Improvement in barometric pressure sensitivity issues by moving to Phoenix (or elsewhere in AZ)? (Mesa: insurance, attorney)

[shilohmom]

I've lived in Phoenix for 20 years, and unfortunately, I suffer from terrible pressure-related sinus and migraine headaches. I moved here from San Jose, CA where I had no sinus condition as well as no allergies to speak of at all. I was raised in the East and Midwest, and from what I remember, I never really suffered from barometric pressure change until I moved to the desert SW. All of this is to say, that for some people, variable climates are a blessing or a curse. One thing I would mention is that I do have sensitivity to mold and to dust. In Phoenix, the dust is a real problem. It has gotten so bad for me that I am considering relocating back to the Midwest simply to get away from the dust and the constant high pressure. I would advise you to visit us in the summer to experience the monsoon and the dust storms. The winter time, when most visitors come from colder regions, is not a good indicator of what life is like day in and day out.

[ElleTea]

I get migraine headaches now and then, and they often coincide with changes in the weather. This is the same here in Phoenix as it was in the Midwest. I've never bothered to really track barometric pressure, but I have always suspected that to be a big factor. They happened usually in the spring in the Midwest and the summer here, which is the "stormy" season in each place. I really can't recall getting migraines often in the winter in either place.

[ScottsdaleMark]

Interesting how many of us there are who have issues with this. I don't know if Phoenix is the place to be for the OP but at least your mold allergy will be a non-issue. However, the air quality is poor enough that it will cause significant allergy and nose/sinus issues for many (most?) people. Mostly, it's dust and ozone.

Additionally, I don't know if it's our dry air or what but a pressure change here just hits me more than when I lived in other places like California. That boring, predictable Mediterranean climate I guess is probably pretty good for sinuses, but, on the other hand, the air quality isn't great in a lot of places there, either.

For me, sinus issues are an annoyance not a life-altering problem. But my wife has RA and she can always tell the pressure changes. Her joints and pain do not do well in the cold and every rain storm brings pain so I expect to spend my life here in the desert because it's probably better than the alternatives. Because most of the time it's dry here so, less pain for her.

In the fall/winter/spring most of our weather is driven by Pacific cold front passing through. In the summer we have a lot of high pressure, but also a lot of thunderstorm activity at times. The good news is our pressure generally stays in a fairly narrow bound, unless weather is moving through. It's usually like 29.75-30 most of the year. So, it's not the highest pressure in the world but it's pretty narrowly bound.

OP you may like this goverment link, it shows the average monthly pressure for all the cities in the Western US. Unfortunately it doesn't show highs/lows but just the average. CLICK HERE.

[PhureeKeeper]

OP, don't take a few people's opinion on whether they are affected by the change in pressure or not.
Check with your physician and get their opinion.
Lived here almost all my life and I occasionally get migraines at the onset of weather disturbances. Yes, we do get weather here.

And the misnomer that since it's dry you won't suffer from your allergies?
Ha! Do a "poll" on this forum and see what you get. There are plenty of things flying around in the air here besides pet dander.

[ApartmentNomad]

Thanks for the new posts. It's falling pressure that is the problem for me, so I don't think high pressure is a concern (except maybe that if it goes up, it will eventually fall).

In my experience, doctors have very little clue on how to deal with this issue. Some of them don't even acknowledge that it exists. Maybe it's the doctors I have now, but they seem extremely narrow in their focus. I wouldn't expect them to have much to say about relocation. I suppose I could bring it up the next time I see my ENT, but I almost hate to bring it up given how much his ego makes it difficult for him to accept that the surgery and additional procedure he performed did nothing to improve my symptoms.

Monsoon season in Albuquerque is killing me this year. I think it's worse when the storm systems just hang around and it either doesn't rain, or it takes forever for it to finally rain.

[d2snow]

I get severe headaches when the barometric pressure changes. During monsoon season, I get migraines coupled with sinus headaches. It's gotten much worse since I moved back to Phoenix 2 years ago.

When I lived in Honolulu, all my allergies/headaches were gone. Sigh ... I need to move back there!

[cactusland]

Yep, I can predict what the weather is going to be because I can feel the pressure too. There are some days you can't escape it, no matter what. But in general, the weather here is so consistent and never a roller coaster that I can handle those days out of the year. OP, it might be worth it for you to come visit.

[Arizona89A]

Oro valley north of Tucson is nice.
Also, southwest riverside county, such as temecula and Murrieta. No monsoons over there. Very warm and dry all year long. But some buildings might have a mold problem if they are older.

[ApartmentNomad]

d2snow, Honolulu sounds nice. I'd have to check into outdoor mold there. But the other big consideration is the cost of living, and the general resistance there toward having outsiders (especially white outsiders) relocate. Interesting that it was mostly built up in the 60s, according to something I just read. I feel like I missed my chance by being born a little too late. California and Honolulu were more doable back then, and Phoenix probably would have been more appealing to me.

cactusland, I might visit. Can't do it any time soon. I'm nearly maxed out on my VISA and it's time to pay it down (and start over again!). I thought I had given up on the idea of relocating again (just within the past week), but I think I might at least visit Phoenix before dropping the idea. I do wonder if something has just gone so wrong with my immune system and my sinuses (and maybe the nerves around my sinuses) that I will have major problems no matter where I live.

Arizona89A, thanks. Oro Valley is close enough to Tucson that I'm going to assume it has similar pollen levels, which would be slightly worse than the ones I'm dealing with now. I need to look into the other locations more.

[ApartmentNomad]

Originally Posted by ApartmentNomad

Now, belatedly, I have discovered that living at a higher altitude means reactions to barometric pressure fulctuations can be magnified.

I feel a significant drop--often an outright crash--in energy just about every single day, seemingly as a result of normal daily drops in barometric pressure. The drop in energy is generally accompanied by very uncomfortable and distracting sinus pressure.

In the original post, I expressed more certainty about the relationship between higher elevation and barometric pressure sensitivity than I think is warranted. I suspect there is a connection, and I've read things that hint at a connection, but I'm not really sure about it. It's possible that I would have developed these problems even if I hadn't moved. Storm systems were already hitting me harder than in the past, before I relocated.

The good news is that on normal days (when there isn't a storm system around), I haven't been experiencing this crash and/or sinus pressure, when the barometric pressure falls, nearly as often. I think some of the many things I've tried have gradually helped.