Whether the Weather effects us or not..

First topic message reminder :

I picked this up from our MA site.

What do we think of this? I am currently watching the barometer to try to determine if it is effecting me.
Brent seems to be quite erudite in this. Brent would you comment on this please?

Many migraineurs believe that certain weather changes can trigger a migraine attack but a new study finds no strong evidence that this is true. The findings, reported in the medical journal Cephalalgia, add to a conflicting body of research into the idea that weather factors, including changes in temperature, sunshine and atmospheric pressure, are true migraine triggers.

A study published last year, in the journal Neurology, found a correlation between weather changes and ER visits for migraine and other headaches at one Boston hospital. For every increase in temperature of about nine degrees Fahrenheit, the odds of visits for migraine and non-migraine headaches rose by 7.5%. Similarly, the risk of non-migraine headaches increased during the two to three days following a drop in atmospheric pressure. Low pressure generally means cloudy skies and storms, while high pressure means clear skies. However, a number of other studies, including the current one, have failed to find a clear connection between weather and migraine.

For this latest study, Austrian researchers had 238 migraineurs keep "headache diaries" for three months. Each day, the study participants recorded whether they'd had a headache, and if so, the details of their symptoms. They also rated their exposure to a range of factors potentially related to migraine; that included seven questions on the weather.

The researchers used data from a Vienna meteorological institute to objectively measure the relationship between participants' reported symptoms and daily weather changes during the three-month study. At first glance, study participants appeared to have a somewhat higher risk of migraine attacks on days with lower average wind speed. There was also a connection between day-to-day changes in sunshine duration and migraine risk. Statistically speaking, however, those links could easily have been due to chance.

In addition, the researchers found, there were many discrepancies between participants' perceptions of the weather on a given day and what the meteorological data actually showed. The findings, along with those of some past studies, indicate that weather factors are of "very limited" importance in triggering migraines. People may, for instance, be more likely to recall "bad weather" on days they have a migraine, or less likely to do so on migraine-free days.

Lee Tomkins, Director of Migraine Action comments: "We cannot definitely conclude that weather has no impact on migraine at all as previous studies have shown a correlation between weather changes and migraine incidences. Our members frequently report that drops in atmospheric pressure and extended periods of hot weather make them more prone to having migraine attacks. It's important to try and find out other migraine triggers that may be involved in attacks; triggers are peculiar to the individual and it is never just one trigger on its own that sets off an attack but a culmination of them. By keeping a migraine diary and recognising what your triggers are can really help to manage your condition effectively. If you do notice that weather changes do tend to trigger an attack, look to reduce your other triggers that you can control, such as stress, low blood sugar levels and tiredness; by controlling other trigger factors you may find that weather changes will no longer push you over your migraine threshold and induce an attack."

But those headaches seam to start in the neck and go up the back of my head. They are never in the sinuses or the forehead. Do you still think a blocked sinus passage is indicated? I have no trouble clearing my ears with the altitude change. It seems to start on descent.

It's something that is encapsulated that expands or contracts as the outside pressure changes. Sinuses are a good candidate and my migs started on the side of my head. It's something that needs to be evaluated by a doc with CT's, MRI's and endoscopes.

Air pressure changes equates to physics/mechanics. An air pressure change is not going to effect hormones and neurotransmitters.

It takes a lot of observation to make a definitive connection. It's far easier and faster for docs to start pushing pills.

Sounds worth looking into. Thanks Brent!

Nitrogen is the culprit...
Changing pressure, and Anto...heat!!

Dont get much of that in England...

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Nothing new under the sun
Spring is hell for me because migraine attacks skyrocket and also for my husband who suffers from allergy.
In this period our house looks more like a hospital than like a home

Does this mean there is nitrogen in our brains?

I only know it is in our body, but the brain??

Maybe we are reading this wrong.
I find it hard to comprehend any written matter these days.
Embarassing.....

Here we go again......

Yes it is...... Especially rain..

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Just venting about the weather.............storm front started to come in yesterday early and since then the pain has been tremendous - all I could do was lay on the couch and moan and cry. Pain finally broke around 9 this morning and I am so exhausted...............hate this, hate this hate this. My best friend had been in the hospital all week and got out last night and had to be back in the ER this morning and I could not be there for her.................

Oh boy Leslie, I feel bad for you. I know how much you want to be there for her. How is she doing? Not so good if she went back to ER I guess.

I hope you both soon feel better....

A recent report from Austria Independant, says the weather does NOT effect migraines...

05. 08. 11. - 15:54
Weather - headache links rejected in study
Weather has no significant effect on migraine sufferers’ condition, a landmark study has found.

Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) announced today (Fri) experts of the University Clinic for Neurology could not find strong indicators linking weather conditions and abrupt chances of weather to headaches and migraine in a survey. AKH explained the researchers cooperated with Vienna’s Central Agency for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in the survey in which 238 people who suffered from migraine on a regular basis took part.

The participants were asked to keep diaries on their conditions. Their notes where then compared by meteorologists with changes in weather. The neurologists concluded that headaches were more often a result of stress and other personal factors and self-fulfilling prophecy than caused by the weather. They explained that menstruation, genetic aspects and a sudden relieve from stress also mattered more than weather factors like temperatures, the strength of wind, atmospheric pressure levels and the amount of rain.

I beg to differ. If I'm already in migraine mode, it will tip me over the edge.

I'll admit that I didn't read the bit you copied in lol but still, I beg to differ.

For myself I dont know Witsy.
I keep looking for a reason, an answer and I cant find a common denominator.

