Each year, spring arrives in Ohio with lurching temperature changes – one day, it might be a sunny 70 degrees, and later that same week you might be brushing the snow off your car. But did you know that sudden temperature shifts, like the ones we commonly experience in March and April each year, can have a range of effects on your health?

Changing air temperatures come with changing air pressure. Barometric pressure, also known as atmospheric pressure, fluctuates constantly. In general, rising barometric pressure means fairer weather, while lower pressure typically means cold and precipitation. Our bodies are acutely sensitive to pressure shifts, and when the pressure inside of your body differs from the pressure outside of your body, you may experience headaches, sinus pain and even, on very rare occasions, a collapsed lung, according to an article from Harvard Medical School. As if that wasn’t enough, those who suffer from migraines report that weather changes are one of the biggest migraine triggers.

Temperature shifts have also been linked to heart issues. When the air is cold, the blood vessels in the body constrict to prevent heat loss, which generally tends to exacerbate heart problems. According to an article in Scientific American, when the temperature outside drops, blood viscosity – and therefore, blood pressure – changes, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood. In fact, a temperature change of only a single degree corresponded with 200 additional heart attacks in one study.

Weather changes are also linked to joint pain. Many of us have friends or relatives who claim to be able to predict when a storm or rain is coming based on how their joints feel, and they may just be right. Scientists theorize that a decrease in air pressure causes the soft tissue of the body to expand slightly, which may cause pain in arthritic or sensitive joints.

For Ohioans, constant weather fluctuations literally come with the territory. But being aware of how they affect our bodies can help us manage and mitigate how they ultimately affect our health.