We all know Florida’s constantly changing weather can get on your nerves, but did you know it can actually give you a headache?
News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells answers your questions every week on Talk To Tom.
This week Tina Yarotsky asked, “I get headaches before storms and I’ve been told it is due to change in barometric pressure. Is that true? What is barometric pressure? Why does it cause headaches before storms?”
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“That probably is true,” Sorrells said. “The barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere weighing down on you and what we mean when we say there is low pressure is that all of a sudden there is a lift in the atmosphere, the air around you, the pressure is dropping, air is lifting and so the pressure inside of your sinuses starts to change as well. Some people handle that better than others. So, if the pressure is dropping, air around you is lifting, clouds are forming and a storm is coming. If a cold front is coming in, giving lift to the atmosphere, the pressure is dropping, the weight of the atmosphere is coming off of you just a little, that does affect some people really badly in their sinus cavities.”
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Sorrells said Yarotsky is not the first person who has mentioned this issue to him.
“I have heard from a lot of people, they know something is about to change because they get a headache,” he said.
Sorrells said it’s not something he has experienced.
To learn more about how the weather impacts you check out Talk to Tom every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on News 6 or anytime on News 6+.
You can also submit your weather questions here.
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