6 days ago
Why the Weather Is Literally Giving You a Headache
If you are one of the 39 million Americans in the U.S. living with migraines, there's a good chance an intense headache will begin when the weather shifts.
You aren't alone. Studies find 30% to 50% of people with migraines identify some type of weather change as a trigger, making it the most commonly reported migraine source. Yet, it's also one of the most puzzling.
As a neurologist and headache specialist practicing in Colorado, a place with frequent weather shifts, patients often tell me that weather is one of their biggest migraine triggers. The results can disrupt work, school and social plans, and create a sense of helplessness.
Doctors still don't fully understand why some brains are more sensitive to environmental changes.
What we do know is that people with migraines have especially sensitive nervous systems and that certain environmental changes—like shifts in air pressure, temperature, humidity, and air quality—can activate pathways in the brain that lead to pain.
Weather triggers can vary from person to person, but there are a few common migraine culprits:
Barometric pressure changes, or changes in atmospheric pressure, are among the most commonly cited triggers.
When a storm system moves in, the air pressure drops. Some scientists believe this change may affect the pressure inside your head or how blood vessels in your brain dilate and constrict.
One theory is that changes in barometric pressure may cause a small imbalance in the pressure between the inside of your skull and the outside environment. That might directly stimulate pain-sensitive nerves in the head, triggering inflammation and the start of a migraine.
Others point to inflammation, the way the brain processes sensory input, and changes in serotonin levels – which play a key role in activating migraine.
Temperature extremes, with very hot or very cold days, or sudden changes in temperature, can throw off the body's internal balance. High humidity or rapid shifts in moisture levels can have a similar effect.
Air pollutants like ozone and nitrogen dioxide can cause inflammation in the nerves that play a role in migraines.
Bright sunlight can also be especially bothersome, likely due to heightened sensitivity to light and an overactive visual processing system in the brain.
Lightning and strong winds may also be linked to migraine attacks in certain individuals.
In short, weather changes can act as stressors on a brain that's already wired to be more sensitive. The exact triggers and responses vary from person to person, but the research suggests that the interaction between weather and our biology plays a significant role for a subset of patients with migraines.
You can't change the weather, but you can be proactive. Here are a few tips to help weatherproof your migraine routine:
It's important to remember that while weather can be a trigger, it's rarely the only one. Migraine is usually the result of a perfect storm of factors: genetic susceptibility, hormones, stress, sleep, food, and, yes, the weather.
That's why identifying your personal triggers and building a plan, if necessary, with the support of a medical provider, can make a big difference in managing migraines.
Weather-related migraine can be one of the most frustrating triggers because it feels completely out of your hands. However, with knowledge, tracking, and the right treatment strategies, you can take back a sense of control.
Danielle Wilhour, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
