Pressure-Induced Pains - Fact or Fiction? 55
johnstein asks: "Sure, everyone knows that person who is always blaming their aches and pains on the weather, be it Gramps and his knee, Aunt Edna with her arthritic hands, or *that* guy at work who swears his big toe begins to throbs whenever it's going to rain. Ok, maybe I am one those people too. I've had exactly TWO migraine-class headaches in the past month: the evening of August 9th and the afternoon of August 17th. Googling produced a very useful website that provides historical weather data. After a bit of searching I found this chart that clearly shows similar barometric trends for the days in question (barometric pressure near 30 inches and rising).
Is this just a coincidence? My googling suggests that while some believe the human body is highly sensitive to weather changes, others claim that the minute changes in barometric pressure would unlikely be a cause for pain in the head or joints. While stress, eating habits, and general lifestyle might be a more likely candidate, can weather claim some of the blame as well?"
I'm only answering because I'm omnipotent but (Score:2, Funny)
Alex.
A trick knee (Score:1)
Re:A trick knee (Score:1)
Weather absolutely has an affect. (Score:3, Insightful)
Especially if the body has "additions"... (Score:4, Informative)
...like, implanted medical equipment.
I shattered my lower left leg. Recovery has been very, very good, but I still have a small pin/screw through the ankle. The rate of expansion/contraction of [whatever material it is, probably surgical steel] is not quite the same as that of bone, because on hot and humid days like today, that ankle hurts like a sonuvabitch.
The surgeon and all the staff told me I would probably be able to predict thunderstorms for as long as I have the pin in, but would also be going through a tad more Advil than normal. :-)
(I'm not complaining. I'm alive and can walk!)
Re:Weather absolutely has an affect. (Score:2)
Mine gets a bit achey *after* a thunderstorm, which is completely useless. Go figure.
Re:Weather absolutely has an affect. (Score:2)
Headaches, allergies, and weather (Score:5, Informative)
For some number of years I thought my allergy symptoms were related to high pressure systems. After looking at pressure records, they certainly seemed correlated with my sniffling and sneezing. Some of my friends were having headaches at the same time.
However, I have an alternate explanation for my allergies -- high pressure systems affect winds and winds can bring in pollens. The high pressure systems in Northern California come from the west. As they go east, they blow pollen, pesticides, etc. from the California Central Valley to the coast (where I live). At other times we have relatively clean air (well, there's smog...). So when the dirty air comes in, I sneeze. In this theory, high pressure and my allergy symptoms are correlated but high pressure itself isn't the direct cause of those symptoms.
It's just a theory, though. I'm willing to believe that air pressure can affect your health, but I'm also willing to be convinced otherwise. At this point I don't have enough data. I'd love to hear the experiences of others.
- Amit [stanford.edu]google & post-dictions (Score:3)
Presumably you also had migranes around the 12th and 24th of July?
Re:google & post-dictions (Score:2)
Need a little more data (Score:4, Funny)
1) n=2 is a pretty minimal data set. You'd probably want some more data points -- or at least you would if the subject weren't yourself.
2) The fact that 100% of your headaches occur with air pressure of ~30 and rising would be more remarkable if it weren't ~30 and rising every other day in that area. I'd estimate the significance of your discovery at p = 0.5.
for me (Score:3, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
"Migraine-class" headaches? Really? (Score:5, Interesting)
If they weren't, you ought to be more careful with your adjectives. I hate it when people call every headache they get a "migraine". They're a fundamentally different kind of pain than what most people think of as "headaches".
On a (hopefully more useful) note, I get both migraine headaches and sinus-pressure headaches. The latter are much more closely related to the weather. If you have allergy or sinus problems, a decongestant tablet will probably do wonders for those headaches, if you take it before they get too bad.
-Mark
Re:"Migraine-class" headaches? Really? (Score:1)
Hangover (Score:2)
I would drink almost a whole case of beer, and be fine. (almost, I weighted 130lbs).
Now I get headaches and hangovers whenever I drink too much.
Enjoy your headache free life while you can.
Ugh... (Score:2)
When I turned 21, I could drink 2 pints and barely feel any effects. I could drink 4 and still feel great the next day.
Now, about two and a half years later, it takes one bottle of beer for me to have a headache for most of the next day.
