{"id":70122,"date":"2023-03-30T10:53:11","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T16:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=70122"},"modified":"2023-03-30T10:53:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T16:53:32","slug":"a-migraine-is-more-than-just-a-headache-researcher-explains-why-chinooks-trigger-pain-in-some","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2023\/03\/30\/a-migraine-is-more-than-just-a-headache-researcher-explains-why-chinooks-trigger-pain-in-some\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A migraine is more than just a headache\u2019: Researcher explains why chinooks trigger pain in some"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
A painful day<\/strong>: Calgarian Megan Koch in her office at the University of Calgary on Monday, March 13, 2023. She’s experiencing the early symptoms of a migraine as a chinook arrives. (Photo by Sophia Lopez\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

F<\/span>or many Albertans, the arrival of chinook winds during a wintertime cold snap is a pleasurable experience.<\/p>\n

O<\/span>thers can find it extremely painful as chinooks are often blamed for intense migraines.<\/p>\n

Chinooks<\/a> \u2014 most noticeable during the winter months \u2014 happen when jet streams of air from the Pacific Ocean blow over the Rocky Mountains into southern and central Alberta.<\/p>\n

The resulting change in barometric pressure can trigger intense migraines in some people.<\/p>\n

University of Calgary professor emeritus of neurology, Dr. Werner Becker has conducted clinical trials and says most patients were generally affected a day or two prior to the arrival of the chinook, but could look different from person to person.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than slightly half were sensitive to the pre-chinook day \u2014 that\u2019s when the barometric pressure is falling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother group of patients were sensitive to the day itself, when the wind was blowing, but only if the wind speed exceeded somewhere around 38 km\/h.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now in her early 20s, Megan Koch has suffered migraines during chinooks since her early teens, some being so severe she experiences visual auras<\/a> \u2014 a visual disturbance \u2014 which can make it hard for her to function normally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will get visual auras, blind spots and sensitivity to light,” she said. “Sometimes I will go numb on one side of my body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visual auras are one of the rarer symptoms of a migraine, Becker explains, and usually occur prior to the onset of the headache.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a third of patients with a migraine will have an aura with some other attacks,\u201d he said. \u201cThe aura occurs before the [migraine] and usually lasts 20 minutes, up to an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becker adds migraines aren\u2019t always caused by the chinook itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost migraine patients have several triggers,\u201d he said. \u201cThey may have certain food triggers, stress is a major trigger for people with migraines. So weather is only one of several triggers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becker, who is also a senior author of the Canadian Headache Society guidelines for both acute and prophylactic migraine treatment, says there are four pain criteria and a number of symptom criteria used to help determine if someone is experiencing a migraine as opposed to a headache.<\/p>\n

He advises visiting the International Headache Society\u2019s website<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe four criteria are one-sided headaches, at least a moderate or severe intensity, a throbbing or pulsating character to the pain, and the pain is made worse by activity or movement,\u201d Becker said. \u201cYou only have to have a few of those, not all four. Migraine headaches can have quite a spectrum of clinical features.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with a migraine during the headache attack should also have either photophobia or light and sound sensitivity, or nausea, which may include vomiting.” He said, \u201calso, of course, there must be no other cause apparent. And finally, migraine attacks last anywhere [from] four hours to three days, typically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weather apps have made it easier to prepare for an approaching chinook, which gives Koch some time to ready herself for the inevitable migraine symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to drink as much water as I can,\u201d she said. \u201cI stock up on [Advil Extra Strength Liqui-Gel] and I have a little face mask that I wear to block out the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to treating her migraines once they\u2019re in full effect, Koch shares some tips that have helped her over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will lay in a dark room with no sound and take a nap,\u201d she explained. \u201cKeep Advil on hand 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cause of migraines can also have a genetic component, says Becker, meaning there isn\u2019t just a simple solution to prevent or cure them.<\/p>\n

However, he does recommend some simple, preventative measures to help sufferers, such as getting enough sleep, avoiding bright light, as well as getting the appropriate medicine whether it\u2019s anti-inflammatory drugs or prescribed medication.<\/p>\n

With all of this in mind, Becker admits more research is needed to find out more about how chinooks trigger migraines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been difficult to establish clear-cut scientific evidence that weather changes do trigger migraines,\u201d he said. \u201cBut so many patients with migraines say it does, and I think they can\u2019t all be wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cA migraine is more than just a headache.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dedicated professor<\/strong>: University of Calgary professor Dr. Werner Becker in the Taylor Family Digital Library on March 17, 2023. Becker poses for a photo on the second floor of the library. (Photo by Sophia Lopez\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The arrival of warmth from a chinook is welcomed by many, but for others, it means the arrival of painful migraines. [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":825,"featured_media":70119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S3 Migraines and Chinooks SL","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-70122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/825"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70122"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70215,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70122\/revisions\/70215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}