Migraine Headache – Can Solar Flares Affect It?
by Anna Hart
Filed under Chronic Migraine Symptoms
Solar flare. A sudden, short burst of energy. The sun’s surface releases a gust of hydrogen gas – radiation and energetic particles – magnetic energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs exploding at one time. The release lasts a few minutes or a few hours, hurling plasma into space at many hundreds of kilometers per second. Electrons and protons accelerate. The particles crash into the solar atmosphere, their kinetic energy changing into X-rays and gamma-rays. And this affects you how?
Solar flares = migraine headaches. At least, some people believe they do. But are “some people” right in this case? Is there a link between solar flares and migraine headaches?
Magnetic Stirrings
Scientists know that magnetism affects humans and other animals. Magnetism is thought to be the reason a bird can find its way back and forth along a migratory route. Magnetism may explain a dog or cat finding its way “home” after being moved to a location many miles from its birthplace. Magnetism is thought to have healing powers, and is used for back pain and other complaints. Magnetism can affect migraine headache, too, it is said.
The sun affects the amount of magnetism here on Earth. When the sun flares, magnetism increases.
So solar flares and migraine headaches may have a connection.
Hospital Records
Solar flares and migraine headaches have been linked by some hospital records. That is, the geomagnetic activity of solar flares has been linked to migraine headaches.
Hospital records reveal that, on days when geomagnetic activity is high, more patients with severe migraine headaches arrive. Since that is true, doctors and nurses prepare for migraine headache patients when solar flares occur.
Studies indicate that the relationship of solar flares and migraine headaches is strong. (“Geomagnetic Activity and the Severity of the Migraine Attack”, A. Kuritzky et al, “Headache” February 1987, pp 87-89)
Many who suffer migraine headaches say their personal journals prove that migraine headaches are triggered by solar flares.
More Research Needed
Are solar flares and migraine headaches linked? There is proof that solar flares cause disturbances in the human body, but researchers don’t know yet whether they are one of the causes of migraine headaches. More research is needed.
I had a blinding headache last friday, and monday i woke up feeling quite nauseous and weak. During the day yesterday i felt quite ‘Wild’ and had lots of strange urges that i don’t normally get. There was a big solar explosion over the past few days, could it be linked, probably, as this sort of thing has happened before.
I get episodic migraine headaches, but as this solar flare is hitting earth, I have had the worst migraine I ever have had yesterday and today! It has been excruciatingly painful and somewhat different than any other migraine headache i’ve had before Worse nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate…and knife-like pain on the right side of my head. It’s feeling somewhat better, but I’ll be glad when it is gone.
I used to get my migraines every month due to hormonal factors. For the past couple years my migraines have been either dormant or completely unpredictable. However, a light bulb went off recently: the last 3 migraines I have had have all been on or the day after a documented solar flare (I also got one this past week on the exact day of the most recent, large flare). My father-in-law was also hospitalized the same day because his heart beat suddenly went irregular and too fast (he’s still hospitalized but is OK). Crazy stuff. Can’t downplay the power of the sun.
I have my migraine too but most of the time I have it when my time infront of the computer is excessive. ALl I have to do to vomit and my migraine stops. I am not sure what the connection of my migraine and vomiting.