Migraine headaches can be triggered by many things: food, stress, even habits. But some experts say they can also be set off by the weather.
Headache experts say it appears that only migraine headaches are affected by the weather. So, if you think your headaches are triggered by the weather, most likely, it's migraine and not a sinus problem.
Triggers can include very high or very low temperatures, high or low humiditiy, and changes in barometric pressure.
Migraines may also be triggered when a big weather front moves into an area, like chinook winds.
Doctors say if your headaches may be weather related, start keeping a headache diary.
"And you try to cross-reference your diary with the weather. Most people who have weather triggers, they know it. They know they're going to get headache. The issue has not been whether they know it or now, but whether they get the diagnosis right. And they may mistakenly think they have a sinus problem, when in fact, it's migraine," said Dr. Stewart Tepper, a headache specialist at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Tepper says no one season, or time of year, is worse than others. He says it's changeable weather that triggers the headaches.
