Summary
Objective. The aim is to analyse the scientific literature and provide evidence-based information on the possible associations of climate and environmental factors with migraine.
Material and methods. A literature search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Keywords used in English: weather, environment, migraine, triggers. The analysis included articles published in the last 10 years.
Results. Environmental and meteorological factors affect migraine attacks. Changes in temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind, rain, or seasons can trigger migraines, especially in weather-sensitive individuals. Common migraine triggers include bright sunlight, noise, odours, air pollution (more likely to cause migraines during cold season). Some patients are only sensitive to weather under certain conditions, which explains the conflicting results of studies. For example, in Berlin 13% of patients were found to be affected by the weather, but in the Boston study, the weather was a factor in 49% of cases. The frequency of migraines may depend on the time of day, week, month or year. The highest number of attacks was recorded in January, May, July, while the lowest in November, August and March.
Conclusions. Migraine triggers include environmental and weather-related factors, most commonly the change of season, barometric pressure, temperature changes, humidity, wind speed and air pollution. Often, these stimuli lead to migraine in only a fraction of patients who are sensitive to weather changes. However, recognising and identifying the effects of weather can help migraine patients treat their migraine attacks more effectively and reduce their frequency.
