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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
If you feel the weather in your bones, this might be why
Some people don't need a weather app - they feel the forecast in their bones. A storm rolls in and so do throbbing heads, aching joints and mood drops. For years, this phenomenon was dismissed as imagination or coincidence. Now, with sharper tools and larger datasets, more researchers are taking weather-related symptoms seriously. As former Agriculture Department chief meteorologist Albert Peterlin put it: 'It's not the weather. It's the change in weather that causes stress.' Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Sudden swings in atmospheric pressure, humidity and temperature can lower blood oxygen saturation, the amount of oxygen your red blood cells carry, while also triggering hormonal fluctuations and cardiovascular strain - biological changes many people experience before a storm breaks, according to researchers. Falling pressure activates the autonomic nervous system and heightens pain sensitivity in people with chronic conditions, according to studies in Brain Research Bulletin and PLoSOne. The nervous system's fight-or-flight response has been linked to increased anxiety and disrupted sleep. The term for this emerging field is meteoropathy: the study of physiological reactions to environmental changes, especially barometric shifts, that disrupt circulation and rattle the nervous system. Meteoropathic illness is not yet a formal diagnosis, but more scientists are finding evidence for it. 'Doctors have long minimized these complaints as subjective,' says Sarah Mulukutla, a neurologist and adjunct professor at Yale. 'But that doesn't mean imaginary.' Evidence shows that atmospheric instability influences hormone levels, shifts that affect how pain is processed and may explain migraine attacks, joint stiffness and fatigue. - - - Cumulative effects of weather stress Pain doctors are witnessing these effects firsthand. Pavan Tankha, who leads pain recovery at the Cleveland Clinic, says chronic discomfort often worsens during weather instability. One of his patients experiences intense pain flare-ups during spring storms. 'We're observing a weather-sensitive pain phenotype,' or patients who are sensitive to atmospheric swings, Tankha says. 'These effects aren't random. They're cumulative,' says Vincent Martin, director of the University of Cincinnati's Headache and Facial Pain Center. His team found that lightning within 25 miles of a home increases migraine risk by 31 percent. Both rising and falling air density can provoke migraines and tension headaches. A 2023 Japanese study using a barometric pressure-tracking app analyzed over 336,000 headache events alongside weather records. It found that pressure drops, spikes in humidity and rainfall are strongly associated with increased headaches, confirming what many long suspected. Thanks to apps, symptom monitoring is getting smarter. Users log symptoms alongside atmospheric data, and the app learns their storm signature - a unique pattern of weather changes, such as rising pressure or dropping temperature, linked to how their body responds. The personalized approach is catching on in the United States. Peterlin built on that model, creating three-day forecasts and collaborating with pharmaceutical teams on weather-based treatments. Wearable fitness and health technology products like the Apple Watch and Whoop help researchers map the body's invisible reactions to weather in real time. According to Artificial Intelligence Review, wearable sensors can now detect early signs of cardiovascular strain, stress and even mood instability. So, what's happening inside the body? As storms approach, air weight declines and humidity rises. Pain receptors, or nerve endings in joints, muscles and tissues that detect stress, pressure or temperature shifts, send signals through the spine to the brain, where pain and emotion register. The receptors may fire in response to shifts in intracranial pressure sensed by the brain, sinuses and carotid arteries. 'Even slight shifts disrupt balance,' says UCLA neurologist Alan Rapoport, especially for migraine sufferers. (Some 12 percent of people in the United States, primarily women, are said to experience migraines.) A broader view reveals just how much these fluctuations affect us. The State of Global Air report connects climate-driven changes in air quality, temperature and humidity to increased health risks across systems. The bigger the change, the stronger the body's response. 'I don't need to check the forecast. I feel it in my head,' says Susan Cucchiara, a New York-based naturopathic doctor. She hydrates, walks and supplements with magnesium. 