Barometric Pressure Headache – Experiencing Bad Weather?

Headaches and the weather have been a subject of controversy for a long time. Not because people don’t experience barometric pressure headaches, but because the relationship between atmospheric pressure and headache is hard to measure.

Why? First, because weather is complex. Was the change in pressure accompanied by lightning? Wind? Heat? There are many things that may work together with pressure to give us a headache.

Second, because we are complex. There can be a number of reasons why atmospheric pressure may trigger a headache or migraine attack.

This is actually an important area of study called – consider this your word of the day – biometeorology. “The study of the relationship between living organisms and weather”, according to Oxford.

So what actually changes in your body that could cause a barometric pressure headache?

The biggest change is blood pressure. Lower atmospheric pressure means lower blood pressure. But not only that, low pressure can affect your joints (remember grandpa’s knee, which always knew when rain was coming?), and your sinuses. Both of these could have to do with changes in fluid pressure. Blood thickness also increases, which can cause problems with blood sugar levels – a special concern for diabetics.

Any of these things could be related to headache or migraine pain. But scientists still wonder if there’s more to it – a neurological reason why your brain may respond differently when pressure changes, thus triggering a barometric pressure headache.

Whatever the case may be, it’s wise to keep a headache diary, which can help narrow down the triggers that bring on headache in your case. For more tips on dealing with barometric pressure headache, check here.

For more interesting information on weather and health, check out How changes in barometric pressure affect the human body, this brief New York Times article on barometric pressure headaches, and more quick tidbits from The Weather Channel – 13 Ways Weather Affects Your Health — Without You Knowing.