Rain or shine: The effect of weather on headache

Whether you suffer from headaches or not, you probably heard someone complain of a headache and blame it on the weather. You probably thought that it is an 'old wives' tale, but surprisingly, there is scientific evidence that weather can affect headaches.

Researchers at the New England Center for Headache in Boston, MA studied 77 patients with migraine - a type of headache associated with sensitivity to light or sound, nausea or vomiting. These patients were asked to keep a calendar of their headaches and to fill out a questionnaire on their beliefs about how the weather affected their headaches. The researchers also collected weather data from the National Weather Service for the areas where the participants lived.

After correlating and analyzing the data from the headache calendars and the National Weather Services, they found that 39 (50.6%) of the 77 participants with migraine were sensitive to weather changes, such as temperature, humidity or barometric pressure. The study shows that it is not a myth: weather can affect the pattern of headaches and that those with migraine are susceptible to different weather factors.

Rain or shine, if you suffer from headaches, please, see your doctor.