Headaches Under the Weather

A survey conducted in Boston, Massachusetts on 7054 patients found that for every 9 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature, headaches (migraine or non-migraine) increase by 7.5 percent. The headache normally started within 24 hours of the temperature change. Themedguru looks into the effects of temperature on headache.

The same research also saw that for every 5 milimeter drop in mercury pressure, there was a 6 percent increase in headache risk. The effect, however, was observed not within a day but sometimes two or three days later. So a stormy weather can actually increase headaches because of the change in pressure.

Environmental Factors Affecting Headache?
More than 28 million Americans suffer from migraines constantly, whereas 25 percent of all U.S. women and 8 percent of U.S. men suffer from migraines once in their lifetimes.

In a survey conducted on 200 patients, one out of three said that they limited travel because of headaches. Additionally, 74 percent also said that because of changes in weather, the participation in outdoor activities is practically zero.

For people suffering from headaches, weather changes have always signaled the start of a bad day. Now science is suggesting there is a lot of truth in what people say about weather causing migraine.

A research conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, conducted on 7000 patients of migraine, found a definite relation between temperature fluctuation or barometric pressure and headaches.

Environmental factors triggering headaches has been a subject of research for a long time. A migraine can be caused by:

- Change in climate: Change in temperature and humidity
- Change in altitude and pressure: Change in barometric pressure
- Sunlight reflections or glare: Any kind of glare can cause headaches. Even a movie can cause the headaches
- Intense smells or vapors: Perfume, odors from food or even dust can cause headaches
- High winds: Driving with an open window and facing the strong winds might cause headaches as well

Why Do Headaches Increase Because of Weather?
Weather or climatic changes cause biological changes in the body’s chemical balance. This precipitates a headache or a migraine. A person suffers from migraine because blood vessels are dilated and there is inflammation in the brain. Weather factors might trigger these, causing headaches.

It is useful to keep a calendar marking the days when the migraine returns. This can help determine whether weather is affecting headaches and what kind of change hurts more. As weather is predicted, preventive measures can then be taken to avoid the painful suffering from migraines.