The weather suddenly shifts a little, from sunny to a little gloomy, and with it comes a gradual but steady throbbing in your head — a migraine. It’s so subtle that you might think you imagined the correlation between the pain and weather.
According to Danielle Wilhour, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the link between the pain in our heads and the weather is real, which should bring comfort to the 30 to 50 percent of people who, studies say, develop migraines triggered by changes in the weather.
Writing in The Conversation, Wilhour says that while science still doesn’t totally know why your brain short-circuits when a thunderstorm rolls in or when the temperature suddenly flips, we at least can confirm that it is real and that you’re not crazy for experiencing it.
People with migraines tend to have ultra-sensitive nervous systems. That means things like barometric pressure drops, temperature spikes, humidity swings, and even air pollution can send your head spiraling. Barometric pressure, in particular, might mess with the delicate pressure inside your head, activating pain-sensitive nerves and inflammation.
Bright light, air pollutants, lightning, hot days, cold days, fast changes in temperature, humidity, or just the wind getting a little too rambunctious — they’re all conspiring to make your head feel like it’s going to pop.
It’s your brain’s way of stating the obvious: the weather is bad, here’s some pain to confirm it. Gee, thanks, brain.
You may never be able to stop it from happening, but Wilhour argues that you might be able to prepare for it ahead of time. She suggests starting by tracking your migraines with an app or old-school journal to see if they line up with specific weather patterns.
She also recommends basic stuff that we all tend to forget now and then, like staying hydrated, eating consistently, and maintaining a sane sleep schedule to help reduce your overall sensitivity. Invest in items that will help reduce your sensory overload, like eye masks for sleeping, sunglasses to protect from the sun, and pressure-filtering earplugs. She also recommends mindfulness meditation for helping your brain deal with aggravating stimuli.
If all else fails, talk to your doctor about preventative medications designed to tone down your nervous system’s freak-outs. Just because the weather ruined your sunny afternoon doesn’t mean it has to ruin your sunny disposition either.
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