Food, stress and even habits — all are known to be migraine triggers. But Stewart Tepper, MD, who treats migraine patients at Cleveland Clinic, says these powerful headaches can also be set off by the weather.
Weather-based triggers are often based on extremes, such as:
- Very high temperature
- Very low temperature
- Very high humidity
- Low humidity
- Barometric pressure change — which comes with storms or shifting weather fronts
If you think your headaches are triggered by the weather, Dr. Tepper says it is most likely a migraine and not a sinus problem. If you suspect your headaches are weather-related, start keeping a headache diary.
“You try to cross-reference your diary with the weather,” Dr. Tepper says. “Most people who have weather triggers, they know it. They know they’re going to get a headache. The issue has not been whether they know it or not, but whether they get the diagnosis right. And they may mistakenly think they have a sinus problem, when in fact, it’s migraine.”
If you suspect a migraine, talk to your doctor about treatment options.
