Can the weather give you a headache?
For some people, yes. The best-studied trigger is a quick drop in air pressure, the kind that arrives ahead of a storm. Studies disagree on how much it matters, and the heat, glare and stuffy air that come with weather changes play a part too.
A fast pressure drop usually means the weather is about to change.
Some people feel big pressure swings as headaches or achy joints.
Show me why1 min
What air pressure is
Air has weight. The whole column of it above you presses down at about 1,013 hectopascals (hPa) at sea level, roughly 14.7 pounds on every square inch of you. The number rises and falls with the weather: high pressure usually means sinking, settled air, and falling pressure usually means a front or storm is on the way.
Day-to-day swings are small, often 5 to 10 hPa. That's less than the change you go through riding a fast elevator to the top of a skyscraper, yet some people seem to notice it.
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What the studies found
Ask people with migraine and many will say weather sets off their attacks. A year-long diary study in Japan found migraines were more common on days when pressure fell by more than 5 hPa from the day before. Other studies find weaker links or none, and reviews call the evidence mixed: weather seems to matter for some people, not for everyone.
Achy joints follow a similar pattern. A UK smartphone study of about 2,600 people with chronic pain found painful days were roughly 20% more likely when it was humid, windy and low-pressure, while rain itself made no difference. A Harvard study of more than 11 million US doctor visits found no link between rainy days and joint or back pain.
Why it might happen
Nobody knows for sure. Ideas include small pressure differences between the outside air and closed spaces such as the sinuses and inner ear, and joint tissues that swell slightly as outside pressure drops. Weather changes also bring other well-known triggers along: bright glare, heat, dehydration, stuffy humid air, a poor night's sleep.
If you think the weather sets you off, keep a simple diary of headaches next to the pressure trend. Air Story's On you panel flags a swing of about 5 hPa or more in a day. If headaches are frequent or severe, talk to a doctor.
Questions people ask
- What barometric pressure causes headaches?
- It's usually the change, not the number. Studies point to drops of roughly 5 hPa or more within a day, the kind of fall that comes ahead of storms.
- Can you really feel rain coming in your joints?
- Some people seem to. A UK study found pain days were somewhat more likely when it was humid, windy and low-pressure, though rain itself showed no effect. A large US study found no link between rain and visits for joint pain.
- Why do I get headaches when it's hot?
- Heat makes dehydration and poor sleep more likely, and bright sun brings glare. All three are common headache triggers, separate from air pressure.