I rarely get migraines now, but I do know that I’m more likely to get one if a thunderstorm is in the air, then I start to feel better when the “storm breaks”. I found an explanation for this that makes a lot of sense – and a possible solution!

Several hours before a thunderstorm,  low atmospheric pressure causes the number of positive ions in the air to increase dramatically, to levels that sometimes exceed 5000 ions per cm³. In contrast, during a storm, negative ions increase to several thousand per cm³ while positive ions decrease, often to below 500 per cm³.

So it appears to me that the malaise many people suffer before thunderstorms could be due to the excess of positive ions in the air, and relief comes when the balance shifts towards the negative ions.

What are negative ions?

Technically, negative ions are atoms or molecules of oxygen (or carbon dioxide) in the air that have gained an electron. But what YOU want to know, is how can they benefit you?

Negatively charged molecules of air, or negative ions, promote a sense of well-being for people.’ Charles Wallach, Consultant to the FDA

“Remember that feeling you’ve experienced near a waterfall or high in the mountains? Those are two places that thousands of negative ions occur. They create an effect on human biochemistry.” From the magazine Whole Self, Spring 1991, in article entitled “Ions and Consciousness”.

Negative ions occur naturally in the air and are produced by lightning, ocean surf and waterfalls. There are also electrical devices called ‘air ionizers’ that produce negative air ions. Such ionizers have been used in the treatment of seasonal winter depression (SAD).

What if there was portable and affordable device that would let you increase the negative ions in your environment, and promote this feeling of well-being?

In fact there is – and you can read a whole lot more scientific (and lay-person!) information at the Ionic Balance Shop. Have a read, make up your mind whether it’s worth a trial (you are protected by a money-back guarantee) and if you buy from my shop you will receive a discount. Many different styles to chose from.

£21.99

At the moment, I can offer customers a special 15% discount for ordering online. All you do is enter “n4all” in the Coupon Code when you order online at my Ionic Balance shop site.

Is there any specific information about negative ions and migraine sufferers? Yes!

Negative ions found to help prevent migraine headaches.

Migraine headaches can originate when an overload of serotonin causes the diameter of blood vessels leading to the brain to dilate, and get wider in the brain. Consequently, blood flow increases, and pain receptors in the vessels are stretched, which leads to the excrutiating pain associated with a migraine headache (Borne, 1998; others). In numerous tests and studies, negative ion treatment has proven to prevent the overproduction of serotonin, and therefore the subsequent migraine headaches (Kreuger, 1957; Soyka, 1991; Sulman, 1974).

Check out the many testimonials from happy customers on the Ionic Balance shop site.

Hurry, while the special 15% online ordering discount is still available. Just enter “n4all” in the Coupon Code when you order online at my Ionic Balance shop site.

“Weather triggers my migraines,” I patiently repeated, to what seemed like the millionth doctor in a long line of doctors. “Weather. Not alcohol, I don’t drink. Not chocolate, I eat it all the time! I’m telling you, I know when a storm front is two days out. I know when it’s snowing in Denver.”  The doctor looked at me with something resembling interest for the first time.

“I’ve heard of that,” he said, shocking me to my bones. “Variations in barometric pressure, eh? We might be able to do something about that.”

Well, he was the only doctor I’d ever met who said that, I thought. Things suddenly looked brighter. No, he hadn’t said without a doubt that he could help me, but hey, he didn’t look at me like I was crazy, either…

~(Anonymous Migraine Patient)

Many migraine sufferers have attempted for years to tell doctors that they don’t appear to have any of the triggers on the migraine list; rather, their vicious headaches seemed linked to weather patterns. This usually leads to skepticism, if not outright disbelief and dismissal of migraine claims.

The frequently asked question is “OK, what sort of weather supposedly triggers these migraines of yours?”

Problem with that question is, they don’t like the answer: “Well, different kinds, really…”

It’s not the weather, precisely, you see. It’s the shift in the weather. When it’s hot, but the wind picks up and the sky turns a funny color. When it’s cold and clear and still as can be, but the weekend forecast calls for snow. When it’s so humid you can hardly breathe, and the thunder keeps rumbling but the rain just won’t start.

Some people get headaches when it’s too hot or too cold, if it’s stormy, if the sun is bright, if the wind blows too hard. Most, however, get migraines when the weather shifts from one extreme to the other, whether the change be in temperature, humidity levels or barometric pressure.

A 2000 study at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada monitored 75 migraine patients for two years.(*1) A specific weather pattern known as the Chinook is particular to the region; warm westerly winds streaming into the area from late fall to early spring can cause extreme changes in temperature and barometric pressure. There is a documented instance of a temperature shift greater than 100 degrees F in a single day, and winds of over 100 miles per hour have also been noted.(*2)

The migraine patients, aged 16 to 65, were asked to keep a thorough log of the dates that they suffered migraines, the time the headaches started and ended, and the intensity of the pain. The participants were not told that the study was related to weather conditions. A group of neurologists studied these records and matched the dates in the logs with weather records for the area that showed when the Chinook had been blowing.

32 of the 75 patients suffered migraines immediately before or during the Chinooks. This is a very high percentage for a condition most physicians until then had dismissed as being ‘all in the patient’s head’. Doctors finally started taking patients seriously.

