Could The Weather Be A Trigger Factor For A Migraine Headache?

The search for things that could trigger a migraine headache is a continuing battle for those people who are hard to avoid the sometimes unbearable pain which follows the onset of a migraine attack. Stress is probably the best known of all migraine triggers and those of us who suffer from this neurological condition try hard to either avoid stress or to mitigate the effects as much as they can. A few other triggers to steer clear of are alcohol, chocolate, nicotine, and nuts.

Tradition also holds that the weather could trigger migraine headaches, so is this true?

Those people who suffer from chronic back pain and arthritis recognize that the pain of their condition is greatly affected by the weather and this lends some weight to the view of chronic migraine sufferers that the weather can also have a negative effect on their ability to steer clear of migraine headaches.

The announcement of a forthcoming pressure system might well be an indication of the arrival of a storm to most people but for migraine sufferers it frequently spells trouble. The weight of the actual air is changed and this weight affects the ease with which we breathe and with which oxygen is moved around the body in the blood vessels. Capillaries may constrict more as a result of the change in pressure and this might be the trigger event for a migraine headache. It is also interesting to note that counteracting this effect using caffeine is normally one of the fastest and best remedies.

The wind is another aspect of the weather which often sets migraine sufferers on edge. Even when the associated pressure changes of windy conditions are insignificant the fact that airborne pollutants which may be triggers to the migraine sufferer are swirling all around makes this a definite migraine trigger.

Occasionally a migraine headache might be the secondary effect of a different kind of headache such as a sinus headache. This may appear with difficulty breathing, a fever, and various bodily aches and pains. If compounded by the increasing pain of a migraine the effect can be not only extremely painful but also debilitating.

If the root cause of the sinus headache is allergens there may also be a subsequent infection that the body may have to fight off. During this period there is a fair chance that a migraine will be triggered by the weakened body and its heightened susceptibility to stress.

A change in weather not only proclaims the potential for one migraine trigger, but it also acts as a jumping off point for a whole host of such trigger events that might lead to numerous migraine attacks. Unfortunately, weather triggers cannot be avoided and even remaining indoors will have only a partial effect when it comes to avoiding a migraine trigger event.

As a result, it is wise to use a variety of preventive measures to avoid trigger events. In some cases this will involve medication while at other times you might like to try holistic means of migraine trigger avoidance. These might include cardiovascular exercise, relaxation techniques, stress relief, massage therapy, aromatherapy, biofeedback and also acupressure.