Researchers are yet to conclude on how weather factors like barometric pressure and humidity affect the onset of headaches but a study published in the Journal of Cephalalgia clearly shows a correlation between lightning, associated meteorological factors and headaches.
Vincent Martin and Geoffrey Martin, a father-son scientists duo in their study showed that there was a 31 percent heightened risk of headache and 28 percent higher risk of migraine for chronic headache sufferers on days when lightning strikes within 25 miles of their homes.
According to these scientists, headache and migraine patients who fulfilled the criteria as defined by International Headache Society were deployed at the sites located in Ohio and Missouri. These patients kept a record of the aches they experienced for up to six months. Mathematical models were used to determine if lightning itself was the cause of the increased numbers of headaches or if it could be attributed to other weather factors encountered with thunderstorms.
"Our results found a 19 per cent increased risk for headaches on lightning days, even after accounting for these weather factors. This suggests that lightning has its own unique effect on headache," Martin senior said. He also added that the negatively charged lightning currents were also particularly associated with a higher chance of headache. The study concludes that lightning could bring on a heightened risk of headache and migraines.
Photograph by pennuja
