When a new storm is on the horizon, you might feel it in your bones. Your body aches and waits as if it knows what’s coming. However, there may be another force at work here. Storms create changes in air pressure which some believe can cause real physical discomfort.
The nerves of the ears detect rapid pressure changes in the air around us, and some scientists believe that these changes can cause our bones to ache.
When a storm is brewing it’s about to be a wet and windy day! Storms produce more lightning strikes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and severe weather. They also produce more rain, snow, sleet, and hail. As the low pressure areas are developing, they are drawing water vapor from an area that can extend up to 400 miles outward.
The high winds associated with storms also cause changes in air pressure.
There are two different types of barometers: aneroid and mercury. Both measure air pressure by pushing against a spring.
Since weather systems are so large, meteorologists can’t predict air pressure changes more than about 48 hours in advance. So there is no way to tell if any given storm will produce enough barometric stress to cause aches and pains.
It is possible that the pain associated with storms is caused by our bodies changing how it distributes weight or mass as a reaction to the pressure changes. However, this explanation is unlikely because our bodies are highly adaptive to external pressures.
The bones in your body are not solid, they are filled with fluid. This allows them to be flexible and keep their bodies upright. The cellular activity that causes you to ache may also interfere with the movement of this fluid.
For some, the pre-storm aches and pains may be nothing more than a coincidence. But for others, understanding what causes this phenomenon could help alleviate some of their discomfort.