Why Do My Migraine Headaches Get Worse in Winter?

Just once, a headache-prone person would like to switch from pumpkins to mistletoe without a skull-splitting headache making an appearance. But where there are heads, there will be headaches—and, for some people, they show up in abundance during the winter months.

Basically everyone gets a headache at one point or another—luckily, most are brief annoyances that go away relatively quickly. Frequent or especially painful headaches, however, can be a sign of something more serious, such as a headache disorder.

One of the most common headache disorders is migraine, which often causes a throbbing pain on one side of the head, plus other potential symptoms, which can include sensitivity to light and sounds, nausea, and visual, sensory, or speech disturbances called aura, per the US National Library of Medicine.

Just like symptoms, headache and migraine triggers vary a ton from person to person. Though science hasn’t been able to verify that the seasons themselves make a difference, anecdotally, many people say their head pain is influenced by the weather, according to the American Migraine Foundation. And there are a handful of theories that might explain this experience. SELF spoke with experts about why winter, in particular, can feel like headache season—and what you can do to feel better during those cold, dreary days.

There are a few reasons why you might notice more head pain during winter.

“One of the interesting things we see clinically is that people often have a spike in migraine frequency right after the holiday season,” Niushen Zhang, MD, headache division chief and clinical associate professor of neurology at Stanford Medicine, tells SELF.

Many people with migraine encounter triggers that can spark attacks—and it’s surprising how many of them we tend to associate with winter. Drinking alcohol (mulled wine, anyone?), too much or too little caffeine (et tu, peppermint latte?), bright or flashing lights, strong smells (like scented candles), and certain foods (aged cheeses and cured meats are biggies) are all potential triggers.¹

And, yes, weather-related changes can also be migraine triggers, according to the Mayo Clinic. That includes dry air (pick your poison between central heating and the frigid, parched outdoors), extreme cold, and windy or stormy weather. Changes in weather—and the dwindling hours of sunlight that come along with winter—may also cause an imbalance in brain chemicals, like serotonin, and that can actually contribute to migraine attacks in some people.¹

A single trigger rarely leads to a migraine attack, Dr. Zhang adds. Most triggers build on other factors and only become an issue when enough variables change. “Change is the keyword here,” Dr. Zhang says. “Changes in a person’s environment, change in daily routine, and change in stress levels can all be potential triggers of migraine.”

So let’s say you’re not sleeping as well, work is especially stressful as you start a new year, and the food you’re eating has changed in the last couple of months. And, oh yeah, it’s now suddenly cold and dark outside, so your daily power walks have become weekly strolls, at most. Hello, winter headache central. Unfortunately, we can’t just stop winter. But that doesn’t mean you need to suffer.

How to fend off migraine attacks this winter

Track your triggers.

If you’re nervous that your current treatments won’t stand up to winter, the first step is to identify your triggers and make a plan. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a symptom journal can be extremely useful: It can help you determine what you’re sensitive to and help your physician understand your headaches or migraine attacks better.

Keep track of the date and time each headache starts and how long each phase of the headache lasts, your specific symptoms (including where you feel the pain and how intense it is), and any information that might clue you in to what started the headache. A few big factors to pay attention to each time you have a headache: How much sleep did you get the night before? What is the weather like? How much food and water did you have that day?

If you manage to determine some of your triggers from a headache journal—say, a particular kind of food or environmental change—then it’s time to come up with strategies to avoid those triggers as much as you can, which your doctor can help you with if you need support.

Focus on taking care of yourself.

Prioritizing your overall well-being is a big part of headache and migraine prevention. It might be more useful to think about migraine, in particular, as an energy issue, Natalia Murinova, MD, the director of the University of Washington Medicine Headache Center, tells SELF. “If you know you have a brain that is prone to migraine, anytime you have increased stress, you have increased demand on your brain energy,” she says. You want to do what you can to keep your energy levels stable, and that means taking care of your mind and body—and that’s where practicing self-care comes in.

This can look like getting enough sleep (generally seven to nine hours for most adults), eating well and regularly (being careful not to skip meals), staying hydrated, creating an exercise routine you enjoy, and doing a stress-relieving technique each day.² (Dr. Murinova often recommends meditation apps to her patients who struggle with stress.)

Ask your doctor about a treatment plan.

Sometimes, lifestyle changes aren’t enough to prevent head pain, so talk to your doctor about what treatment options are available to you. As SELF has previously reported, migraine medications can be broken into two main categories: preventive meds, which help keep you from getting a migraine attack in the first place, and abortive meds, which help to end a migraine attack sooner if you do get one.

Drug-free interventions may also be effective. “Supplements such as magnesium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and coenzyme Q10 have all been shown in studies to be helpful in preventing migraine,” Dr. Zhang says.^3,4,5 Getting the right amount for your needs is key, and, as with any other supplement, you should work with your doctor to determine the dosage and to make sure the supplement won’t interact with other medications or influence other underlying health issues.

Special gear can help ease head pain too. Neuromodulation devices are one emerging option for preventive and abortive treatment. (The device is worn on your head while electrodes stimulate muscles and nerves associated with migraine.)⁶ Ice caps, which are literally caps you freeze and wear on your head, may also take the edge off when a migraine attack hits.

As far as mitigating environmental, winter-specific symptoms: To combat dry air, the American Migraine Foundation recommends increasing the amount of water you’re drinking. You can also try adding a humidifier to your living space to balance out heating-related dryness. And whatever the temperature is in your home, avoid big fluctuations in how warm or cool you keep it.

Keep a steady routine.

More than anything, keep your regular routine as consistent as possible throughout the winter, Dr. Murinova says. If you’re an outdoor exerciser during warmer months, make a plan to continue to exercise as the weather worsens, she says. If you regularly see friends, keep making plans. Remember: The key is reducing the number of changes that you experience from day to day, and from season to season.

Make the things that make you feel good a priority, and limit the things you know make you feel worse. That, or…head somewhere tropical for a while. Hey, it couldn’t hurt.

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