Can humid weather, rain and thunderstorms give you a headache?

Headaches can make life throughly miserable, with some of us plagued more than others, having to down painkillers or take refuge in a darkened room.

They can wreck plans for a night out, make a day at work feel eternal and leave us snappy and irritable.

But while some headache triggers – such as food additives, heavy perfumes, stress and, of course, a hangover – are now reasonably well-known, you might have noticed an increase in symptoms following the recent weather.

So can hot, humid weather or storms really make headaches worse? What about rain?

Let’s find out.

Can the weather cause headaches?

The short answer, as confirmed by the NHS, is yes, it can.

Its website advises: ‘If you’re prone to getting headaches, you could find that grey skies, high humidity, rising temperatures and storms can all bring on head pain.’

Recently, hot weather and stormy skies have been commonplace for most of us in the UK.

Why does the weather cause headaches?

According to the NHS, pressure changes that causes alterations in the weather are thought to trigger chemical and electrical changes in the brain.

This can irritate nerves, leading to a headache, which typically last from 30 minutes to several hours.

How to treat weather-related headaches

Unfortunately, of course, you can’t change the weather – but you can be prepared for when stormy, humid conditions are incoming.

The NHS advice is: ‘By looking at the forecast, you can predict when you’re likely to have a headache and make sure you have some painkillers ready for when you might need them.’

If you have a headache, take paracetamol, drink plenty of water and try to relax as stress can make headaches worse.

Avoid sleeping too much, skipping meals, straining your eyes by starting a a screen for too long, and – you guess it – alcohol.

You can be prepared and check the latest weather forecast for your area on the Met Office site.

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