Weather and Health: Can Weather Changes Make You Sick?

That throbbing headache just before it rains. The way your joints ache when storms roll in. Those mysterious flare-ups every time seasons change. While weather doesn't directly cause illness, its effects on our bodies are very real.

The Hidden Impact of Changing Weather

Our bodies notice weather shifts before we consciously do. Blood pressure rises and falls with temperature changes. Migraine sufferers often sense approaching storms hours before the first raindrops fall. Even our moods shift with changing skies (1).

As one delves into the science of such reactions, some amazing linkages arise. With drops in barometric pressure, tissues in our body can swell. Thus, arthritis sufferers can often tell when a change is coming, or why an old injury may "forecast" weather better than the meteorologist does (2).

The Brain-Weather Connection