Is Debby's deluge causing your migraine? How barometric pressure can impact your day.
As Hurricane Debby barreled toward the coast of Florida, Kevin Batdorf prepared for the steps he would soon need to take.
Get out an ice pack. Take his medication. And, if necessary, find a dark room to ride out the storm.
Batdorf, 62, is among the throngs of Americans who experience unbearable migraines when a tropical storm or other weather front ushers in sudden changes in barometric pressure. During the summer when afternoon thunderstorms are routine in Florida, the St. Petersburg man can expect three to four migraines each month.
He scans weather apps to monitor changing patterns that might trigger a migraine. He knows if he doesn't take his medication when he feels his initial symptoms – usually numbness and tiredness – a full-fledged migraine could bring hours of misery.
Many migraine sufferers say they encounter skepticism from the medical community when they talk about weather-related episodes. It's one reason Batdorf started a Facebook community dedicated to people who get migraines due to barometric pressure changes. Community members swap suggestions about remedies, weather apps and recommendations from their doctors.
Doctors aren't always ready to talk about the specific weather-related triggers for migraines.
"Not every doctor is familiar with it, and not every doctor is going to research it," Batdorf said. "So you're often misdiagnosed."
Batdorf said he has suffered weather-related migraines for about two decades. His first episode was 20 years ago when a hurricane forced evacuations to storm shelters.
"The pain was so excruciating it's just hard to describe," said Batdorf. He said he vomited and had digestive troubles during that first episode in a storm shelter.
Storm tracker: Where is Tropical Storm Debby? Maps track path, flooding, rain, where it already hit
What do medical experts say about weather and migraines?
Cincinnati neurologist Hope O'Brien said storm-related migraines are a common complaint among patients at her practice.
"One of the most common things I hear from patients is, 'I can tell that a migraine is coming on when storms are brewing or there's a barometric change,'" said O'Brien, an American Academy of Neurology fellow who founded the Headache Center of Hope in Cincinnati.
O'Brien said medical research is mixed on the topic. She cited a study published in 2022 in the medical journal Headache that found people's self-reported triggers often didn't hold up to statistical analysis. The study concluded that "improved personal knowledge of potential triggers" and recognition of early symptoms "may help individuals adopt behavioral changes to mitigate attack risk."
Researchers at the American Migraine Foundation reported they could not find a clear link between weather patterns and migraines.
The foundation cited a 2023 study of more than 15,000 migraine sufferers in Japan that linked an increase in headaches during barometric pressure changes, humidity and rainfall. However, the foundation cautioned patients that migraines often have multiple triggers, so it cannot be ruled out that other triggers contributed to a migraine that happens during a change in the weather.
Migraine triggers vary from person to person, so O'Brien said it's important to listen to patients.
"Hands down, there are patients who definitely notice a difference," when weather patterns change, O'Brien said. "We we try to make recommendations to lower the likelihood of them having a severe migraine attack."
What steps can people take to reduce the odds of a weather-related migraine?
O'Brien said dehydration is often a major factor in migraines, so she encourages patients to stay well-hydrated. Some people say warm weather or excessive exposure to the sun triggers their onset. A Norwegian study found an increase in migraine attacks on sunny days.
O'Brien said warm and sunny days also can prompt people to sweat more. If they don't adequately replace fluids, that can lead to dehydration and a migraine.
She recommends people drink not just water, but also beverages that contain some salt. An alternative could be drinking water with a salty snack.
"The brain is sort of the last (organ) to get fluids," O'Brien said. "The salt draws fluids into the blood vessels," and eventually the brain.
She also advises patients to avoid drinking red wine or consuming excessive amounts of caffeine. People should consistently get adequate sleep. If a person sleeps just a few hours one night but sleeps more than 10 hours the following night, that can bring on a migraine, too.
She also tells patients not toe skip meals and to exercise regularly, because it releases endorphins and helps people tolerate pain better.
She also asks patients about patterns. Routine headaches on Monday or Tuesday might be related to staying up too late on the weekends.
O'Brien said recognizing such patterns might help people avoid migraine-triggering behaviors "and that is a little bit easier to change than weather patterns."
Excedrin and self-care when the storm's coming
Earlier this week, Katie Mazza, 36, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, began to feel the familiar symptoms. It felt like her head was in a vice. The pressure was unrelenting.
"Before the storm system gets here, I sometimes get an ice pick sensation in my eye," said Mazza. "It's not just a headache. It's so much worse."
Mazza tries to manage by taking Excedrin migraine pills and drinking plenty of fluids. Some caffeine helps, too, she said. If it gets really bad, she goes to a dark room and puts a cold, damp cloth over her eyes.
Her self-care remedies work for now. Her mom, who also gets migraines, sees a neurologist. Mazza wants to avoid that, if possible.
"In my mom's experience, and in my experience with migraines, doctors don't want to listen," Mazza said. "People who have migraines, they know what to do better than some doctors."