Weather Changes & Symptoms

Hello everyone! Its safe to say that the month of May has had some CRAZY weather changes! A lot of people who have chronic illnesses have problems with different types of weather due to the change in atmospheric pressure and can sometimes even predict what the weather will do before it actually happens. It's kind of cool when you think about it, but it is definitely not fun! People ask me if my symptoms change or heighten during these times, so this post is going to be all about that. I've never really listed out all of my symptoms as a whole, so this will be good for myself and to help inform others. *Reminder that this only applies to my case. Every single Chiari case is different!*

Chronic:
- headache
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- fatigue
- hand weakness
- memory problems
- photophobia
- back pain
- depression/anxiety
- poor eye tracking/focusing

No matter what I do, whether it be a good day or a bad day, these are the things I deal with everyday and if not, more then half of the week.

Off and On:
- dizziness
- leg weakness
- numbness/tingling in hands, legs, and feet
- nausea
- blurred vision
- tinnitus
- difficulty swallowing
- facial numbness
- slurred speech
- abnormal gag reflux
- restless leg syndrome

These symptoms typically occur when I'm having a bad day, or just randomly with no cause which is always a fun time.

Heightened By Cold:
- neck pain
- fatigue
- difficulty swallowing
- all over body weakness
- back pain

When the temperature decreases or a storm is coming, these symptoms of mine go crazy. It becomes hard to move my spine and overall my muscles tighten and won't relax. I have noticed that during the fall and winter, I have much more back pain then I do in the springtime (at least that's how it is looking).

Heightened By Heat/Sun:
- headache
- dizziness
- weakness in hands, legs, and feet
- numbness in hands, legs, and feet
- balance problems
- facial numbness
- photophobia
- slurred speech
- poor eye tracking/focusing
- restless leg syndrome

When it is sunny out and hot, my nervous system goes into overdrive. All of the nerves that have been permanently damaged are revealed to me and it makes it harder to use the right side of my body, especially my hand. Typically on days like these, I don't look at my phone as much and I can't read well and I have to wear my indoor photophobia glasses. It's very hard for me to stay cool and when I get overheated, my nerves go crazy as well as my restless leg syndrome.

I hope that this post was really informative to you all and helps you understand how weather affects me and others with chronic illnesses!