Weather – extremes of heat and cold, high or low pressure before a storm, humidity, areas with certain kinds of winds – sirocco, mistral, foehn, chinook – all are cousins of the same troublemaking family for migraine sufferers.
What happens when extreme weather makes you feel uncomfortable? You frown, you tense up… Oh, no you don’t! That is exactly what those muscles should not be doing in the head, neck and upper shoulder region – tensing up! You don’t want all that excess blood rushing to your head, causing pain, instead of being distributed evenly throughout your entire body, where there is far more room than one of the thinnest places in your body – the hair, skin and thin layer of tissues, blood vessels and nerves lying right next to your skull bone where you know they will be up to mischief sooner or later unless you counteract that mischief.
The migraine condition craves stability and equilibrium. If changes in weather conditions trigger your migraine attacks, consider creating a stable environment in your home. If you sleep, say, 8 hours at night, and then spend another 6 hours taking care of indoor home activities, that means you have 14 hours per day that you are spending in an ideal environment and when you will be further ahead.
Here’s where modern life, engineering and technology come to your rescue. We have so much more control within our own homes compared to the caves our distant ancestors live in. Configure your home environment so that it becomes an environmental sanctuary compared to the extreme conditions outside. Air conditioning, fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, air filter systems, temperature, humidity level and barometric pressure gauges – as many as you can calibrate so that your indoor environment supports your body’s tissues being exposed to the most stable conditions.
By strengthening your system that way for hours a day, you will be better able to deal with the extremes outside your front door. Triggering a migraine will be less likely.
Remember to adjust the temperature in your bedroom at night to be a few degrees cooler than during the daytime – cooler ambient air helps you fall asleep more easily.
Weather conditions change with the seasons – when the weather stabilizes in between extremes, that’s the time to spend more time with outdoor activities and to open the windows of your house to the outside elements. You could keep at least your bedroom very controlled – so at least 365 days per year, you will be assured of a stable environment at least 8 hours per day.
Two drinks that use little or no sugar – in summer, take a highball glass, pour in half an inch of raspberry syrup, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, mix them well, put in a couple of ice cubes and fill with sparkling water, stir and enjoy. It’s a very refreshing drink.
Another tea I like to prepare is one I’ve nicknamed “Illegal Tea” – it’s so delicious, it’s addictive and therefore must be illegal! I save mango pits and peels, banana peels, a tablespoon of star anise, a stick of cinnamon or two, a tablespoon of cloves, the peel of an orange, lime and apple, some grated nutmeg and simmer in plenty of water. Strain the liquid and keep it in your freezer or in a jug in your refrigerator (toss the spent dregs on the compost pile). It’s an all-weather concoction: you can drink it cold or hot.
Year-round, aside from dressing appropriately, learn to adjust your temperature by changing clothes when they are wet (and no longer protect you) and consider regulating your body temperature by adjusting your core temperature with a hot or cold drink, depending on what effect you want.
If cold affects you, make sure you dress in layers and most importantly, keep your skin dry. There are modern fabrics that wick humidity away from your skin and transport that humidity away from your body, thereby keeping you more comfortable. There are clothes made to keep extreme winter campers comfortable to -45 degrees (F or C – both thermometers meet around that number).
One summer, every blouse and T-shirt was in the wash and the only clean item I had left was an extreme winter camping long-sleeved turtleneck! And black to boot – a color that attracts heat! I groaned as I put it on. I was surprised to find out that I felt far more comfortable and did not feel any perspiration on my upper body that day. But of course: this state-of-the-art fabric is conceived to wick moisture away from the skin surface and transport it outside the garment! Back to the store I went to pick up a few more seasonal V-neck and round-necked pastel tops to wear during the summer.
You can always condition your body, little by little, to strengthen it and help it be less affected by extremes when you run into them.
If hot weather is a trigger, that would mean regularly taking a short sauna or Turkish bath – just below your tolerance level. Now is not the time to turn into a sudden extreme weather hero. You can get there (if that’s a goal) – just improve your body in increments.
If cold is a trigger, try to follow the winter culture practiced by the Norwegians, who promote programs that help them revel in the cold. If your health center or spa has an ice bath, consider taking the plunge (a short one!) just to habituate your immune system.
The goal is for you to DO something about the weather, not just talk about it!
