Any health benefits of hot and humid climate?

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Why do so many older people like Florida so much? I remember something about higher humidity being easier on... something, don't remember what. But now that I actually googled the question, and it looks like high humidity does nothing good but actually makes everything worse, bones, heart conditions...

Specializes in None.

I grew up in the Denver metro area, and our winters are not so much brutal as jus tthe accumulation of snow UGH!! I attend college in Oklahoma and I can say from experience Mid-western winters suck because of those freakin ice storms!! I also have asthma, and for me, it does better in drier climates for some reason, why I do not know. But I do know humid weather is good on my skin and hair since I have really dry skin!

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Maybe because there is already a large older population? If they just wanted the 90-100 degree, insanely humid weather then why not Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas? I don't think it's for the beach...lol....you only see maybe 5 or 6 really leathery old people in their bikinis on the beach.

As far a being good for you...I think it's worse for everything? Especially breathing problems. I've had days in Louisiana where it took me a few tries to go outside cause it was so hot and humid, I couldn't get any air in....I felt like I was suffocating (I didn't have allergies or any other prob). For some reason though, here in Pa it seems to be the thing to do....retire to Fl. I lived there for as long as I could stand it (1yr), and I have no clue why anyone would want to live there. If I wanted tropical, I think my dream would be Hawaii, Magarita Island, Indonesia, Micronesia....etc etc...lol...tons of places better than Fl...

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Specializes in LTC.

I live in Alabama. It's about 95 degrees and very humid today. So after 43 years here, I can only tell you - absolutely NO benefits that I've ever seen.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.
I grew up in the Denver metro area, and our winters are not so much brutal as jus tthe accumulation of snow UGH!! I attend college in Oklahoma and I can say from experience Mid-western winters suck because of those freakin ice storms!! I also have asthma, and for me, it does better in drier climates for some reason, why I do not know. But I do know humid weather is good on my skin and hair since I have really dry skin!

Yeah, don't ya just love sleet! I worked nights in Edmond's ED and it started sleeting one morning around 0500. I could only get halfway home because of this big hill on Memorial Road...no one could get up it!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

We genuine Houston people (not temporary), we cheerfully acknowldge the fact that we basically live in a swamp. However, If I think hard, I can think up a few benefits:

  • no need for vaporizers, just mist the air with menthol
  • tree frogs make very satisfactory, low maintenance pets
  • bad hair is always excusable
  • built-in excuses to avoid outdoor exercise
  • golf is more exciting with gators in the water traps
  • dry skin is a very rare phenomenon
  • more space in the closet because we don't need winter gear
  • it's very prestigious to be an HVAC tech
  • shopping is therapeutic - they aren't malls, they're "cooling centers"
  • low toxin levels & clean pores d/t continuous sweating

Besides, loving where you live is about more than just climate.

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  • bad hair is always excusable

As a New Orleans resident the first thing I thought when I saw this thread is that we save time doing our hair. You learn that it is all wasted effort about 5 minutes after you walk out of the house. Heck, here bad hair is expected! (BTW, at 12:12am its 77 F and 90% humidity - actually a pretty pleasant evening by our standards.)

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LOL!!! I love that one too. Smartferret is lucky to make it 5 minutes. I could spend all morning setting my hair only to have it fall flat before I can even make it into the car!

Also, it's 4:45am and our humidity is STILL at 85%. Yuck.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

The humidity is too pervasive in Florida. In combination with the heat, it makes the body work harder. My glasses used to fog up the minute I opened my front door to walk outside. Breathing hot humid air was actually tough on my asthmatic airways. I think it's a combination of the heat and humidity that's tough on the body. There's a lot of heat related illness in Florida. I myself have suffered a bout of heat exhaustion. Healthier climates might be San Francisco or Seattle, humid but not hot and much easier to tolerate.

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