I have seen quite a few of these reports now, and it does seem that scientifically there is nothing to support our feelings.

Of course that doesnt meant they are right.

And how dare you not bother to read my post in full.
I went to a lot of trouble to do that young lady...
Just pay full attention please.

It's Saturday night and I had a few friends round, I was being rude as it was gawking at my phone lol

What was gawking at your phone?? "it".

Ok it is saturday night and the forum has been dead all day. I'll let you off...

I also beg to differ.

I'm currently in my 3rd day of being in Spain and also on my 3rd day of triptans. I'm absolutely fine until the heat gets up and then BAM! Migraine. Before I left the UK I'd had 2 triptans in 3 weeks, I'd managed with OTC the rest of the time.

And I'm covering all bases on every other front, wearing sunglasses, keeping hydrated, well nourished. Only issue is the heat.

A+ to you Nat to post whilst on holiday... TY.
It's awful quiet, so appreciate your post.

BUT sorry to hear of your situation.
Is it the heat? Is it humid as well?

I find humidity a problem, but not sure about heat.
Then again, we dont ever get heat in this country without humidity.

I hope the Triptans are working and this back off Nat, otherwise it might not make for a great holiday.

Let us know.

pen

I think that, despite what the research says, weather does have an effect. Perhaps just as a contributory factor but it's there for some people none the less.

I also think that what can be bad for one person can be the opposite for another. I read the comments above about heat and humidity being a problem. However, some years ago I was absolutely headache free during a holiday to Malta during an August heatwave. It was fairly humid as well!

Also, like many people, I can feel the approach of a thunder storm in my head. I mean I feel it in my head. The thunderstorm's not in my head. But then again sometimes it is!

I have had an awful month so far. Almost daily triptans and they are not working as I know they can....

I am not sure if the weather is a feature in this.
I think it might be more the pollen.

I seem to be very congested and this may be pushing the migraines.

I hate that it is all such a mystery.
How can I help myself when I have NO idea what I need to avoid??

Well, I figured I may as well check in given I have access to the internet. My parents like the enjoy the siesta time, I can't sleep in the afternoon really so I need to have something to do that isn't watching Spanish TV.

I think it's the heat to be honest, it's humid at all hours and I seem to cope with that OK, but the hottest part of the day is the worst for me at the moment.

Some combination of the triptans, brufen and co-codamol is helping but it would be nice to just not have to worry! If only this little bit of research was really accurate. That would be nice.

Currently using it as an excuse to do more relaxing and less trekking around the island like my parents want me to.

Since I was 12 I've ALWAYS gotten more migraines in the Fall and Spring when the weather changes are more abrupt than at any other times. My mother told me she thought I just didn't like school which is funny because school is what got me out the gang-ridden town I lived in. I liked school!

Now, 38 years later.... I still get more migraines in the Fall and Spring. And when first going up into altitude or on airplanes. So yeah, Barometric pressure does play a role in migraines.

Just because there is so much variability in results doesn't mean there isn't truth to it. What really sucks about these types of reports is that those of us who do react to barometric changes will now be told by ill-informed, well-meaning people that we are wrong in blaming BP despite our lifetime of experience.

It takes a lot of time to get good info on migraines. When I started getting them I was told it was stress induced.... now we know it is much much more than that over-simplified WRONG assumption. I bet it'll be the same with this. Oh... BP changes also trigger fibro pain too.

alli wrote: And when first going up into altitude or on airplanes. So yeah, Barometric pressure does play a role in migraines.

I agree that pressure changes have a huge role for some people. I had fairly frequent migraines before moving to Austria, then in Austria the lowest altitude I lived at was 680m asl, my migraines had pretty much disappeared when I was living then, I must have had 4 or 5 in 2 years. I then moved home to Swansea which is at sea level and my migraines are actually worse now than when I moved to start with.

My Neurologist agrees that it is the effect of altitude that's done it though, however his suggestion of moving back to Austria unfortunately isn't workable.

Ok, so 1 entire day since coming back home and I've had a slight headache, absolutely no migraine though.

Only real difference here is the weather. The altitude is the same, my sleep pattern is the same, my diet is the same, just the heat. So I definitely cannot stand the heat.

Thanks goodness for UK then Nat. Not much heat around here. Apparently the coldest August since 1993.

Apart from the head, did you have a good hol?

It was ok. It will be the last time I go with my parents I think. They don't understand that I need a bit more control over what I do, where I go and when I do things. They are used to when my migraines were much better and I would only get them once a week. Now is much different and even by the end of the week I was being told that I was being selfish or not helpful enough for wanting to have time to myself.

My parents idea for the holiday was to visit every corner of the island in the week. I struggled alot with that, but I agreed to go each day, I tried my hardest to make the most of it, but it was very difficult and when I have a migraine nowerdays they just kinda tilt their head to one side and say 'aww, are you ok?' No matter how much I say that all I want/need is time to be on my own, to do what I want to do at my own pace (and preferably in an airconditioned space as in this case) it doesn't seem to compute with them and so I was taking lots of co-codamol and Maxalt. And even the sight of so much pain medication didn't faze them. As I've said on another thread I often cope with just paracetamol at the onset. It's a bad day when I need to take a triptan nowerdays (this has ALOT to do with the prophylactics). A triptan everyday is a terrible week for me in migraine terms.

The short of that was it was OK (I did buy the coolest dress, that kinda makes it worth it), but the migraines had much more of a pull on me than I think they needed to if I could've spent the hottest parts of the day indoors. I'm glad to be home.