subject: Dealing With The Humidity Bites [print this page] Humidity simply means the amount of water vapor in the air. Why is this measure important? Its because our bodys temperature regulating functions are highly affected by it. There are a couple of things to clear before we deal with humidity like absolute and relative humidity.
Absolute Humidity
The ratio of the water vapor to the dry air in any given amount of air at a particular temperature gives us absolute humidity. It is directly proportional to the temperature. For example, the hotter the air, the more water it can hold. This measure helps us arrive at the relative humidity.
Relative Humidity
The ratio of present absolute humidity to the highest possible absolute humidity at the present air temperature gives us relative humidity whose reliable measures can be found in any accurate weather forecast. On a personal level knowing relative humidity will allow us to prepare for it. For instance, a high humidity level means lower capacity of our body to regulate temperature since the skin wont be able to perspire enough to do so. At such times, outdoor activities can be cut down, better environments can be shifted to or current settings can be altered and diet can be managed accordingly.
Common Humidity Issues
Other than the bodily discomfort created at high humidity levels and dryness problems at low levels, extreme humidity levels affect indoor spaces, equipment, electronics eventually creating inconvenience, losses and indirect health problems. The most common ones are
Rise of dust mites, bacteria and disease-spreading germs
Warping or cracking of instruments, wooden equipment, sports gear and many more
Condensation in indoor spaces and mould formation
Rise in breathing disorders, asthma and other infections and chronic illnesses
The overall effects of humidity can be experienced in the domino style i.e. dampness leads to moulds, which may trigger or worsen someones asthma and so on. Maintenance and storage ways need altering. Hence the first place to start when dealing with humidity woes is identifying the levels through regular weather forecasts and the impact of the same on your surroundings, example - rise in dust mites due to the humid Nottingham weather during autumn or the lower levels of energy efficiency experienced.
Basic Humidity Principles
Both high and low humidity can be taken care of by simply adjusting the ventilation and heating of the indoor spaces accordingly. Apart from humidifiers, de-humidifiers, heating, insulation fixtures and air conditioning, basic arrangements and choices involving the windows, doors, the flooring, walls, plumbing and gas fixtures, chemicals, along with daily habits can make a huge difference.
The rule is to let the air circulate more in and out of the space to balance out the moisture content during high humidity and insulate efficiently during low humidity. For example the mild weather in Bournemouth presents ample scope for solar heating due to its proximity to the sea as compared to the inland areas. As far as outdoor humidity is concerned, the right diet, drinks, apparel and stress levels will protect your body from being an extreme humidity victim.