Most migraines that respond to prescription medication can actually be prevented if the dosage is taken at the first warning sign that a migraine is about to develop. There is hope that sufferers from weather related migraines can stop an attack purely by monitoring the weather reports and taking prescribed medication when the weather conditions are about to undergo significant change.

So far a number other studies have been done that seem to substantiate the Canadian university’s findings. Several other medical establishments, the Mayo Clinic among them, ran their own study and said the results were not yet proven.(*3)

Many migraine sufferers are now having their symptoms recognised and treated, however, and can take steps to prevent or lessen the impact of weather triggered migraines. Medication is one possibility, with propranolol being the most popular preventive medication for weather related migraines. Other methods include relaxation, massage, aromatherapy or even acupuncture or acupressure therapy.

If you believe that your migraine symptoms are weather related, start keeping a record of your migraine episodes. Chart as much as you can as often as you can; if your headaches turn out to not be triggered by weather alterations, you might come across another reason from data you collect, if you include diet, sleeping patterns and stress levels as well.

Educate yourself by looking up various case studies and researching the alternative medications and techniques available to avoid and treat migraines. You know your own body better than anyone else; try to keep it as healthy as possible and work out ways to cut down on stress in your life. Any migraine, whether the trigger be weather, diet or hormone related, can be made worse by stress.

If you establish that your headaches are indeed set off by weather patterns, take your logbook in with you to your doctor’s appointment. This will help you make your case if your doctor is a skeptic. Together you and your physician should be able to put together a plan to reduce your chances of getting migraines and minimize the severity of any headaches you do suffer. Hopefully, just being validated in your suspicions about your migraines being linked to weather will be a comfort; knowing your enemy is half the battle won!

(*1) BBC News Online: Health — Wed, 26 Jan, 2000

(*2) Wikipedia, from the Encyclopædia Britannica (2006)

(*3) Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, Dan Vergano, Medical Tribune News Service

“Research provided by Grace Alexander”

For immediate delivery of an ebook full of further recommendations for natural, alternatives approaches to treat and prevent migraine visit: http://www.natural-migraine-alternatives.com

I’ve mentioned before that some people find that their migraines are triggered by changes in the weather. The video below tells you more, and underneath you can find a site to assess your migraine risk.

So for example, if you were aware that the weather conditions were high-risk for migraine, you would minimize other risk factors by making sure you have plenty of sleep, regular food and being sure to avoid any suspect foods.

The site also assesses the risk for other health conditions: arthritis and sinus. It’s an interesting site. Bookmark it to make regular checkups, particularly if you’re traveling away from home and need to check the weather at your destination.

Chillow – a Review

Sometimes it’s so hot and sticky at night (well OK, not that often in the UK) that you can feel a migraine threatening because of the heat. Here’s my secret weapon.

This is a ‘device’ I use myself and can personally endorse both the product and the customer service from the company.

My migraines are largely under control now, but when I get the occasional one I have a secret weapon that makes it easier to keep a cool head at night. The Chillow® is a “personal cooling solution” that doesn’t use electricity or refrigeration and it’s brilliant – for times when I have a migraine, or any other time when it’s too hot to sleep comfortably. For example: hot flushes, night sweats, eczema, fevers, headaches, sunburn, muscle/joint pain, sporting injuries and many other conditions.

The Chillow is a unique pad, only two centimetres thick, and needs activating just once by filling it with tap water, which is then fully absorbed into the patented foam core. Once activated it will keep on working, so it’s always ready for use when needed. Unlike gel and ice packs, Chillow does not need refrigeration and is always cool not cold, dry not wet, soft not hard.

The science behind the technology is simple, functional, versatile, enjoyable, unique, maintenance free. It depends on combining specialist materials, fluids and the laws of thermodynamics to create a dry, powerless, thermo-regulating and memory foam effect.

This combination of the right materials and an ingenious design means the Chillow stays at room temperature, which is always cooler than your body. It absorbs heat from your body and releases it into the air around you, whilst remaining pleasantly cool against the skin. So it provides comfort without power, pollution, moisture or maintenance.

Being cold OR hot is uncomfortable so an attractive feature of the Chillow is that while it keeps the user cool, it never makes them cold because it acts as a heat sink and radiator all in one.

Chillow absorbs heat, and then radiates it away from the user continuously, much like a radiator in a car, which works to keep a car’s engine cool by using water to help dissipate heat to the air. Hot fluid enters the radiator, loses its heat and the cooled water travels back through the system to begin the process again.

Likewise, the Chillow continually absorbs body heat and discharges the absorbed heat back to the surrounding environment. It consistently feels cool as the consumer is always warmer than the product. Unlike most other cooling products this technology is refreshing – not overly cold, wet or uncomfortable.

Before I’m happy to recommend a product I look for features such as quality, design, reliability, and durability. All of which Chillow offers. Another important point in their sale message is that there are no hidden or additional costs. After you have purchased your Chillow – you don’t need anything but tap water for it to work.

To keep it ready for use, without having to guess when your next migraine – or unpredictable summer heat-wave – will strike, just leave it in a cool place. Chillow is always ready to consistently deliver cooling, soothing comfort when you need it.

I’m delighted with my purchase and whole-heartedly recommend it to you.

For more drug-free migraine relief tips, see my Natural Migraine Alternatives ebook.

Stop Your Migraines!

If you found this post interesting please subscribe to my free monthly, Health and Well-being Newsletter. You’ll received a free migraine mini-course revealing some little known dietary triggers for migraine.