If you’ve ever noticed yourself getting a headache just before a storm hits, it might not be a coincidence. In fact, weather conditions are commonly reported as a trigger for headaches and migraine attacks. Unfortunately, it’s not yet within our power to change the weather; but we can help ensure that you’re informed about why an oncoming storm may have you reaching for the painkillers as well as your raincoat.
Many people with migraine or who are prone to headaches say that weather can be a trigger. The American Migraine Foundation states that just over a third of migraine sufferers feel that particular weather conditions can bring on an attack, and the UK’s National Health Service lists bad weather among 10 common headache triggers.
While anecdotally many people will relate to this phenomenon, the scientific studies on the topic have been a bit more mixed in their results. But there is one particular meteorological factor that comes up time and time again: pressure.
Atmospheric pressure and headaches
Changes in atmospheric pressure have been repeatedly blamed for headaches and migraine attacks. This explains why some people get headaches on airplanes – air pressure is lower at higher altitudes, and although aircraft cabins are pressurized, you can still feel the effects of the pressure changes during take-off and landing.
For some, this means that their ears “pop”, causing temporary hearing loss and, in more severe cases, pain and dizziness. For others, it can lead to a case of what’s been called “airplane headache”. It’s a relatively new name for an issue that’s most likely been around since humans started traveling in big metal tubes in the sky, and it’s usually a stabbing pain towards the front of the head that gets better once the pressure has equalized again.
But drops in atmospheric pressure don’t only happen at high altitude. They can also precede a storm, and that’s one of the proposed explanations behind weather-induced headaches.
A 2019 review took an in-depth look at barometric pressure headaches, and cited a number of studies showing an association between decreased pressure and headache or migraine symptoms. For example, one study of over 7,000 patients in 2009 concluded that “lower barometric pressure led to a transient increase in risk of headache requiring emergency department evaluation.”
However, the review authors pointed out that overall, “the results of [studies into barometric pressure headaches] are inconsistent regarding their directionality and fail to establish a strong association.” A more recent review in 2023 made a similar conclusion.
How could atmospheric pressure cause headaches?
Despite the mixed results on the topic, it’s hard to ignore the fact that so many headache and migraine patients report worsening symptoms when the air pressure drops – so what could be causing their pain?
There are a few different theories, but one of the most commonly cited is its effect on the trigeminal nerve. This is the largest cranial nerve, which branches into the scalp and face and is implicated in many headache and facial pain disorders.
There is some literature to suggest that the trigeminal nerve is vulnerable to changes in atmospheric pressure where it meets the narrow tubing of the middle ear.
A study in rats in 2010 helped plant the seeds of the link between the trigeminal nerve and weather-related headaches. Decreased air pressure was found to increase electrical activity in certain neurons in the brainstem nucleus that relays sensory information from the face. The authors concluded that similar mechanisms could be at play in humans, and could potentially be responsible for barometric pressure headaches.
Building on this, a small pilot study in 2021 found that people exposed to changes in barometric pressure for periods of 8 minutes at a time often reported a feeling of pressure in the head and ears, with a few experiencing mild to moderate headaches. The authors called for a bigger study to see if this could be the reason behind some people’s weather-related headaches.
Barometric pressure headaches may also originate from pressure imbalances in the sinuses, as neurologist Dr Elizabeth Hartman explained for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Health Center, which can cause pain in the front of the head and behind the eyes. A sudden drop in atmospheric pressure can also worsen an existing headache or migraine in this way.
Other weather-related headache triggers
Barometric pressure may not be the whole story. According to the American Migraine Foundation, both temperature and humidity have been implicated as possible triggers for some people.
The overall picture seems to be that these kinds of triggers vary greatly across headache sufferers. One study from 2000 demonstrated how migraine patients exposed to the same weather phenomenon – warm westerly wind patterns in southern Canada called chinooks – reported worsening symptoms at different times in response to different conditions.
The fact that so many people report weather as a trigger for their headaches or migraines shows it should not be dismissed out of hand, and there is some research to back them up; however, there is still a need for larger, rigorous studies to clearly establish what might be going on.
For now, if you are someone whose head aches at the first inkling of storm clouds on the horizon, you might be able to cheer yourself up a little bit by impressing your friends with your near-clairvoyant powers of weather forecasting. Just remember: a magician never reveals their secrets.
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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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