What causes Chinook headaches?

It’s that time of year where drastic changes in Alberta’s temperature can have your head feeling like it’s about to explode.

When warm winds blow over the mountains from the west, they cause Chinooks, which in some cases, warm areas up by as much as 20 degrees in the middle of winter.

Some feel the effects of seasonal allergies when Chinooks blow in, others get major migraine headaches.

Dr. Werner Becker, professor emeritus of clinical neurosciences and medicine at the University of Calgary, says everyone who suffers from migraines may not get them from Chinooks, but a significant amount of them do.

“We do know that migraines affect about 12 per cent of the population, and in that 12 per cent, women have migraines more than men do,” Becker told CityNews. “About 18 per cent of women have migraine headaches. How many are weather sensitive? Well, we don’t have any firm data on that, but it’s quite a few from what I’ve seen in the clinic.”

READ MORE: What actually causes seasonal allergies?

Becker says anecdotally, he has some patients that claimed to be “human barometers” and are able to determine when a Chinook blows in based on how bad their headaches get. He adds it’s unlikely Chinooks are the sole cause of migraines in people, however, it appears as though the drastic change in weather that comes with a Chinook does play a role in triggering a headache.

“In Calgary, with the Chinooks being so powerful and coming on so suddenly, we’ve been able to prove that correlation, and we did find that many people indeed were Chinook sensitive,” Becker said.

He says the particular aspect of a Chinook that may cause a headache — whether its a big drop in barometric pressure or an increase in the amount of positive ions in the air during strong Chinook winds — is still unclear.

Becker adds if you get migraines and Chinooks appear to make them worse or bring them about, try to reduce other things that trigger headaches such as drinking too much coffee, not getting enough sleep, or stress and fatigue.

For those who suffer from migraines, Becker says to talk to your doctor about treating them.

–With files from Logan Stein