Ben-Gurion University study finds pollution heat and humidity trigger migraines
Turns out, air pollution might do more than just make you cough: it could also trigger more migraine attacks.
A study involving Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researcher Ido Peles found that short bursts of bad air, along with heat and humidity, can raise the risk of migraines for people who already get them.
As author Ido Peles put it, these environmental factors can actually set off or increase the chances of a migraine.
High pollution sometimes doubled hospital visits
Researchers followed more than 7,000 migraine patients in Israel for an average of 10 years.
They found that hospital visits went up on days when pollution levels (such as PM10 and PM2.5) were high—sometimes double the usual amount.
The study also found that people were about 9% to 10% more likely to have high use of migraine medication when exposed to higher pollution or nitrogen dioxide levels, especially during rough weather.
With climate change making dust storms and pollution episodes more common, keeping an eye on air quality could be extra important for anyone dealing with migraines.