Why some people get headaches when it rains or during thunderstorms
Do you suffer a headache or migraine anytime it rains and wonder why it is so?
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Well, a new study by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, are of the view that a change in weather patterns may be a contributing factor and it's not actually to do with the rain itself.
The study was done among 7,000 Boston-area patients diagnosed with headaches at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center emergency room between May 2000 and December 2007.
To determine if weather played a role, they scoured National Weather Service data on fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressurethat occurred within 72 hours of each patient's ER visit.
The study’s findings revealed that if pressure in the atmosphere is low then you might feel yourself having to reach for the painkillers.
As well as finding that an increase in temperature increased chances of getting a headache, they also discovered that headache risk increased by an average of 6% with every 5 millimetre drop in barometric pressure that occurred.
What does that mean for you? Well, when they have those wavy lines on the weather map and you see the letter 'L' for low pressure, you might be about to experience a headache or migraine.
Low barometric pressure can cause headaches by creating a difference in pressure between your sinuses - which are filled with air - and the surrounding atmosphere.
It's a little bit like being on a plane which suddenly increases or decreases its altitude, so if you suffer with ear or head pain while flying then you might be more likely to be affected.
Why is it connected to rainy weather? Well, low pressure is often associated with thunderstorms.
According to the Met Office: "In general, low pressure leads to unsettled weather conditions and high pressure leads to settled weather conditions."
And it looks like there's a huge area of low pressure around the whole of the UK today, so many people will still be suffering.