Re:Ugh... (Score:1)
Contac does wonders (Score:2)
I never had allergies until I was an adult (Oklahoma is a bad place to live if you have allergies), it took me a while to figure out what they were. The worst onset caused migraine headaches twice for me. Both times were worse than any other pain I've experienced (except that one time Keri dumped me
I found that taking contac works as well as claritin and it's a hell of a lot cheaper. Just be careful because if you take it too many days in a row it can be addi
Re:Contac does wonders (Score:5, Interesting)
Usually my cluster headaches are sinus or lifestyle-triggered: dehydration, strong perfume, aerosol household cleaners, lack of sleep among others are biggies.
I've noticed (non-scientific) that changes in pressure and sudden changes in weather bring on my sinus headaches. Pollen and humidity have a lot to do with this -- I'm a Florida native and when I travel elsewhere that's drier or less allergen prone, my sinus headaches are fewer and much, much less severe.
At any rate, I've been living with the sinus headaches most of my life, and the cluster headaches for about 10 years now (I'm 28).
The major problem with cluster headaches is that they come on fast and they leave fast -- usually about an hour and a half from 'warning signs' to 'resolution'. Once the headache actually hits, I'm pretty much incapacitated for about 45 minutes -- crippling pain, and nausea if it's a really bad one. It's also too short for most types of pain medication to take effect in time.
I've found precisely two medications that work:
1. 4-in-1 brand nose spray (over the counter). Very addictive, so be careful. Seriously. Google for reasons you shouldn't use stuff like Contac (like the parent) or nose sprays regularly. I've found that if I notice a cluster coming on early enough (not nearly often enough) that the clusters can be dulled -- sometimes they don't peak if I catch them early enough. I classify this as a preventative.
2. Immitrex (prescription). Absolute godsend for my cluster headaches and my fiancee's migraines (she gets them very rarely, but we're both prescribed). Side effects can't be described as pleasant. I'm not sure I can describe them besides saying: I feel unpleasantly odd for about two hours, but it's a hell of a lot *more* pleasant than the cluster/migraine. The side effects are such that I will only take these when I'm having a major attack -- but I'm very glad I've got them because even after ten years I still get attacks that leave me clenched up sweating in a fetal position for an hour or so.
Best of luck figuring out your headaches. I've been trying to for 10 years. I'll go six months having them twice a day and then go another six months without a single one.
I've pretty much realized that I'm stuck with mine for the rest of my life and I cope with them. Meditation helps (shortens the duration, makes coping with the pain easier), eating healthy seems to help, getting a good amount of sleep seems to help -- but nothing's a 100% cure.
If you *have* been diagnosed with clinical migraine, ask about Immitrex. It's expensive, and can be a bit unpleasant feeling -- but if you could have a pill that would cut the duration of your headaches down to 20 minutes (vs many hours) would you? Most true migraine sufferers I know would gladly make that tradeoff.
Re:Contac does wonders (Score:2, Informative)
Her GYN had her try a couple different birth control prescriptions (different brand, smaller doses, etc.) and she has gone from 1-2 migraines a month to maybe 1-2 a year. It was a godsend to her, not to mention a lot cheaper without Immitrex!
Have you tried... (Score:2)
The reasoning behind it: migraines are sometimes caused by tension pains. A pinched nerve, muscles pushing on something they shouldn't, etc. A few shots of rum tend to relax the muscles a bit, and thus slacks off what it causing said migraine. Alternately, perhaps some form of muscle relaxing might hel
MSG? (Score:2)
Imitrex seems to work well, but read the label carefully. It has many bad side effects.
You don't know what you're talking about. (Score:2)
I am fortunate to have a mild form of migraines. I get a severe one-sided headache, and light and sounds become intolerable. I take aspirin and lie down in a dark room for a few hours.
The worst about migrains is the feeli
Re:You don't know what you're talking about. (Score:2)
Oh, and let me put in another good word for Imitrex. I use the nasal spray, and in most cases the migraine is turned off like a switch within 15-30 minutes. (I'm lucky that my insurance pays for it, so all I pay is a $
Re:"Migraine-class" headaches? Really? (Score:2)
In other words the underlying biological causes of almost all headaches (other than brain tumors/strokes and blocked sinuses. etc) is basically an inflammatory response that can be set off by a wide variety of factors. People who have classic migraines are simply more susceptible to this pathway activation.
