Can you feel weather changes in your body?

People have long sworn they can tell a change in the weather is coming by an ache in their joints or a pain in their head. In recent years, scientists have been lending more credence to the phenomenon, the study of which is called meteoropathy.

"Meteoropathy is the study of weather and its effects on human health," Vincent Martin, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the Gardner Neuroscience Institute recently explained to 91.7 WVXU News. 

Martin says a lot of studies have looked at how weather affects many diseases. While he says it's still a somewhat controversial diagnosis — and not yet a formal one — more scientists are studying it and finding results that support the theory.

Martin's research focuses mostly on migraines. He and colleagues reported their most recent findings at a meeting of the American Headache Society.

"We found a 10 degree rise in temperature was associated with about a 6% increased risk of having a headache in patients with migraine," he told WVXU.

His previous research in 2013 found that lightning within 25 miles of a home increases a person's migraine risk by 31%.

Barometric pressure changes and precipitation round out the three key areas that seem to trigger migraines, Martin said.

When it comes to temperature sparking migraines, Martin said the cause is "speculative".

However, "there are certain receptors on nerve cells that are temperature receptors. So, theoretically you can activate those temperature-sensitive receptors on nerves, and that could cause the nerve to become hyper-excitable and generate headache," he said.

Similarly, when a storm is nearing, the pain receptors throughout the body detect changes in air weight and humidity and alert the spine and brain to register pain.

Another theory focuses on spinal fluid pressures. Martin explained changes in barometric pressure may elevate spinal fluid pressures, causing headaches.

Read the three data points that Martin recommended focusing on to figure out what may be triggering an individual's migraines or body pains.

Featured image at top: A woman holds her hands to the sides of her face as she suffers from a migraine. iStock/ProStock-Studio.