Show Notes
As summer winds down, some people are celebrating the approach of fall, while others are dreading the shorter, colder days. We know that weather can affect our mood — maybe we're extra irritable when it's hot, or gloomy when it's gray — but it can also influence our overall health. On this episode, a look at how weather affects well-being and health, from its impact on menstrual cycles to chronic conditions like asthma and pain.
Can extreme heat affect your menstrual cycle? The internet thinks so. In June, , a strange phenomenon went viral on social media — thousands of women experienced unexpected changes to their periods as temperatures soared. For some, it came early; for others, late. Still others missed it entirely, or reported having a second period shortly after their first. Pulse producer Nichole Currie investigates the potential connection.
Writer Alison Espach was taking a dip in the ocean one summer when something strange happened — she emerged covered head-to-toe in hives. She dismissed it as a fluke, but then it happened again when she swam in a lake, and again in a river. We talk with Espach about the bizarre culprit: her sudden allergy to cold.
Heat waves don't just make for uncomfortable temperatures — they often lead to poor air quality, which, in many places, has been exacerbated by wildfires. Pulse reporter Alan Yu talks with patients affected by air pollution, why it's dangerous to our health, and the people working to better track air quality.
We talk with writer Lorraine Boissoneault about her new book of essays, "Body Weather: Notes on Chronic Illness in the Anthropocene," which explores the ways in which her own chronic illnesses mirror the weather changes wrought by climate change.
Psychologist Trevor Harley explains the science of how the weather affects our mental and physical health, the evolutionary roots of our sensitivity to the weather, and how we can use that knowledge to improve how we feel. His new book is “Head in the Clouds: How the Weather Affects Our Minds and Mental Health.”
More from The Pulse
Most Americans say that spending time with loved ones is one of the most important things in their lives — and yet, amid the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day, relationships often take a backseat to other commitments. We find ourselves canceling date nights to finish work, rescheduling family calls to catch up on chores — maybe even choosing to scroll on our phones over a night out with friends. It can be hard making time for friends and family — and easy to tell ourselves they’ll still be there tomorrow — but there’s a cost to neglecting our personal connections. New research is revealing just how important those ties are, and why nurturing them is an investment not only in our relationships, but in our own health and well-being. On this encore episode, we explore the science of human connection, from why it matters to how we can make it a priority in our lives.
Peptides are having a moment – but how much do we actually know about them? On this episode, we explore the potential benefits and risks. We investigate the science behind peptides, find out what lagging research and regulation could mean for regular users, and learn about how — and whether – to use peptides in a responsible way.
On this episode, we explore ADHD in adults — how to spot it, how to treat it, and how to function with it. We talk with a leading psychologist about what’s behind ADHD’s often frustrating symptoms, hear about what it’s like receiving a diagnosis late in life, and find out why people with ADHD are often very sensitive.
It’s a story that’s unfolding across America, from Texas to Tennessee, Kansas to the Rust Belt — rural hospitals are struggling or closing, leaving residents, towns, and entire regions without access to important healthcare services, from cancer screenings to maternity care. For some people, it can even mean a several-hour drive to the nearest emergency room — and in life-or-death situations, those extra miles can make a big difference.
On this encore episode, we explore the world of color — from how we perceive it, to our efforts to describe and differentiate its many shades. We talk with a lexicographer about efforts to standardize synthetic colors, and how we describe them, and investigate how we know that the colors we see are the same as the ones everyone else sees.