Why do we get a migraine when the weather changes?

My son turned 5 years old not too long ago. We had LOTS of party balloons left over from his birthday party. A couple of days later, something strange happened.

The balloons started to randomly burst. Not just one or two, but at least five balloons popped in ten minutes.

After calming my shattered nerves, I started to investigate. 

Looking out the window, I found the answer. A storm was coming in, pressure in the air had changed, and now balloons were popping all over the place.

For migraineurs, our heads can be a bit like those balloons at times, with many linking a change in weather to a migraine.

But why?  

The answer is that we are not quite sure. In fact, researchers, clinicians and scientists are still working to completely understand how and why migraines develop during a change in weather or storms.

One theory is that weather changes can cause changes in our brain chemicals – such as serotonin.

Another theory is that changes in atmospheric pressure can cause a pressure difference between the sinus cavities, the structures and chambers on the inner ear, and the world outside. 
This variation in pressure between inside the head, and outside the head, may also cause blood vessels to dilate resulting in abnormal blood flow to the brain.

There is also some research to show that magnetic field changes can activate the trigeminal brainstem complex (part of the nervous system which is linked to some migraines). Could changes in force fields which occur during electrical and thunderstorm activity be a trigger for migraines?

So far, studies in to how the weather affects migraine show varying results. Some pieces of research are inconclusive, while others do seem to show that weather can be a migraine trigger. Migraines are difficult to research as there are so many individual factors and triggers which can influence whether you get a migraine.  

Many migraineurs have linked weather changes to their own migraines. So it is worthwhile considering if this could be a factor for you.

If you don’t already, it can be super helpful to keep a “migraine diary” to help track whether the weather seems to be a trigger for you. Online migraine apps – such as Migraine Buddy - can also make it easy to record migraines, and even alert you to atmospheric pressure changes. 

Try monitoring the weather, and if a change is on the way, then it might be worthwhile stepping up your migraine prevention strategies.

As always, if migraines are a problem for you, and you would like help to create your own migraine prevention plan, do feel free to book in for an appointment. I’d love to help.

Josie x

PS – Oh, and I did feel a migraine come on when that storm arrived! An afternoon of rest and following my “oh no, I think I have a migraine coming” health plan and I felt fine the next day.