When I was 9 years old, I began experiencing chronic migraines. At the time, it looked like having fuzzy vision in my third-grade art class. Severe migraine periods have come and gone over the years but really started to affect my life during my sophomore year of high school. My neurologist has prescribed various medications and while they have made a positive difference, sometimes bad migraines still take over my day. I never realized a rhyme or reason to those days until I finally listened to my neurologist telling me to download a migraine tracking app on my phone for years.
I used to only associate bad migraine days with poor sleep, loud noises, stress, or dehydration. While these are all still triggers, tracking bad migraines helped me to notice a new one. In the app Migraine Buddy there is a section to select potential triggers, and two of those options are storm and high humidity. I noticed that on most severe migraine days there was a high dew point or a storm in the forecast. This is when I learned that barometric pressure changes that come with fluctuating weather is a common cause of migraines and headaches. I’m sharing this information because maybe others experience a headache during certain weather too, and don’t know why. With fall upon us, temperatures fluctuating will cause more changes in barometric pressure, so here’s what I’ve learned to look out for.
What is barometric pressure? According to YoungUSA.com, barometric pressure, or atmospheric pressure, is the weight of the air that is constantly pushing down on Earth’s surface due to gravitational force. Trends in weather can be classified into different pressure systems. High-pressure systems are fair conditions or clear skies. Low-pressure systems are cloudy, stormy, or snowy. So, you might be thinking, what does that have to do with headaches? Here’s why this pattern matters. The Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center has reported that when there is a rapid drop or rise in barometric pressure, the brain’s vascular system can be triggered, dilating the blood vessels and increasing inflammation. Therefore, you may experience a severe headache or migraine due to a pressure you can’t see but is all around you. If you experience seasonal allergies, this pressure has a similar effect on your sinuses, causing a sinus headache or stuffy nose.
How do you know if you’re affected by barometric pressure changes? Let’s quickly distinguish the difference between migraines and headaches because they are often misconstrued. Dr. Emad Estemalik from The Cleveland Health Clinic states headaches can be any level of pain, but migraines are classified as a neurological disease caused by imbalances in the brain. During a migraine, pain signals are sent to your brain resulting in symptoms such as light sensitivity, blurred vision, loss of vision, nausea/vomiting, upset stomach, and the feeling of a headache. In my experience, I can recognize a migraine by a specific pain in my jaw and eyelids as well as double vision, making it extremely difficult to even keep my eyes open. When it comes to headaches triggered by barometric pressure change, symptoms can include facial discomfort and sinus pain at the bridge of your nose, teary eyes, trouble sleeping, and headaches lasting between 4-72 hours. So, if you’ve ever felt these symptoms on a stormy day, now you know the drop in barometric pressure might be the underlying culprit.
Now that autumn has arrived, temperature fluctuates daily as does the barometric pressure. I think I can speak for everyone on campus when I say Philly can go from 80 to 50 degrees in one day, then right back up the following week! The past week of September has been exceptionally rainy and suddenly cold. I know I had a bad migraine one of the days, and I actually heard a few other students complaining about sudden headaches too. So, knowing barometric pressure will be rising and falling over the next few months, here are some things you can do to be prepared:
Check the weekly forecast
- Every night you can take a glance at the daily weather to know if a storm or cold front is approaching. Also look out for a high dew point which signals humidity and a drop in pressure.
Utilize resources
- If you find headaches or migraines are a frequent issue in your life, I recommend downloading an app on your mobile device to notice trends and help yourself know what triggers affect you. (I personally use Migraine Buddy.)
Stay hydrated
- Drinking extra water during this season will not only help combat headaches but improves your immune response to allergies and sickness.
Listen to your body
- As the semester goes on, academic stress may increase, but if your body is feeling pain, you should listen. Take a nap after class, go to sleep early, whatever your body needs in the moment will help you feel and do better later in the semester.
While being prepared is always great, sometimes you can’t predict a sudden headache attack, and that’s okay. No matter how much you plan, our bodies aren’t perfect. When life gets busy, there’s nothing you can do when faced with pain but manage your response. So, if you suddenly find yourself with a headache you didn’t expect, here’s some remedies suggested by The Cleveland Health Clinic and Bezzy Migraine Magazine in combination with some of my own strategies that I’ve found effective:
Try to relieve some of the pressure
- If you’re out and about you can use your fingers to apply pressure to your temples and/or nasal root (the section between your eyelids where your nose forms) and rub in circles on the area of the pain. If you’re at home, try taking a hot shower so the steam can help relax your sinuses.
Heat or ice application
- This one is another good option if you’re home or have access to a heating pad or ice pack. Gently lay the temperature pack on your forehead or the area you’re experiencing the pain and allow yourself to rest your eyes. In my experience, the cold of an ice pack on each of my eyelids/nasal root results in a lot of relief.
Avoid the outdoors or bright areas
- If you are experiencing a migraine or headache, it is often better to stay inside in a dark-lit area until the pain subsides. Along with that, if you find bright light is a trigger for you, keeping a pair of sunglasses handy is a quick fix.
Take medications if recommended by your doctor
- If you are comfortable taking medications, some neurologist-approved headache and migraine reliefs include acetaminophen and aspirin. Eating a salty snack is an alternative way to get something into your body to help with headache pain. If you are like me and have a prescription emergency migraine medication, don’t hesitate to take it! I used to be afraid to take my emergency pill because I would convince myself I didn’t need to. However, sudden pain is what they’re for, and after taking it I actually feel better! (Shocking, I know.)
The power of a good nap
- For me, sometimes migraines can be combatted by only one thing: sleep. If you have time in your day to stop whatever it is you’re doing and allow yourself to rest, your brain and body will thank you.
Give yourself some grace
- Being a human is hard work! If you don’t get something accomplished on a day you were experiencing pain, I promise it will be okay. You know your body better than anyone, you are capable and strong, and to be that way, you must be easy on yourself.
Autumn, the girls are ready for you! Days at the pumpkin patch will no longer be interrupted by unexpected headaches because you now understand how barometric pressure fluctuation affects your body. Be on the lookout for sudden temperature drops/rises, high humidity, and rainy conditions to know if a pressure change is coming. The forecast is set for changing leaves, apple cider, and pumpkin pie. And don’t worry, if a little headache creeps in like a Halloween ghost, you know just what to do.