health conditions that may be affected by the weather.

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For as long as people have been aware of weather, they've pondered its impact on

their health. The Greeks noted the effect of " hot and cold winds " on pain and

illness 2,400 years ago. During the Civil War, physicians wrote about amputee

soldiers sensing pain in their " phantom " limbs when the weather changed. And

folk wisdom tells of people who " feel the weather in their bones. "

In modern times, doctors continue to explore the connection between weather and

pain, especially in relation to chronic conditions such as migraine headaches

and arthritis.

While many people maintain that the weather affects how they feel, scientific

studies linking weather to chronic pain don't always agree. Some doctors say

it's a matter of perception; patients might feel worse on a rainy day, they say,

just because it's gloomy. But others say the pain is very real. Not all people

who suffer from chronic pain feel effects from the weather. Among those who do,

reactions depend on the individual and can be hard to measure.

For those people who are sensitive to weather, changes in weather are generally

more likely to affect them than specific weather conditions. Doctors who

specialize in chronic pain sometimes suggest that patients keep a detailed

journal of weather conditions to establish a possible relationship to their

pain.

In particular, the following weather factors may contribute to aches and pains:

Barometric Pressure

Barometric pressure is the weight exerted by the air around us. Rapidly falling

barometric pressure generally signals the onset of stormy weather, and is

believed to have a strong correlation with the potential for feeling aches and

pains. Rising pressure may also affect some people.

Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. It can be expressed as

" absolute humidity " (the amount of water vapor per unit of air) or the more

familiar " relative humidity " (the amount of water vapor relative to the amount

of moisture the air can hold at a given temperature). An increase in absolute

humidity, especially in the summer, can lead to an increased potential for aches

and pains. Some research also finds a correlation between dry, cold air and

migraine headaches.

Precipitation

Precipitation includes not only rain, but also snow, sleet, hail or any other

form of water that reaches the ground. It is considered a factor in aches and

pains because stormy weather accompanies changes in barometric pressure and

humidity. For those sensitive to hot weather, such as some people with multiple

sclerosis, rain can cool the atmosphere and may bring some relief.

Temperature

Rapidly rising or falling temperatures are a hallmark of big weather changes,

indicating underlying shifts in barometric pressure. Extremes in temperature,

not just changing temperatures, can also affect the potential for feeling aches

and pains. Low temperatures may trigger migraine headaches, exacerbate

circulatory conditions such as Raynaud's phenomenon and contribute to arthritic

joint stiffness. Cold weather has also been associated with an increase in

asthma-related hospital admissions.

Wind

Wind often results from big shifts in weather, indicating that barometric

pressure and other factors may be changing rapidly. Wind is also a health

consideration because it can carry pollution and allergens far distances,

therefore affecting people with respiratory ailments such as asthma.

 

Weather is considered a possible influence on a wide variety of health

conditions. In some cases, such as migraine headaches, weather may bring on an

episode. In other cases, weather factors may make existing pain worse.

 

Here are some health conditions commonly associated with weather-influenced

aches and pains:

#10;Arthritis

#10;Arthritis is pain and stiffness in joints or connective tissues. Particular

types include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and many others. #10;

#10;Several studies over the past 20 years have found no correlation between

arthritis pain and weather conditions. One researcher, a Stanford psychologist,

said that because people naturally look for patterns, subjects mistakenly

associated their pain with weather conditions. However, a study in 1960 at the

University of Pennsylvania and a later Dutch experiment did find connections

between increased arthritis pain and certain weather conditions.#10;

#10;Weather factors that may impact arthritis pain include dramatic changes in

barometric pressure and humidity. Cold weather can increase stiffness in muscles

and joints.#10;

#10;Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (also called FMS) is a chronic condition of fatigue

accompanied by pain and tenderness in muscles, tendons and other connective

tissues. Fibromyalgia occurs mainly in women. Stress, activity level and weather

are considered possible influences on the condition. A 1981 survey reported that

more than 90% of fibromyalgia patients believed " cold and humid " weather, in

particular, made them feel worse. Changes in barometric pressure may also affect

those with FMS.

#10;Migraines

#10;Migraines are headaches caused by constriction or dilation of the blood

vessels in the brain. Pain generally occurs on one side of the face or head.

Sufferers sometimes feel nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Triggers

include stress, hormonal fluctuations, certain types of food and weather.#10;

#10;According to research by the New England Center for Headache, as many as

half of all migraines are triggered by weather. (Read more about it in our news

coverage from July 2001.) Many migraine sufferers single out cold, dry weather

as the culprit, though almost any weather change can be a problem. Some doctors

suggest that patients keep a detailed headache journal, so they can anticipate

weather changes and take preventative medication, if necessary.

#10;Sinus headaches

#10;Sinuses are the air cavities in the bones around your nasal passages. When

sinuses become clogged or infected, the resulting pressure can cause a headache.

