Educational Objective: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants should be able to understand that barosinusitis from routine weather changes is a myth that is actively perpetuated by some sources on the internet, including the websites of some otolaryngology practices.
Objectives: Fluctuations in barometric pressure from routine weather changes may trigger migraines and other pain conditions, but there is no evidence that they lead to sinus inflammation. We sought to assess whether the concept of routine weather barosinusitis (RWBS) is found on the internet, particularly within medical practice websites.
Study Design: Cross-sectional website analysis.
Methods: Google searches were performed using the following terms: sinusitis weather, sinus barometric pressure, and weather pressure headache. The first 50 websites were collected for each search term. Each website was analyzed for type, location, and content regarding RWBS. Comparisons were made using Pearson chi squared univariate tests with JMP Pro (Version 16.0, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC).
Results: Of a total of 125 that were analyzed, 24 were otolaryngology practice websites and 12 were other medical practice websites. 9 of the 24 otolaryngology websites purported the idea of RWBS, all of which offered balloon sinus dilation as a treatment option, while 3 discussed a link between weather related barometric pressure and primary headache disorder such as migraine. Only 2 of the 11 non-otolaryngology websites purported the idea of RWBS, while 8 of the 11 discussed a link between barometric pressure and headache disorder. There was a statistically significant relationship between non-academic practice websites and RWBS. (p < 0.01).
Conclusions: The concept of RWBS is readily found on the internet, mainly within otolaryngology websites, although there is no evidence supporting its existence. This highlights the need for educating otolaryngologists and patients regarding our current understanding of the relationship between barometric pressure and headache disorders.