In Part 1 of treatment for weather headaches, we looked at the importance of keeping a headache diary. Part 2 will now focus on recommended equipment for weather headaches. We will discuss equipment and devices that a weather headache sufferer should consider owning, especially for keeping a headache diary.
Weather Headaches Equipment
The most important item that a weather headache sufferer can own is a barometer. You can check the weather reports or use the Internet but the data tends to be very generalized and will not necessarily give you a precise reading for your exact location and time of day. Barometers come in all shapes and designs but the most common are:
- The standard spring/needle type aneroid barometer, or increasingly popular is the use of
- Digital equipment, typically in the form of small weather stations or watches.
As we learned in weather headaches and the weather, air pressure can be affected by moisture, altitude and temperature. These factor can influence the risk of weather headaches developing and their severity. For example, some people find that if both the air pressure and temperature is rising, they have a high risk of starting a headache. Others report that their headaches can be triggered when it is warm and moist but the air pressure is falling. Therefore, investing in a thermometer to take temperature readings and a hygrometer for moisture (humidity) can help a person understand their specific weather triggers and take control of their headaches. In addition, being able to know your altitude (altimeter), especially if you live in a mountainous region, can be very worthwhile.
Having the equipment is one thing; keeping measurements another! As we discovered in Part 1 of treatment for weather headaches, maintaining a headache diary is essential to getting to grips with the condition. In addition, by keeping records (which in reality only take a minute or so a day) it makes it so much easier should you be referred to a headache or migraine specialist, because:
- Firstly, they will take you more seriously,
- Secondly, they will be able to target medication best suited for your headache triggers/patterns, and
- Thirdly, you will speed up (by months or years) the process of resolving the problem and enjoy the benefits of a higher quality of life.
The cost of the equipment ranges from a few bucks up to several hundred dollars for high quality instruments. However, it is possible to get good quality items for relatively modest amounts. Putting things into perspective; having the right equipment at the cost of a family take away or two, is small change compared to the potential of significantly improving your quality of life through gaining control of your weather headaches. In general, single pieces of dedicated equipment tend to be more accurate than very cheap weather stations that include lots of different devices.
Once you are confident that you do suffer from weather headaches and have a good idea about the weather patterns associated with them, it is time to consider the treatments are available to tackle the problem. The following article will discuss the types of treatments available for weather headache sufferers.