Weather May Not Be a Trigger For Migraines

Mary Franz - Jan 04th, 2011

Migraine sufferers often attribute some of their headaches to the weather, but this theory may have been disproven by recent research. A study conducted in Austria and recently published in the journal Cephalgia examined the effects of weather on migraine occurrence in 238 patients who lived within 25 km (15.5 miles) of the Vienna meteorological station.

Initially, the study indicated that high pressure increased the amount of reported headaches. The same was seen for lower wind speeds and day-to-day changes in sunshine. Daily changes in temperature seemed to decrease the risk.

However, after careful examination and corrections on some of the testing, the researchers found no statistically significant difference in headache occurrences, leading them to the conclusion that weather has a minimal effect on migraine occurrence, and thus is not necessarily a trigger factor.

Weather is not a trigger factor that migraine sufferers can control. Diet, lifestyle choices and activity levels are factors that migraine sufferers can control. Studies have shown that certain foods can trigger migraines in some people.

Chiropractic care for migraine sufferers is a safe and gentle means of reducing the occurrence, duration and pain levels of migraines. A chiropractor can also advise migraine patients on controllable triggers.

Zebenholzer K, Rudel E, Frantal S, Brannath W, Schmidt K, Wober-Bingol C, Wober C. Migraine and Weather: A prospective diary-based analysis; Cephalgia 2010, 11: 0333102410385580