Physiological hygiene

Environmental factors and methods of hygienic research

The environment is a complex system that hygiene divides into two large groups of factors:

• Natural: climate, weather, state of the air, water, and soil.
• Social: working and living conditions, dietary patterns, human lifestyle.

To assess the interaction of the organism with these factors, various methods are used. The study of environmental objects themselves (dwellings, water sources, catering units) begins with a sanitary inspection—a basic descriptive method involving the completion of special forms. To obtain accurate objective data, the laboratory method is employed, which includes physical, chemical, biological, and microbiological analyses.

The direct impact of the environment on humans is assessed using physiological, anthropometric, and biochemical studies. The experimental method is also applied, wherein the reaction of animal or human organisms to specific stimuli is studied under artificially created conditions.

Personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle (HLS)

Personal hygiene combines daily measures aimed at health promotion. Compliance with it is of immense epidemiological significance: ignoring basic rules leads to the mass spread of infectious diseases and helminthiases.

Key elements of a healthy lifestyle and personal hygiene:

1. Rational nutrition.
2. Use of adequate clothing and footwear.
3. Regular physical activity.
4. Thorough body and oral hygiene.
5. Hardening of the body.

Hardening implies systematic, repeated exposure of the body to physical factors (heat, cold, ultraviolet light). Its pathophysiological meaning lies in the adaptation and improvement of thermoregulatory mechanisms. This increases the body's overall resistance to temperature fluctuations, improves physical performance, and reliably prevents colds.

Residential environment hygiene

A comfortable residential environment represents conditions under which a person is mentally balanced, calm, and all their physiological systems function without failure. Housing quality is strictly regulated by construction and sanitary-hygienic standards, taking into account the climate and the intended purpose of the premises.

Unfavorable housing conditions directly lead to pathologies:

• Microclimate disorders: increased and uneven cooling of the body causes neurotrophic disorders, which reduces overall vitality and provokes the development of tonsillitis and rheumatism.
• Lack of comfort and noise: street or indoor noise hits the central nervous system. Headaches and restless sleep appear, and general well-being and appetite deteriorate.
• Deficit of insolation: in "dark dwellings" with a lack of natural light, children do not synthesize vitamin D in the skin, which is the direct cause of rickets.

Hygienic assessment of housing always begins with the study of the settlement as a whole, since the state of adjacent territories (recreation areas, utility yards) strongly influences the sanitary condition inside buildings.

Biological markers in hygiene

To accurately assess how the environment affects humans, three groups of biological markers, determined in biological fluids (blood, urine, saliva), are used:

• Exposure biomarkers. They prove the very fact of contact with a harmful factor. These can be exogenous chemical substances or their metabolites. For example, mercury in urine in individuals in contact with its preparations, or methemoglobin in blood upon exposure to nitrates and nitrogen oxides. Compounds of absorbed substances with DNA, erythrocytes, and serum proteins are considered the most specific.
• Effect biomarkers. They quantitatively reflect physiological, behavioral, or biochemical shifts. They help the physician detect hidden health impairments and assess the risk of developing a full-scale disease.
• Susceptibility biomarkers. They show the innate or acquired readiness of the organism to react to a specific stimulus. A classic example is skin allergy tests confirming sensitization to allergens.

Social and hygienic monitoring

By the end of the 20th century, the amplification of the negative impact of the environment on demographics and public health necessitated the creation of a unified state control system. Since 1994, in the Russian Federation, based on Government Resolution No. 1146, a system of social and hygienic monitoring has been functioning. Its main goal is the assessment, analysis, and forecasting of the sanitary and epidemiological situation to make scientifically grounded managerial decisions for the protection of the environment and public health.

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• The role of medical professionals in public health education
• Laboratory research methods: physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses
• The connection of hygiene with related clinical and exact disciplines
• Regulatory and legal framework for social and hygienic monitoring (Resolution No. 1146)
• The impact of adjacent territory on the sanitary condition of indoor premises

Other topics in the section "Introduction. Subject, History, Modern Environment"

Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.