Wellness \ Wellness & Weather

How Warm Winds Affects Allergies and Causes Migraines

Did you ever notice that on windy days, along with the pollen count going sky high, that your sneeze count may be up too? Are your eyes itchier when the air is full of that grass pollen? Your throat scratchier when those mold spores are flying on the breeze?

No, it's not your imagination—allergy sufferers really can feel more symptoms when the winds of change are stirring up the pollen.

Some people find that their allergy symptoms actually improve on days when the air is still.

If you do have allergies, you might want to consider staying indoors on those windy days. And closing windows in your home and car may keep some of those allergens from blowing you away.

There's something else on the wind—many people who have migraines believe that weather conditions can trigger their headaches.

In Alberta, Canada they have warm, westerly winds called Chinooks. A group of migraine sufferers there kept a headache diary and found that on days when the winds were gusting that the likelihood of headaches went up.

So‚ if you do suffer from migraines, it might not be a bad idea to keep your eye on the weather forecasts or you could just throw caution to the wind and take your chances.


This entry last modified on: January 11, 2012 12:57 PM

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About the Video

Could a warm breeze give you a headache? Weatherman Flip Spiceland shows you how a change in the wind might affect your health.

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