Power Of Genie

As if there weren’t already enough reasons to curse fickle weather: a new study confirms it can trigger headaches.

For the 32 millions Americans who suffer from migraines, this may not come as a surprise. Weather-related headaches are a common complaint, and several smaller studies have hinted that variables like temperature and barometric pressure may play a role in causing painful outbreaks.

Now a survey of 7,054 patients admitted to emergency rooms in the Boston, Mass. area has confirmed the suspicion. For every 5 degree Centigrade (9 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in temperature, both migraine and non-migraine headache risk went up 7.5 percent over the next 24 hours.

For every 5 millimeters (.20 inches) of mercury drop in pressure, there was also a 6 percent increase in headache risk, though the effect showed up two to three days later. Drops in pressure typically happen as stormy weather moves in.