Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, Richmond Hill Liberal, Copyright 1985-1991
QUESTION: I have been going to chiropractors for the past 12 years for treatment of my migraine headaches. The treatments have been successful in as much as I no longer get any migraines at all.
The only headaches I get now are just your everyday garden variety ‘stress headaches’ and these only happen once every few months. In the past I would get severe migraines almost once a week. When I last saw my chiropractor I asked him this question, but he really couldn’t answer me. I have always been curious as to why migraine headaches are brought on by changes in the atmospheric pressure. I used to be able to predict when a storm was coming because I would get a certain type of migraine. That no longer happens but I have always been curious about why it did.
ANSWER: As you are probably well aware, there are many triggers of migraine headaches. Probably one of the most universal, as well as one of the most difficult to avoid, is a change in barometric pressure. When the barometer falls (usually below 101.6 KPA) those who are affected by migraine headaches usually feel the pressure a few days before the major storm arrives.
It is not a joke when I tell you that I actually let my patients tell me when we are going to get a storm. These headache sufferers are much more reliable in their predictions than the national weather services. (The migraine foundation in Toronto has a telephone number for patients to call when they need help.)
If you want to know what the weather will be like on the weekend, try calling that number on Thursday or Friday. If you try and can’t get through for several hours, then you can bet we will be getting a big storm! No one knows for sure the reason why a drop in atmospheric pressure triggers migraine headaches, but there is a good theory. Normally, the pressures in the atmosphere and inside our bodies are equal. When the atmospheric pressure drops lower than the pressure inside us, then several changes occur in our bodies. Gasses and fluids expand and push against the walls of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to open up larger, and this in turn causes the pounding feeling behind the eyes which most migraine patients feel.
Here are some interesting facts:
o A migraine will be worse if the person is in the direct line of bad weather, and slightly less severe if they are not. Migraines can be brought on by going up in a tall building, as the pressure is usually less the higher one goes.
o In dry areas like deserts, migraine attacks are usually less severe than for those living near oceans.
Where can migraine sufferers go to be assured that they will not have an attack? Where is the ideal place to live or vacation for these people? Well, there are actually two places where these people can be fairly certain they will not have a weather-related migraine—-in the middle of the Dead Sea and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Have fun and send me a post card.