An estimated 39 million Americans live with migraines, according to the American Migraine Foundation.
The extreme heat, the humidity and changes in barometric pressure can do a number on your brain.
Neurologist Dr. Emad Estemalik, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Headache Center, explains how to avoid summer migraines and headaches as excessively hot weather can bring on symptoms and trigger an attack.
“That is a critical trigger for those who have migraines,” Estemalik said of the heat. “It will worsen headaches for those who suffer from underlying headache conditions.”
Estemalik said dehydration often happens in summer, which can bring on headaches and migraines, so the first step in helping yourself avoid summer migraines and headaches is staying fully hydrated.
He said to also know your triggers, so you can avoid them:
- Limit direct sun exposure
- Have a healthy lifestyle
- Get quality sleep
- Don’t skip meals
- Avoid food and beverages -- like alcohol -- that can cause an attack
“You want to avoid some of the food triggers that can bring on the migraines just because you don’t want to have another component or another trigger that can worsen it,” Estemalik said.
Estemalik said if you’ve been prescribed rescue medication to keep it on hand in case it’s needed, and he says to take it early when you feel a migraine coming on.
But he warns not to take too much of these medications or over the counter painkillers.
“If you do that for an extended period of time, say a week or two, it can actually sometimes fire back. We call that rebound headache or medication overuse headache,” Estemalik said. A”nd before you realize you could be in an ongoing cycle of headache that tends to be a little bit more difficult to break at times.”
The American Migraine Foundation says to also be aware of fragrance in summer product, including sunscreen and insect repellent. The organization says to look for fragrance-free items.
And don’t forget those sunglasses! They can help limit troubles brought on by bright light exposure.