addition, every day, we eat a lot of harmful foods: sweet and fatty, floury, and fried. This invariably leads to health problems, with digestion in the first place.
To reduce the risk of gastritis, ulcers, and other pathologies, it is necessary to adhere to a proper diet compiled in advance. Add more fruits, vegetables, dairy, and fish products to your daily diet. Water quality must also be monitored, using bottled water whenever possible.
Leisure
One of the obvious advantages of a big city is the presence of numerous interesting entertainments that help increase the endurance and stamina of the body and strengthen the immune system. You can do yoga, gymnastics, dance, join the pool or just run in the morning in the nearest park. All of these activities will give you strength and vigor all year round. No matter how trite it may sound, it is to walk in the fresh air and do sports that save the body from most diseases.
It is quite difficult to maintain and, even more so, to improve health while living in a metropolis. You can stay healthy and energetic by following the simple tips listed above.
The link between air pollution and respiratory disease is just one of the concerns of city dwellers.
How does a modern metropolis affect mental abilities, weight, and mood?
Air in the city
Have you noticed that it is easier to breathe outside the city? This can be seen in contrast when a person travels outside the metropolis on the weekend. At the same time, recent studies have shown that the average damage from urban air is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 29 years.
The World Health Organization considers this situation an emergency, despite the fact that 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, and by 2050 this figure will grow to 68%.
Psychological state
According to a meta-analysis of 20 studies conducted over the past 35 years, people in the metropolis are significantly more likely to have mental disorders and depression. Citizens complain of groundless anxiety and mood swings.
This is partly due to the rhythm of modern life: in the villages, there is a different way of life, regime, habits, and speeds that do not contribute to the accumulation of fatigue.
But air pollution affects the emotional state just as much: with a lack of oxygen, it is more difficult for the brain to cope with daily tasks and maintain vitality.
To maintain mental health in the city, you need to plan a schedule to avoid stress. Try to smoothly transition from one activity to another, take breaks between work and leave time for rest, and a gradual return to the regime.
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Respiratory diseases
Annual SARS affects up to 25% of residents of megacities. This is due to population density, air conditioning in summer, and dry air in apartments in winter.
To maintain good health, it is important to spend as much time as possible in the open air and not in a confined space, and pay attention to lifestyle, proper nutrition, and sports. Disease prevention also involves hygiene, ventilation, and air humidification.
Mental capacity
For education and the development of intelligence, it is customary to strive for cities, and this is logical: megacities have the best schools, universities, and career opportunities. But scientists are concerned that the urban environment impairs mental performance.
Due to poor environmental conditions, mental activity and reaction speed slow down. To study the problem, experts conducted the same exam for students but on different days. One took place in a city with high levels of air pollution, and the second took place in another locality.
The study showed that even small differences in the number of harmful substances in the atmosphere affected the results of the tests.
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Excess weight
Stress affects people in different ways: some eat junk food, and others lose their appetite. In both cases, the digestive system and metabolism suffer. Air pollution is also considered by scientists to be a factor in obesity.
The researchers suggested that harmful foreign particles in the atmosphere cause inflammation, which, in turn, provokes the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. The latter contributes to the accumulation of body fat and affects eating habits. This reduces the effectiveness of insulin and increases blood sugar levels.
The mechanism helps to release additional energy, but if a city dweller is already under constant stress, this can lead to the development of diabetes. Canadian scientists have confirmed that every 10 micrograms of fine particles per 1 cu. m of air increases the risk by 11%.
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Allergy
The number of allergy sufferers is growing every year. In addition to seasonal factors, this non-communicable disease is caused by dust mites that feed on small particles of pollutants in the air.
The risk of allergies in the city will always be higher than in the countryside, but it can be avoided by following simple rules, including regularly carrying out wet cleaning and ventilating the apartment.
Food allergies are also more common in cities compared to areas where population density is lower. The researchers found that the percentage of children with symptoms of the disease is 9.8 in cities, while in rural areas, there were no more than 6.2% of allergic people.
Environmental problems are blamed for this, and it is advised to give preference to natural eco-products without preservatives and additives.