Recently, many of us have experienced poor air quality due to the wildfires sweeping across North America. This change in air quality often comes with a recommendation for those who have chronic health issues to take necessary precautions.

All of this made us wonder what the research says about the relationship between poor air quality and overall health, and more specifically, on individuals who experience headaches.

Health problems due to air pollution

Air pollution is one of the most common types of pollution globally. Exposure to air pollution has a clear negative impact on human health, especially on the respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, and immune systems.  

When someone is exposed to poor air quality for a long time, it increases the possibility of developing a neurological disorder, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or dementia. Both short and long term exposure to much higher levels of air pollution is shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung diseases or breathing challenges such as asthma and respiratory infections.

Can poor air quality trigger headaches?

More than half of the world’s population experiences a headache condition annually, making it one of the leading causes of disability globally. As poor air quality makes headlines more frequently, it is worth exploring the relationship between the air we breathe and headache pain.

Air pollution contains a host of nasty things that can cause inflammation in the brain, leading to headaches. Some of the main culprits are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds, among others. 

More specifically, these air pollutants have been shown to create a much higher risk, prevalence, and intensity rating of headaches when looking at data from studies from across the world. 

It also appeared that as air pollution worsened so did certain types of headaches, in particular migraines. The pain associated with these headaches required more trips to the emergency room. This isn’t surprising as we know migraines often begin due to triggers, including environmental triggers such as noise and weather patterns. Most recently, research has shown a subgroup of migraine patients are sensitive to higher relative temperature and humidity during warmer months. 

A causal relationship between air pollution and the development of a chronic headache condition has not yet been established. However, as air quality issues become more present in our daily lives and change the way people live, it is clear that more research of the effects of air quality on the development and persistence of chronic headache conditions should be studied.

Preparing for Headaches

In the meantime, those with migraines may wish to be extra aware of the effects of air quality on their symptoms. Here are a few tips to reduce the impact of poor air quality on your health:

  1. Monitor the air quality in your area. Websites like AirNow.gov can provide information on the air quality, including both ozone and smoke pollution from wildfires.
  2. Limit your time outdoors. This includes avoiding exercise or strenuous activities outdoors on bad air quality days.
  3. Wear a mask when outside. If you have to go outdoors, consider wearing an N-95 mask which filters out 95% of airborne particles.
  4. Keep the outdoors, outside. While it can be tempting to want to get some fresh air in the house, keep your windows and door closed on days the air quality is hazardous. 
  5. Rid your home of indoor air pollution. Regularly change the air filter in your HVAC system and use the highest filtration possible.You can also try an indoor air purifier, or invest in some house plants (nature’s air purifying system). 

 

References

  • de Bont, Jeroen et al. “Ambient air pollution and cardiovascular diseases: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.” Journal of internal medicine vol. 291,6 (2022): 779-800. doi:10.1111/joim.13467
  • Garg, Divyani et al. “Air Pollution and Headache Disorders.” Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology vol. 25,Suppl 1 (2022): S35-S40. doi:10.4103/aian.aian_1138_21
  • Lee, Hyewon, et al. “Ambient air pollution exposure and risk of migraine: synergistic effect with high temperature.” Environment international 121 (2018): 383-391.
  • Mukamal, Kenneth J et al. “Weather and air pollution as triggers of severe headaches.” Neurology vol. 72,10 (2009): 922-7. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000344152.56020.94