Re:"Migraine-class" headaches? Really? (Score:1)
I find that my sinus pressure headaches come on when I'm at a Walmart Superstore (when I'm in the states), and whenever I go to the mall here in England. Basically, really big, open area shops that don't have good enough ventilatio
I would say "Yes" (Score:1)
-Diganta
Re:I would say "Yes" (Score:1)
Probably (Score:3, Informative)
Can only speak for myself... (Score:1)
Dont know why, but nowadays, if my head hurts, i automatically look at the weather forecast...
I don't know... (Score:2)
My condolences on the fact that experimentation on this regard is going to be very unpleasant, what with the migraine-class headaches.
Barry Sheene et al... (Score:3, Interesting)
The exact quote is as follows:
Sheene moved to the warmer climes of Australia in the early 1990s to ease the pain caused by arthritis from numerous broken bones suffered in crashes.
This isn't an isolated mention either - it is very common for people who've had metal plates surgically inserted to feel discomfort in the cold.
Coming back to your case though, it is extremely common for migraine sufferers to suffer more attacks in summer than in winter. Certainly every sufferer that I know of agrees with that statement and various articles in respected medical journals (such as The Lancet) say the same thing.
Arthritis,Weather Link Exists (Score:2)
broken jaw, fractured sinus.. yeah, rain hurts (Score:1)
The body is a complex, sensitive machine (Score:4, Insightful)
Unfortunately, over the years we have come to rely less and less on our own natural abilities to sense things. Our sense of vision isn't nearly as strong as years ago. And if it goes, get glasses. Smell? Our noses are being bombarded by smells every day, but more importantly we don't rely on it to protect us from a nearby predator. Same with our sense of hearing. We care more about music than the rustling in the bushes.
And this is all simply us adapting AWAY from being sensitive. You'll find some people are sensitive and in tune with their body. And being in tune, listening to your body and what it says, will have you feeling things others can't.
Re:The body is a complex, sensitive machine (Score:1)
Something Similar (Score:1)
However, whenever the pressure outside got higher, she got feeling worse, until a shunt was put in to let the pressure drain.
Seeing a head doctor (not a shrink : ) ) might help, I think a CAT scan may be required, I don't really know, I was busy being rather young & traumatized during the whole thing.
Incidentally, to all those who've lo
I don't understand... (Score:2)
The bends is caused by the expansion of nitrogen in the joints that derives from a dissolution from the bloodstream due to a rapid pressure decrease (usually experienced by divers who are surfacing too quickly). In extreme cases, it is deadly, but it is always painful.
So obviously, a change in pressure *can* cause pain. And a rapid change in barometric pressure, while not as severe as, say, the difference between the surface and 200
Should be easy enough to test... (Score:2)
And how many days have there been with that sort of barometric reading when you didn't have headaches?
Of course! (Score:2)
Of course, there's also hitting the sore spot with a hammer. That'll get it good and painful. =)
Obvious answer (Score:1)
Perhaps a slight variation in air pressure, may cause oxygen levels in your body to jitter just a little, enough to trigger a migraine in some people.
Everything in meat-space is interrelated. Push one thing, it affects another 500 feet away, though imperceptibly. These
An Alternative (Score:4, Informative)
However, while you're doing so, I'd recommend that you also log your caffeine intake. Over a decade of nearly migrane-level headaches has become just a part of my past since I discovered that caffeine withdrawl was causing my problem and simply swore off of caffeine permanently. Most people who have aches and pains before the weather have them in their joints. I've never heard of headaches as a symptom before.
Check your caffeine intake levels as an indicator.
Yes, and here's why (Score:2)
It's similar to "the bends" that deep divres drad, but self limiting. Normally the body tissues are at equilibrium with gases (mostly nitrogen) dissolved in them at whatever concentration the barometric pressure dictates.
When there are slow changed of pressure, you don't notice. But when the barometric pressure drops suddenly, the scar tissue can't exchange gases
Similar problem (Score:1)
Cause and effect (Score:2, Funny)
pain from falling barometric pressure (Score:2, Informative)
My neurosurgeon explained it like this: when the ambient atmospheric pressure rises, the compensatory inner cellular pressure rises to match it so that the cells keep their shape etc.
When the atmospheric pressure falls, the compensatory cellular pressure falls.
The problem is the old adjust-the-shower system problem: it takes a while for the cells to adjust. So for a time, when the pressure falls and before the cells have had time to adjust, there is swelling.
My dog can detect pressure changes (Score:2)