Symptoms include pain in the front of the head and around the eyes, yellow or

green nasal discharge and perhaps a fever. It's believed that barometric

pressure changes may bring on headaches, if the sinus cavities are slow to

equalize air pressure. Damp, cold weather can intensify sinus pain. #10;

#10;A recent study suggests that most people who think they are suffering from

sinus headaches may actually have migraines -- especially in cases where weather

is an obvious trigger. Since symptoms of both types of headaches can vary, visit

your doctor for a proper diagnosis.#10;

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic neurological disease marked by loss of

coordination or balance, blurred vision, slurred speech, extreme fatigue and a

host of other problems. The symptoms, which can come and go unpredictably,

result from a breakdown of the covering that protects nerve fibers in the

central nervous system. Some people with MS report that their symptoms get worse

in hot weather or when they become overheated. Cold weather may also cause

discomfort in some MS patients.

#10;Raynaud's phenomenon

#10;Raynaud's phenomenon is a condition in which blood vessel spasms disrupt

blood circulation to the fingers or toes. The phenomenon, which turns one or

several digits pale or bluish, can last minutes or hours, but generally does not

cause tissue damage. Pain is uncommon, but there may be partial, temporary

paralysis in the affected area. Emotional reactions and cold weather are two

known triggers. #10;

Asthma

Asthma is breathing difficulty brought on by constriction of the lung's airway

passages. Research has shown a correlation between cool, dry weather and

increased asthma-related hospital admissions. Spring and summer can also bring

on asthma attacks, because of increased pollen and pollution in the air. Wind is

also a factor, since it can transport those irritants over long distances. Visit

the weather.com Allergies and Air Quality sections for pollen reports and

pollution forecasts for your area.

 

Many might think it's an old wives' tale, but according to doctors who

specialize in chronic pain, patients say they can literally feel the weather in

their bones.

" My mom used to say that if her shoulder was hurting in the evening, it would be

raining by the morning, and you could usually count on it, " said Tom Fleenor,

whose late mother suffered with arthritis. " If it didn't rain, it would at least

be damp and overcast. She was almost always right. "

Freda Elkind, a resident at the North Shore Hotel in Evanston, Ill., says she's

practically a human barometer. Instead of using weather models, Elkind uses her

aches and pains to forecast the weather.

" I know when it's going to rain, " she said. " I know about the weather before I

see it. "

Other residents at the North Shore Hotel note that when the barometric pressure

goes down, their pain goes up. Their arthritis goes into overdrive right before

a storm hits.

" Here, you can always hear someone saying it's going to rain tomorrow, " laughed

Joy O'Laughlin. " It's pretty common with us old folks. "

Despite a lack of a proven scientific connection between weather changes and the

onset of aches and pains, doctors who specialize in chronic pain can't dismiss

the notion.

" Their pain is real, " said Dr. Richard Pope, Chief of Rheumatology at

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, who cites a study done in 1960 to

back up his claim. In the study, 12 patients were placed in a chamber in which

the barometric pressure and humidity were adjusted. Eleven of the participants

had a reaction to the changing conditions.

" When the pressure became low and the humidity was high, patients sensed their

joint pain a lot more, " Pope said.

Another study conducted in 1985 by Dr. John T. Sibley suggested that there was

no connection between weather patterns and their symptoms. Sibley concluded that

people are simply less likely to feel the pain on days when it's warm and sunny.

" I think the warm weather makes you feel better. And if you do have a little

ache and it's warm, it doesn't seem as bad, " said one arthritis sufferer.

People with joint injuries, previously broken bones and multiple sclerosis also

report a proficiency at " armchair meteorology. "

Washington, D.C., City Council member Sharon Ambrose has MS and says she almost

always feels pain in her lower body, but weather can exacerbate her discomfort.

" My body tells me when it's going to rain, and that is, in my view, bizarre, "

she said. " This never happened before I was diagnosed with a neurological

disease. "

What is barometric pressure, anyway?

 

It's clear that barometric pressure changes have an impact on many with chronic

pain, but what exactly is this weather term describing?

" Most people don't think that air has weight, but air is made of molecules and

those molecules do have a measurable weight, " said Colin Marquis, a senior

meteorologist at The Weather Channel. " When we talk about barometric pressure,

we're talking about that weight. The only reason it is called barometric

pressure is because a barometer is used to measure it. "

Barometric fluctuations are prevalent in the middle latitudes, where much of the

world's population calls home, but Marquis says that less changes on the

barometer will be observed at the equator or the poles.

" Highs and lows and fronts move across weather maps, " he said. " The weather's

always doing something. "

And it's almost always doing something to those who suffer with aches and pains,

said Pope.

" You take a balloon and you put it into a vacuum. As the pressure is reduced

around that balloon, it expands, " he explained. " And so the same thing within

the tissues around the joints. If there's already swelling, inflammation,

abnormal mechanics in the joint, as the pressure goes down, the gas and tissue

expand, and this is felt as more pain by the patient. This is why they sense a

change in barometric pressure. "

 

 

 

 

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