BAROMETRIC PRESSURE PAIN: HOW THE WEATHER CAN AFFECT HEALTH
Let's explore what barometric pain is, its causes, symptoms, and methods for treatment and prevention
What is Barometric Pressure Pain?
Weather-sensitive people experience different types of weather pains when atmospheric conditions change. One such condition, known as barometric pressure pain, occurs when people experience discomfort due to sudden shifts in atmospheric pressure.
Barometric Pressure Pain – a painful bodily reaction triggered by existing health conditions that can worsen with weather changes, particularly shifts in barometric pressure
How does Barometric Pressure Pain Appear?
Changes in barometric pressure trigger adaptation responses and pressure changes in blood vessels.
With a drop in barometric pressure (commonly seen with rain pains before rainfall), vessels experience hypoxia. This decreases oxygen levels in the brain, causing dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and headaches.
This can lead to venous stasis in the brain's blood vessels, often resulting in headaches.
As the barometric pressure rises, blood pressure and blood flow increase. In people with vascular conditions, this can trigger various ailments.
High barometric pressure negatively affects the immune system by decreasing white blood cell count. This weakens the body's defenses, making it more susceptible to infectious diseases.
In healthy individuals, blood vessels quickly normalize thanks to their elasticity. However, vessels that have lost elasticity struggle to adapt to weather changes.
Changes in barometric pressure cause muscles and tendons to expand and contract. Injured or damaged tissues have difficulty adapting to these changes, resulting in pain.
Damaged joints—particularly those affected by arthritis—become painful during barometric pressure changes. More details on this follow below.
People with hearing and vestibular disorders may also experience symptoms like ear pressure, balance issues, and tinnitus—all manifestations of their underlying condition.
Sudden barometric pressure changes often trigger various types of pain, including joint pain, nerve pain, and headaches of different intensities. Let's examine each type of barometric pressure pain in detail.
Barometric Pressure Joint Pain
Barometric pressure joint pain occurs when changes in atmospheric pressure affect joint structure. When barometric pressure shifts, the body attempts to adapt, causing internal pressure changes within the joints.
How Barometric Pressure Affects Joint Pain: Exploring the Connection
People with joint diseases may experience pain during this adaptation process. Those with injuries, inflammation, or trauma are particularly susceptible, as these conditions can irritate the nerve endings in joint cartilage and receptors.
Barometric Pressure Arthritis
Arthritis and arthrosis are degenerative diseases that cause abnormal changes in joints, muscle tissue, and cartilage.
For people with arthritis, changes in barometric pressure can trigger joint pain. When atmospheric pressure shifts, the joints respond with increased discomfort.
This pain occurs because arthritis-damaged joints struggle to adapt to weather changes. The pain originates inside the joint capsule containing synovial fluid. Sudden barometric pressure changes can intensify the pain as blood vessels and nerves in the joint react to these atmospheric shifts.
More than 42 million Americans suffer from arthritis, with one in six becoming disabled due to the condition.
In Great Britain, approximately 10 million people live with arthritis, and most experience pain that significantly impacts their daily lives.
Barometric Pressure Sinus
The most common cause of barometric sinus pain is chronic rhinitis. People with this condition have complications affecting their inferior nasal turbinates or nasal blood vessels. When barometric pressure changes occur, or during physical activity or weather changes, they experience nasal congestion or a runny nose.
Barometric Pressure Headache
Barometric pressure headaches commonly occur in people with vascular disease or those who lead sedentary lifestyles.
When blood vessels lose their elasticity, they struggle to adapt to weather changes. This reduced flexibility leads to decreased blood and oxygen flow to the brain, resulting in headaches that typically manifest in the temples or back of the head.
If you experience frequent headaches, it's important to consult a doctor for proper examination and diagnosis.
For temporary headache relief, you can:
- reduce physical and mental stress;
- create a peaceful environment;
- open the window and let in some fresh air;
- lie down in a comfortable position;
- gently massage the painful areas;
- if necessary, take painkillers (doctor's advice required).
How to treat barometric pressure pain?
The best way to treat barometric pressure pain and relieve those "under the weather" feelings is to consult a doctor. They can examine your joints and provide appropriate medical treatment and lifestyle recommendations.
Common tips to relieve barometric pressure pain (not a medical recommendation):
- limit physical activity during pain flare-ups;
- get plenty of fresh air—blood vessel issues can reduce oxygen flow to the brain (causing headaches and fatigue), so proper ventilation helps compensate;
- take contrast showers (using moderate temperature differences);
- apply a warm compress to aching joints;
- gently massage painful joints and areas.
Sources:
- Strusberg I, Mendelberg RC, Serra HA, Strusberg AM. Influence of weather conditions on rheumatic pain. J Rheumatol 2002;29(2):335-8.
- Aikman H. The association between arthritis and the weather. Int J Biometeorol 1997;40(4):192-9.
- Smedslund G, Mowinckel P, Heiberg T, Kvien TK, Hagen KB. Does the weather really matter? A cohort study of influence of weather and solar conditions on daily variations of joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2009;61(9):1243-7.
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