Approximately one million Israelis endure the debilitating effects of migraines, which disrupt their daily routines. Many migraine sufferers claim that extreme weather changes and intense heat act as potent triggers for migraine attacks.
Is there a tangible link between weather conditions and migraines?
Doctor Arie Kuritzky, a neurology specialist, the director of a headache clinic in Ra’anana, and former head of the headache unit at Beilinson Hospital addresses these critical questions.
What Exactly is a Migraine?
Migraine, a common type of headache, afflicts roughly one million Israelis. Typically, it is an inherited condition that predominantly affects women, impacting various brain systems and blood vessels within the brain and its surrounding membranes.
Prominent migraine symptoms include a severe, pulsating headache often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light, noise, and odors. The pain can persist for four to 72 hours and is usually of moderate to severe intensity, sometimes rendering the sufferer completely incapacitated.
Migraines are generally classified into two primary types. The first is “migraine with aura,” previously known as “classic migraine,” accounting for about 10-15% of cases. It is characterized by a transient neurological disturbance occurring before the onset of the headache, often manifesting as visual disturbances, sensory changes, or even speech difficulties.
The second type is “Migraine without aura,” where the headache commences without preceding neurological symptoms. The intensity of pain and accompanying symptoms can significantly vary between individuals, and often, even within the same person.
Today, numerous triggers and causes of migraine attacks are recognized. During extreme weather conditions, many fear that weather might be another contributing factor to the frequency and intensity of migraines.
