Chandeleah

I suffer from migraines which are truly the most awful things ever. Most people are in one of two camps – have had a migraine and so can completely empathise with what I go through…or have never had one before and so can’t grasp the pain thats going on inside my head or how debilitating the symptoms can be.

Unfortunately – Jase has never had one, and doesn’t seem to even get headaches. I on the other hand regularly pop nurofen plus when I feel headaches coming on, and carry migraine medication with me everywhere.

I can feel when a headache is turning to a migraine – it usually starts over one eye, and that eye gets oversensitive to light and noise becomes unbearable. Sometimes I get auras, or black spots. When one strikes me, I know I have about 30minutes or so to get home, get some medication into me, pull the curtains and get into bed. I have one of those gel eye masks that I like to put on my forehead – it cools and gives me something to focus on. I can’t have any sound or light in the room, and in the worst cases I end up vomiting. The medication that I have has anti-nausea stuff in it, and I know I have to try and keep it down for about 15 minutes for it to work.

Once all that’s over and I’m in bed with my head under a pillow…sometimes I am ok enough to listen to my “relaxation” playlist (yes, yes, it DOES have Enya and Kenny G on it, I’m not gonna lie!). Sometimes though, my medication can knock me out for a good 8 hours – it makes me drowsy and woozy.

I’ve tried to pinpoint the triggers that bring my migraines on – but all the usual suspects (red wine, chocolate, coffee, cheese) haven’t led to anything. The one thing I have always said is “I get headaches when there is changeable weather – especially when its overcast and about to rain, but then it doesnt actually rain or it gets sunny” – but most people have looked at me like I was crazy.

Well, I’m not crazy! Turns out they are called Barometric Pressure Headaches – and although scientists are still unsure exactly WHY changes in weather causes headaches and other migraines, there are a few theories:

1). Changes in pressure cause changes in oxygen levels. It could be that blood vessels in your head expand or contract to compensate.  Changes in the size of your blood vessels is part of the flow of changes that happen when you get a migraine headache.  This is also why you may get a headache when flying, hiking, or even travelling to a new location.

2). A study was done by a group of researchers led by Dr. Galina Mindlin of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia with migraineurs and “normal” individuals to compare their reactions to weather.  The study found that migraines are indeed more likely when pressure rises, and somewhat more likely when the temperature rises. (Read more about the barometric pressure migraines study here)

3) Many researchers believe that it’s not pressure alone, but a variety of weather factors together that trigger migraine.  A study done in 1981 found that during phase 4 weather migraines increased – that’s weather with low pressure, the passage of a warm front, high temperature and humidity, and often overcast skies. (Read this interesting article about health and weather)

4) According to the American National Headache Foundation, weather changes may also cause chemical changes in the body, another factor that triggers migraine.  Many believe that the electrical charge of the air may also have something to do with your headaches.

*source for all of the above

I’ve been having bad headaches (not quite migraines) frequently since we got to London, and suffered again over the weekend in Paris - surprise surprise – what’s the weather been like? Grey, overcast, rainy, then sunny, then back to rainy, overcast etc etc. No wonder I am experiencing these headaches (and popping pills like an addict!). Guess I am going to have to adjust to the weather patterns (if I managed to in Windy Wellington then I am sure I can here).

Anyone else get migraines or headaches from weather?!

Anyone else remember the totally AMAZING hit from Irish popstars B*Witched – “Blame it on the Weatherman”? It came out when I was about 11, yeah….I met them at St Lukes Mall and got a signed CD and everything, NBD. Might have to add THAT to the relaxation playlist huh?!