Dr Rangan visits a mum with cluster headaches
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Whether you’ve been battling with a brutal headache for the last few days, or have woken up with a stuffy nose and sinus woes, these health problems might be linked to the change of seasons. Spring has made an appearance in recent days across the UK, with sunny spells and warmer temperatures greeting the nation.
Though the milder days can be a joy to wake up to, having a blocked nose or aches and pains can dull the mood.
But why exactly does this happen?
Largely, any headaches or sinus problems associated with a change in season are actually due to a change in barometric pressure.
Barometric pressure, also called atmospheric pressure, is the pressure caused by the weight of the air above us.
Regardless of whether we are transitioning from summer to autumn and winter, or from colder days into warmer ones, barometric pressure fluctuates as the seasons change.
This barometric pressure can have an impact on your health in numerous ways, though headaches and sinus complaints are some of the most common.
Headaches due to seasonal changes
When it comes to headaches, according to the NHS: “Pressure changes that cause weather changes are thought to trigger chemical and electrical changes in the brain.
DON’T MISS
Diabetes: Three telltale signs in the feet signalling high blood sugar [EXPLAINER]
Jeremy Kyle health: Star ignored cancer sign for a ‘few months’ [REVEALED]
Statins side effects – key side effects in your skin [INSIGHT]
“This irritates nerves, leading to a headache.”
These headaches can occur as migraines or even cluster headaches, which happen one or more times a day for a few weeks or months.
According to Brian M Grosberg, director of the Montefiore Headache Centre in New York: “Clusters are common in the autumn and spring, when we adjust our clocks for daylight saving time.
“They’re also common in January and February when the days are short, and in July and August, when they’re long.”
Some symptoms of headaches caused by seasonal changes include severe pain behind or around your eye, periods of pain, breaks between headache attacks, or headaches around the same time of day or night.
If you are someone who experiences similar symptoms annually, it is likely caused by a change in seasons.
Sinus problems due to seasonal changes
Much like with headaches, when the outside barometric pressure lowers, it creates a difference between the pressure in the outside air and the air in your sinuses.
Get the latest three-day weather forecast where you live. Find out by adding your postcode or visit InYourArea
This can result in pain.
The change can also leave the nasal passages dry and the sinuses susceptible to infection.
In turn, this may lead to swelling, which stops mucus from draining properly.
Some people might also experience congestion and inflammation, as well as sinus headaches.
Source: Read Full Article