Unexpected causes of headaches in heat

June 22, 2022  10:29

Headaches are usually associated with autumn and worsening weather, when against the background of a change in pressure you can easily face such an unpleasant symptom.

However, experts also distinguish a separate type of pain that develops in the hot season of the year.

Neurologist-vegetologist Elena Belenko told Arguments and Facts why summer headaches may occur.

 The first reason can be high temperatures and, as a consequence, dehydration. "In hot conditions, the body tries to cool down and excretes sweat on the surface of the skin. If there is no replenishment of the secreted liquid, the body finds itself in a lack of it. This leads to vasospasm in the head and a headache," says the neurologist.

 This is why, the doctor notes, it is necessary to maintain an adequate supply of water, compensating for the loss of fluid. Under normal conditions, the norm for drinking is 25-30 ml per 1 kg of body weight. In hot weather the amount of water drunk should be increased, if there are no contraindications. Drink water in small sips at short intervals.

"Brain freeze," or cold headache, can occur when drinking ice cream, cold liquids, or ice cubes, for example. Scientifically, this headache is called a wedge-shaped cervical ganglioneuralgia.

If you have a headache from ice cream or cold water, try to return the temperature of your mouth and throat to normal, warns neurologist Belenko. First, stop eating or drinking cold things. Instead, drink warm water or room temperature liquid, but not cold or hot. Press your tongue or thumb to the palate to transfer heat and warm this frozen area, advises the specialist.

In summer, headaches can occur due to fluctuations in blood pressure. In this case, in the heat there can be both its decrease and increase.

In any case it is necessary first of all to cool down - if possible to move to a cool room, to put a cool compress on your forehead and drink water, the doctor recommends.

 

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