Moved to San Diego & seen improvements to your helath? (Santa Ana: transplants, salary)

[juleone]

Hello all. We are in our late 30's with 2 kids and may have the opportunity to move to the area within the next year.
Just wondering if there are any transplants from up north who have seen improvements in their health thanks to the near perfect weather you experience in the San Diego area?
I would especially love to hear from any chronic Migraine Sufferers out there.

Thanks in advance.

[CrissCT]

Well the weather here is just about near perfect, but just a warning if you suffer from migraines. I have found the hot, dry, Santa Ana winds are a big trigger for a migraine. I get a migraine just about everytime we get them. We moved here from Ohio three years ago. We do seem to eat healthier since fresh fruits and veggies seem to be fresher and easily accessible, and it is nice to be able to walk outside all year round. The actual healthcare here I feel is much poorer quality here though (hospitals, doctors, dentists, etc.) - maybe because the cost of living is so high that doctors would prefer to live somewhere where their salary can go further?. Just my observations.

[juleone]

Thanks CrissCT
May I ask...do the Santa Ana winds come in and cause a big weather change once a year? It's the big barometric pressure changes that get me here in Canada, that and the massive temperature changes which can occur daily.

[KQSellsHomes]

The Santa Ana's blow in a couple of times a year with varying intensity. The big things with the winds is the low humidity blowing particles which can cause some people to have sinus problems and headaches.

[CrissCT]

Yes, it is a barometric change, but they happen more than once a year. They are most common in October (during that time you may find it happening 2 or more times per week), but they can happen at any time. They are also the same winds that cause the fires we had. Also if you have sinus problems nothing really ever dies here so you may find yourself having them year round instead of just spring/summer. My sinuses seem to bother me more here (but maybe it's just me getting older). Another weather note, we do have big temperature changes here throughout the day, starting out cool, getting warmer throughout the day and then cool again when the sun goes down. Biggest tip - always keep a sweatshirt on hand! Don't be discouraged though, it really is a nice place to live.

[juleone]

Thanks for your replies. I'm currently near the great lakes in Ontario Canada. We have 4 beautiful seasons plus all stuff that comes in between It's not uncommon for us to have a 20 degree temp change any given day.....and that is in celcius! My neurologist has told me I live in the worst part of the country for migraine sufferers. The incredible baramotic pressure changes, temp changes etc up here in Canada are just one of the many reasons we are investigating San Diego. I think I am ready to trade your Sana Ana winds for my thunderstorms and snow and ice, but I will keep reading.

Thanks again for all input.

[CrissCT]

I grew up on the other side of the lake in Western NY - I miss the changes in season but mostly I miss being close to family. I don't miss when it's still wintery outside and it's supposed to be spring though! Good luck in your decision.

[joe4702]

If you want to keep daily temperature changes to a minimum, you'll want to live closer to the coast.
Night/day temperature swings are much larger as you go inland. I'm about 10-12 miles from the coast. This time of year - low 40s at night and 60-70 during the day. It dipped into the high 30s last night. It can also get into the high 90s in the summer.

The area can also get large pressure variations in a short time (I'm somewhat of a weather bug and have a very accurate digital barometer). Last week the pressure dropped to 1007 mb and then rose to 1025 the next day as a low pressure system moved through and then away. However, we don't get systems like that through here all that often.

HTH

[juleone]

Thanks Joe
That's a very helpful tip!