Seasonal allergies are widespread, but the seasons changing can affect your body in other ways outside of allergies. It’s essential to understand your body and how it changes, so we’re going to tell you about 4 ways seasonal changes affect your health, so you can be aware of why your health might be shifting. First, we’ll cover seasonal allergies and a few other ways seasonal changes affect your health during different times of the year.
Changes in Joint Pain
Weather-related joint pain is a mystery to most, but it’s very common. People who previously experienced joint injuries or suffered from joint conditions report that their joints hurt when the weather changes. The best explanation comes from the laws of barometric pressure. For example, if there’s a lot of air around a balloon, it will shrink. As there’s less air pressure around a balloon, the balloon expands. The same can potentially be said for joints. When the air pressure outside changes, your joints and muscles might expand or shrink accordingly, explaining why some who already experience pain or inflammation feel the difference.
Seasonal Allergies
Different particles in the air bring out seasonal allergies at different times of the year. For example, as pollen counts rise in the summer, some may experience more severe allergy symptoms than they do regularly. The same can be said for fall and winter due to particles like fungi and mold spores. However, while the seasons and changing weather might make your allergy symptoms worse, the problem is in your immune system, not the weather.
Viral Infection Spikes
Colds and the flu can occur anytime during the year, but cases tend to spike during the colder months like November through March in Texas. While there isn’t a very scientific explanation for this, one guess is that people tend to spend more time inside during the cold months and share more germs. In addition, when you’re sick, your immune system weakens, leaving you susceptible to an even more serious viral infection.
Migraines
We mentioned barometric pressure with joints earlier, but the same idea applies to migraines. However, there’s a more logical reason for this. Barometric pressure and humidity change the pressure from the air to the sinus cavity. Because the pain receptors in the sinuses overlap with those that impact migraine headaches, changes in barometric pressure can trigger migraine headaches.
Contact our office today if you’ve noticed different things about your health as the weather changes. We can set up an appointment for you to speak with a professional to determine the cause of these health changes.