# Why does an impending storm make my head hurt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975 "2005-12-16T21:16:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/1 "2005-12-16T21:16:05Z")
Two nights ago, they were calling for a mighty snowfall. Around that time, yours truly was fallen by a mighty headache. I mean, a mighty, blistering, brutal, intolerable, could-barely-get-myself-to-the-Advil-bottle, keeping-husband-awake-with-my-agonized-moaning kind of headache. I understand that this is fairly common, I have heard many reports of people’s old tennis injuries/rheumatism/bad knee/whatever flaring up before a storm. I know it has something to do with the barometric pressure. What I don’t know is what, exactly, that something is. And, more importantly, if there’s anything I can do about it but swallow Advils wholesale the moment the Weather Network gives the word. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/2 "2005-12-16T21:27:39Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > I know it has something to do with the barometric pressure. What I don’t know is what, exactly, that something is. WAG Bore a hole in the top of your heat to equalize the pressure! > [@](#): > > And, more importantly, if there’s anything I can do about it but swallow Advils wholesale the moment the Weather Network gives the word. Nother WAG Take Tylenol instead. Might try a hyperbaric chamber. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/3 "2005-12-16T21:30:09Z")
WITCH! WITCH! Burn her! She’s a witch! On a more serious note, I suspect your sinuses. Is this something new, or has this always happened to you. If it’s recent, then you may have some sinus congestion that is swelling/ contracting in response to changes in atmospheric pressure. The symptoms may be related to a sinus infection, a potentially very dangerous health problem. See a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/4 "2005-12-16T21:40:29Z")
I don’t see why you couldn’t simply swim down to the bottom of a swimming pool and just stay there. The increased water pressure would surely counter-act the decreased air pressure. I never said it was practical… ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/5 "2005-12-16T21:44:33Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > WITCH! WITCH! > > Burn her! She’s a witch! WHAT?! Who told you - oh, never mind. I see you’re … heheh … kidding phew > [@](#): > > I suspect your sinuses. Is this something new, or has this always happened to you. I am (sadly) well familiar with sinus pain, and this is a little different. The pain is a bit behind and above mu sinuses, and only in one part of my head (top front left, almost behind my eye.) It has probably always happened to me, but it’s only recently that I realized the storm connection. > [@springears](#): > > WAG Bore a hole in the top of your heat to equalize the pressure! I was considering this (a solution I often contemplate when in the throes of a sinus headache) but I couldn’t haul myself out of bed to find the drill because my head hurt too much. Talk about a catch-22, huh. > [@](#): > > Nother WAG Take Tylenol instead. Advil works quite well, it just doesn’t kick in instantaneously. There is another effective cure I use while waiting for the pills to take effect, but I’m not allowed to talk about it here, and it’s not always a practical solution. > [@dolpinboy](#): > > I don’t see why you couldn’t simply swim down to the bottom of a swimming pool … That’s easy for YOU to say. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/6 "2005-12-16T22:04:20Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > Two nights ago, they were calling for a mighty snowfall. Around that time, yours truly was fallen by a mighty headache. I mean, a mighty, blistering, brutal, intolerable, could-barely-get-myself-to-the-Advil-bottle, keeping-husband-awake-with-my-agonized-moaning kind of headache. > > I understand that this is fairly common, I have heard many reports of people’s old tennis injuries/rheumatism/bad knee/whatever flaring up before a storm. > > I know it has something to do with the barometric pressure. What I don’t know is what, exactly, that something is. > > And, more importantly, if there’s anything I can do about it but swallow Advils wholesale the moment the Weather Network gives the word. I feel your pain, **cowgirl**. I really mean that- I get the same headaches. If there’s a storm coming in the next 24 hours, my head tells me so. Usually an intense pain over one eye that doesn’t go away before I’ve taken a couple of extra-strength Tylenol or Advil, 2 or 3 times. Which means, I usually have the headache all day. I’ve been this way for maybe 20 years now. I’ve always just chalked it up to being one of those things I have to deal with from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/7 "2005-12-16T22:32:47Z")
[Biometeorology](http://geosciences.ou.edu/~isb/biomet.html) [New Data Suggests Weather Can Trigger Migraines](http://www.anapsid.org/biomet.html) > [@](#): > > 51% of patients with headache were affected by weather > … > Interestingly, of the migraine sufferers affected by weather, it was clear that they were sensitive to a combination of temperature and humidity changes. The most common factor affecting patients was low temperature and humidity or high temperature and humidity. The second was major changes in the weather over a 1-2 day period and the third was high or low barometer. Several patients were sensitive to more than one factor. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/8 "2005-12-17T01:09:04Z")
My pre-storm headaches go away nicely if I take a long hot shower. The trouble is, they return as soon as I get out of the shower. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/9 "2005-12-17T05:01:15Z")
Me and one of my kids suffer from headaches when the barometric pressure drops. I asked one of the doctors I work for why it happens, and he said sinuses. I’ve found that Advil doesn’t help at all, but Tylenol and caffiene usually work very well. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/10 "2005-12-17T05:03:30Z")
Oops, I mean **I** and one of my kids. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/11 "2005-12-17T05:07:10Z")
I have weather headaches, too. I can tell if the barometric pressure gets near 30 or lower because I will not only have an intense headache, but I feel as though my entire head is stuffed with cotton. It also makes me feel lethargic and achy. When I lived in California, it was fog that set them off. I’ve found that taking a combination of advil and excedrin together helps more than either one alone. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-impending-storm-make-my-head-hurt/335975/12 "2005-12-17T22:03:18Z")
I don’t so much as get a head ache as try to sleep around the clock, and feel like there is so much pressure behind my eyes [like I was hanging upside down] that I am pop-eyed. No appearance change, so it is all internal sensation. Very annoying. And I hate sleeping for a couple hours, waking up long enough to piss and get some water then going back to slle - ruins whole days for me=(