Weather conditions affecting the body

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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.

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