Weather sensitivity, or meteoropathy, is estimated to affect between 30 and 60% of the world's population. Atmospheric shifts, e.g. the changes in barometric pressure and temperature, have a significant impact on health. The symptoms are varied: severe headaches, joint pain or stiffness, sinus pain, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, and more.
A 2023 research article in the Journal of Medicine and Life stated: 'Meteoropathy is no longer considered a popular myth, but a new disease that significantly impacts daily life, particularly in individuals who experience mental illness, cardiovascular disorders, and respiratory conditions.' The researchers then added that there were very limited data on this condition. Medical research, it has to be said, is inconclusive.
Dr. José Manuel Valverde is a family medicine specialist and a former president of the College of Doctors in the Balearics. He says there is a noticeable impact on emergency rooms in the islands' medical centres - the number of patients increases exponentially coinciding with weather changes. "Most of the time, they arrive with migraines and tension headaches; the latter are the most frequent and they are affected significantly."
There are other conditions. "People who suffer from sinusitis experience acute pain in the sinus area with changes in atmospheric pressure, and these changes can also cause joint discomfort, especially in people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis."
Popular wisdom down the years has given rise to expressions such as 'feeling under the weather'. But what of the science? Valverde believes there are some scientific studies in support of meteoropathy. He gives the example of a study in Israel. "It cost $5 million to conclude that people experience joint pain with pressure changes, something that absolutely every grandmother knows."
Although there is no cure for weather sensitivity, chronic patients learn to manage it with the help of specialist doctors who can prescribe medication. Pressure changes unrelated to weather, such as altitude sickness that affects climbers, also impact our health. "Ultimately, it's the same reason your ears hurt when you travel by plane, and we know that scuba divers can also have problems, especially people with pre-existing conditions such as respiratory problems, since low pressure reduces oxygen levels."
Contrary to what some might think, the worsening of conditions like headaches, sinusitis, or migraines doesn't occur when atmospheric pressure exceeds a standard figure, either above or below, but rather it is sudden pressure changes that trigger attacks. And these sudden changes are said to be occurring with increasing frequency.
On Thursday, Palma recorded the lowest atmospheric pressure ever registered in the Balearics - 993 hPa. This was the lowest pressure since March 2015. Commenting on this, meteorologist Miquel Salamanca said: "Climate change is absolutely undeniable. Before, winters were cold and summers were hot, and floods were occasional. Now, nothing is the same as before. The seasons are no longer exactly the same; we have much hotter summers, winter arrives later and later, and we're experiencing one storm after another."