'It's about supporting your whole system.' Others echo that sentiment. Laurie Krupa, a patient of Cucchiara's in New Jersey, says before storms, 'pain would flare in my knees, hips and whole body, not just my head.' Today, she finds relief through movement, minerals and nutrition. Weather can hit us hard. Cold fronts, low pressure and damp air may cause tissues to swell and joints to stiffen. The Arthritis Foundation notes that many people with arthritis experience flare-ups during weather changes, particularly when humidity rises or air pressure drops. The Annals of Medicine linked these shifts to increased osteoarthritis pain. Animal research also indicates that high humidity increases inflammatory cytokines, exacerbating joint discomfort. 'Stress, mood and inflammation all interact,' says Terence Starz, retired professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He notes that tools like the Weather & Arthritis Index help patients anticipate and manage pain episodes. Even the brain isn't immune. The Journal of Physiology reports that high altitude can alter cerebral blood flow. Changes in air density also occur in pressurized flights and incoming storms. 'When air gets lighter, the brain can swell,' which contributes to headaches, says Rapoport. Those most vulnerable usually have a family history of migraine, often compounded by insomnia, stress or hormonal shifts. Baltimore psychologist Andy Santanello offers a deeper insight: 'Weather used to mean danger: cold, scarcity, stress. Our nervous system evolved to react.' The body still carries that ancient imprint. The weather-health connection isn't new. In 1947, physician William F. Petersen proposed that environmental stressors could cause headaches - a theory once dismissed is now supported by neuroscience, real-time data and AI. 'Even Hippocrates wrote about this,' says Peterlin, the former USDA meteorologist. 'Now science is finally proving it.' - - - Help for managing symptoms The weather may be unpredictable, but your body can learn to move with it. Experts recommend: Keep a journal. Tracking your symptoms daily alongside weather patterns may help predict flare-ups. 'With patterns comes predictability,' says Rapoport. Hydrate and supplement. Rapoport also recommends magnesium and riboflavin (Vitamin B2) to reduce migraine frequency. Talk to your doctor. Move gently. Tai chi, walking and yoga improve circulation and joint flexibility. Starz advises staying active but listening to your pain cues. Practice mindfulness. Breathwork and meditation help regulate the nervous system. Mulukutla uses both in treating chronic pain. Use wearables. Tools like the Apple Watch, Whoop, Migraine Mentor and N1-Headache help track patterns and atmospheric shifts. Be proactive. On sensitive days, prioritize sleep, limit stress and reduce screen time. These days, when the weather turns and my body knows it, I stretch, hydrate, rest - and check flights to somewhere sunnier. Related Content Pets are being abandoned, surrendered amid Trump's immigration crackdown The Post exposed this farmer's struggle. Then the USDA called. Kamala Harris will not run for California governor, opening door for 2028 run Solve the daily Crossword
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Hong Kong Commute Disrupted by Fourth Black Rain Alert in a Week
Hong Kong temporarily closed some government services and commuters faced disruptions after the city issued its fourth black rain warning in a week, the most since records began almost three decades ago. Hourly rainfall in some areas exceeded more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) on Tuesday morning, and the warning will remain in effect until at least 11 a.m. local time, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The latest alert follows a black rain signal that was issued late Monday and lasted a few hours.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Maui firefighters battle brush fire in Ka'anapali
Firefighters in Maui are battling a brush fire burning above Kaanapali, Hawaii, on Monday. The fire is near the old Sugar Cane Train warehouse, the Maui Emergency Management Agency said. Both lanes of Honoapiʻilani Highway between Puʻukoliʻi Road and Lower Honoapiʻilani Highway have been shut down amid firefighting efforts, according to the agency. Officials asked motorists to avoid the area. MORE: Maui wildfires a year later: The major developments amid the cleanup and recovery The blaze is just a couple of miles north of where the devastating Lahaina wildfires occurred nearly two years ago. The fires, which became the fifth deadliest in U.S. history, left over 100 people dead, destroyed thousands of structures and parched the local landscape. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
