If you’re like me, headaches are often as reliable as weathercasters at predicting bad weather. However, the link between weather and headaches is still a bit of a mystery for scientists due to individual differences.

Headaches and indoor environment

According to Mayo Clinic, some of us who suffer from migraines are in fact more sensitive to weather changes. And while we cannot control changes in barometric pressure or windy and stormy weather, we do have a bit more influence on environmental conditions indoors.

For instance, we have control over indoor temperature with heating and air conditioning. This means we can avoid at least some of the fast temperature changes that are common in this time of the year. Indoors, we can also control humidity either by dehumidifying during summer or humidifying in cold, winter days. And shades come in handy on those overwhelmingly bright, sunny days that surprise us in spring and cause a headache.

It’s also worth nothing that air pollution, which can even be more than 100 times higher in your home than outdoors, can cause headaches. That’s why it’s important to keep your VOC levels low by properly ventilating your indoor spaces.

Include temperature, humidity, pressure and air quality in your headache diary

If you want to discover your own personal headache triggers, it helps to keep a headache diary, either on paper or with the help of a smartphone app. When you get a headache, make sure to take notice of your physical activity, food, sleep, and environmental conditions. The later should include both the weather outside and your indoor temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and even VOC levels.

When it comes to environmental factors, fast changes are especially likely to cause a headache or other problems. That’s why you should also take the daily low, high and average into account.

Once you discover your own personal triggers, you can start avoiding situations that are more likely to cause a headache. For instance, you can choose to work from home on stormy days; open the windows at the right time of the day; take migraine medicine in advance, before the pain incapacitates you completely.