People have long sworn they can tell a change in the weather is coming by an ache in their joints or pain in their head. In recent years, scientists have been lending more credence the the phenomenon, the study of which is called meteoropathy.
"Meteoropathy is the study of weather and its effects on human health," explains Vincent Martin, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the Gardner Neuroscience Institute.
Martin says there have been a lot of studies looking at how weather affects many diseases. While he says it's still a somewhat controversial diagnosis — and not yet a formal diagnosis — more scientists are studying it, and finding results that support the theory.
He's most focused on migraines. He and his colleagues reported their most recent findings at a meeting of the American Headache Society.
"We found a 10 degree rise in temperature was associated with about a 6% increased risk of having a headache in patients with migraine," he tells WVXU.
His previous research in 2013 found that lightning within 25 miles of a home increases migraine risk by 31%.
Barometric pressure changes and precipitation round out the three key culprit areas Martin says seem to trigger migraines.
What's going on?
When it comes to temperature sparking migraines, Martin says the cause is "speculative" at this point. However, "there are certain receptors on nerve cells that are temperature receptors. So, theoretically you can activate those temperature sensitive receptors on nerves, and that could cause the nerve to become hyper-excitable and generate headache."
Similarly, when a storm is heading your way, the pain receptors throughout your body detect changes in air weight and humidity and alert the spine and brain to register pain.
Another theory focuses on spinal fluid pressures. Martin explains there's essentially a sack of spinal fluid that surrounds your spinal cord and brain that keeps your brain, for example, from rattling around in your skull. The theory is that changes in barometric pressure may elevate spinal fluid pressures, causing headaches.
A release from UC also suggests, "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, according to researchers."
Even a bright sunny day with seemingly no bad weather can be a trigger.
"When the sunlight is real bright out, usually that represents more of a high pressure system that's just kind of hanging [there]. Where there's no clouds and bright sunlight, sometimes that can trigger headache," says Martin.
Who gets migraines?
The American Migraine Foundation says more than 37 million Americans (children included) are affected by migraines. The National Institutes of Health puts the number at 12% to 15% of the population.
About 16% to 18% of women have migraines and about 5% to 7% of men have it.
"It's a huge group of people," Martin says. "That's not to say that every one of them responds to different meteorologic patterns, but certainly a large percentage of them do. In fact, working in a headache clinic, oftentimes one of the most common triggers that's reported by migraine patients are changes in weather, particularly during right before rain."
In relation to the spinal fluid pressures, people with higher weights are more likely to have issues because weight can push up fluid pressures. Martin says it's also more common in women than in men. Hormonal issues, like excess hormones, can also sometimes trigger a pressure change.
Figure out your trigger
If you think weather is to blame for your migraines or other body pains, start keeping a journal. Keep track of days you have pain or get a headache, and record the weather for that day. This information can be found pretty easily on various weather websites or apps.
Martin recommends focusing on three data points:
- barometric pressure, particularly steep rises
- precipitation
- temperature, particularly rises or abrupt declines
"They track that and then if they can link it up to the weather changes, then they would bring that into their physician and talk to them about these weather-trigger headaches."
The cause of your pain could be a combination of triggers, too.
Treatment
There are medicines, of course, you can take for migraine. Martin's research shows some may be helpful specifically when it comes to weather triggers, though more research is needed to be conclusive.
A water pill could be fairly effective, too. Martin says the water pill — a diuretic — reduces the spinal fluid pressure, so you could take one on a day when there's falling barometric pressure, for example.
Another option is using certain types of ear plugs "because one theory is that the ear is what senses the falls in barometric pressure," says Martin. The idea is that ear plugs "blunt the pressure changes within the inner ear that might occur with falling barometric pressure."
Other tips from the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic include staying hydrated, taking vitamin B2, calming activities like yoga, sipping a little bit of caffeine, getting plenty of sleep, and more.
Read more:
