Have you ever heard someone say they can feel a storm coming "in their bones" and thought they were just crazy? There is actually truth to this, with an abundance of research showing that weather conditions, patterns, or changes can, in fact, affect the health of your body and mind. We describe below the weather's affect on different parts of the body as well as various health conditions.
Aches and Pains
As mentioned above, when someone says their body can sense or feel when a storm is coming, they are probably not lying. A fall in barometric pressure, which typically happens soon before a storm arrives, is a typical cause for the shock-absorbing parts of you joints to swell, overly extend or turn stiff, and become achy or painful. Barometric pressure, also called atmospheric pressure or air pressure, refers to the force or weight of the air in the atmosphere upon a point on Earth. If this fall in barometric pressure before a storm arrives is also accompanied by a drop in temperature, the negative effects on joints may be amplified. In addition, chilly weather can lead to tightened muscles, which may also contribute to aches and pains in the body.
Allergies
The severity of allergy season and therefore the effect it has on our symptoms is highly impacted by the weather, specifically, temperature and moisture conditions. These weather variables influence the behaviors of pollen and mold (both indoor and outdoor), which largely attribute to the symptoms allergy sufferers feel. For example, a warmer-than-usual winter or an early snow melt allows mold to flourish and trees to pollinate sooner, therefore allowing for allergy symptoms in individuals to begin sooner, become more intense, and last longer. Meanwhile, a wetter spring promotes rapid plant growth and mold intensification, which can cause symptoms to develop quickly and severely. Additionally, if the spring is marked by hot stretches, more intense periods of pollen can be released. Worsening symptoms can also be a result of dry and windy weather, as it spreads pollen and mold more quickly. The weather's impact on allergies isn't all bad. Rain has been proven to briefly ease allergy symptoms like itchy eyes or a runny nose by washing away airborne pollen.
Immune System
Research has shown that cold weather has a negative impact on the immune system, making it easier to catch infections or illnesses. First, in the colder, winter months, people spend more time indoors and are therefore in closer contact with other people, making it easier to spread flus, coughs, and colds. This increased time spent indoors can also reduce an individual's Vitamin D levels due to less sun exposure. A reduction in Vitamin D (a vitamin proven to play an essential role in strengthening the immune system) can therefore lead to increased sickness in the colder months as well. Lower temperatures have also been proven to biologically affect the way the body responds to infection and illness, with cells that were exposed to lower temperatures having a decreased immune response to foreign pathogens.
Asthma
Since asthma and its symptoms are due to an inflammation of the airways, anything that may irritate or inflame the airways can cause a flare-up. Changes to the type of air you are breathing due to changing weather conditions, therefore, can easily irritate the airways and contribute to worsened asthma. High heat and humidity, for example, makes the air heavier and harder to breath. Cold and/or dry air dehydrates a part of your airways called the bronchial tubes, causing them to narrow and therefore restrict airflow. Windy conditions and rain can also trigger an asthma attack in some, while airborne allergies (which are impacted by the weather as discussed above) can also contribute to a flare-up.
Headaches and Migraines
Various weather phenomena have been linked to trigger headaches and migraines in sufferers. Experts believe that people who get frequent headaches have a greater sensitivity to changes in the environment. Some also believe that a migraine triggered by the weather, especially weather changes or extremes in heat and cold, is a protective or defensive measure taken by the body in order to lead the person to seek a safer and more hospitable environment.
The top weather-related cause of headaches and migraines, though, is a change in barometric pressure. Research shows that both falls (which typically happens shortly before a storm arrives) and rises (which typically happens in the hours after a storm exits) in barometric pressure cause headaches and migraines in about ⅔ of people that suffer. This is because pressure changes may have an effect on the pressure-sensitive receptors of the brain or may even cause an imbalance in brain chemicals, both of which can trigger a migraine. Additionally, changes in barometric pressure can cause a difference in the pressure of the outside air and the air inside your sinuses, which may lead to a sinus-related headache or migraine. Because barometric pressure changes affect so many headache and migraine sufferers so strongly, these individuals are referred to as "migraine meteorologists."
High winds or extremes in heat and cold are also known to trigger migraines. Bright sunlight/sun glare can also lead to headaches and migraines, even if the exposure is brief (all it takes is 5-10 minutes). Altitude changes, which introduces the human body to falls in barometric pressure and reduced oxygen levels, can also lead to headaches and a number of other symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Skin
Winter weather can exacerbate common skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis, for dry outdoor air and indoor heat and cause the skin to lose moisture and become red, dry, and itchy. However, hot temperatures and intense sunlight in the summer can also aggravate skin by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the skin.
Mood
Fewer hours of sunlight in the fall and winter can disrupt your internal clock, allowing for a blue mood that is clinically called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Additionally, research continues to show that time spent outside on pleasant weather days can combat stress, anxiety, and depression.
Heart
Extreme temperatures can put a strain on anyone with a healthy heart, which may increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke. Specifically, cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, making the heart work harder to circulate blood. It is also important to not engage in strenuous outdoor work on day with extreme weather, especially if you do not exercise regularly. Avoid shoveling snow (especially if it is heavy or several inches) in a winter storm, and do not complete yard work or similar activities in extreme heat. Overexertion such as these raises the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Sources:
Better Homes and Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/health-family/staying-healthy/weather-health-tips/
Web MD: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/headache-and-migraine-trigger-weather
Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323431#rhinoviruses-and-the-common-cold
MedicineNet: https://www.medicinenet.com/how_does_barometric_pressure_affect_humans/article.htm
