Experts have identified two specific weather phenomena that may increase the risk of headaches and migraines, according to a new study from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The patterns are a cold front carrying precipitation and a Bermuda High, the high-pressure system that often steers hurricanes into the Atlantic.
Understanding the Weather-Migraine Connection
While the exact reasons remain unclear, weather has long been linked to headache onset. Changes in atmospheric pressure, especially during storm formation, can affect pressure in sinus cavities, potentially triggering migraines. A cold front, a low-pressure system affecting much of the U.S., brings rapid pressure shifts. In contrast, a summer Bermuda High, a high-pressure system over the East Coast, causes gradual pressure changes but often brings hot, humid conditions that can also trigger migraines, according to the National Headache Institute.
Dr. Emad Estemalik, a headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic not involved in the study, explained: "For some people, it's a fall in barometric pressure; for others, it could be a quick rise in temperature. Either way, when these pressure changes occur, most commonly during a storm, a headache can be triggered."
Study Findings and Implications
This research is among the first to closely link frontal passage to headache onset, said Al Peterlin, a co-investigator and meteorologist from Errex Inc. Dr. Vincent Martin, a professor at the Gardner Neuroscience Institute, noted that the study examined weather patterns with multiple variables across regions and seasons.
The team compared four years of meteorological data from the National Climatic Data Center with daily headache diaries from participants in two Phase 3 clinical trials in the northeastern U.S. Participants were taking Ajovy, a monthly injection by Teva Pharmaceuticals for episodic migraines, over six months.
"We saw the weather and headache relationship wiped out with the use of this medication," said Dr. Fred Cohen, co-investigator from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Its effectiveness was noticeable as early as one month after starting the medication."
The findings, presented at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando, Florida, offer hope for over 40 million Americans suffering from headaches and migraines, as reported by the National Headache Foundation.
