Pachuta, 19, now realizes that the vision problems she was experiencing were the result of migraines triggered by heat.
Since then, heat waves have become more frequent and longer lasting around the world, due to climate change. According to the American Migraine Foundation, about 39 million Americans suffer from migraines. Half of migraine sufferers cite the weather as a trigger for their headaches, according to Elizabeth Loder, chief of the headache division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Here’s what you need to know about heat headaches and how to avoid them.
Does heat really cause headaches?
Heat can be a major factor, experts agree, although the onset of a headache is often the result of a combination of aggravating environmental factors.
High temperatures are often accompanied by changes in barometric pressure, direct sunlight exposure, and humidity, and these environmental changes can trigger headaches in people with migraine.
“The migraine brain doesn’t like variability,” says Jessica Ailani, a neurologist and director of the Headache Center at MedStar Georgetown. “It wants you to sleep at the same time and eat the same things. So big changes in temperature and weather aren’t conducive to migraine.”
Experts don’t know the exact mechanism by which heat can trigger a headache, although heat can lead to processes known to cause headaches. Extreme dehydration can cause the brain to shrink and pull on the blood vessels that line it, which can lead to physical pain, Loder said.
In extreme cases, heat can affect According to Mayo Clinic neurologist Narayan Kissoon, impaired cellular function leads to increased activity in the brain’s pain centers.
What is the difference between a headache and a migraine?
According to Loder, a headache is a common symptom of many illnesses, while migraine is a neurological disorder that causes headaches.
“It’s like the difference between a sneeze (perhaps an allergy) and a cold (which is a specific viral illness),” Cherubino Di Lorenzo, chair of neurology at Sapienza University of Rome, said in an email.
People diagnosed with migraine experience headaches due to a variety of factors including stress, dehydration, lack of sleep — and, yes, heat, experts said. Women suffer more from migraines than men. Migraine is usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, fatigue, dizziness and hypersensitivity to light or noise.
Pachuta finds relief of heat-induced migraine by lying down in a dark room with her eyes closed until the pain behind her eyes goes away. She can detect an early migraine attack if a mild headache is accompanied by a general feeling of being unwell.
But heat is unlikely to trigger a headache in people who don’t usually get them, Loder said.
In these cases, a headache caused by high temperatures This can be a sign of a more serious heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, Loder said. It’s important to recognize these symptoms as early as possible, rehydrate and find a place to cool down.
Dehydration can certainly worsen your body’s ability to cope with heat, but it’s not necessarily the cause of heat-induced headaches, experts agree.
Extreme heat can lead to electrolyte imbalance as the body loses sodium through sweat, which means it’s important to replenish your electrolytes as well as water.
“Dehydration is closely related to electrolyte imbalances, because water follows salt,” Kissoon said. “With the loss of salt, the body is less able to retain water.”
However, heat headaches can occur even when a person is well hydrated.
Patrick Cortesi, 55, is a landscaper in his local school district in Bloomington, Illinois. Because his job requires him to be outside 40 hours a week, Cortesi wears sun-protective clothing, drinks plenty of water and takes breaks from the air conditioning during the hottest days of the year. Even so, Cortesi suffers from multiple headaches during the week in an area known for its seasonally humid conditions, which can cause corn sweat.
“It’s not just about dehydration,” Ailani said. “You have to take extra care of yourself whenever the heat index gets to that point… you can’t just drink all that.”
What can you do to relieve symptoms?
It should not be simply ignored, experts advise.
A heat headache, especially if you don’t have a migraine, is a sign that things could be getting worse. Get out of the heat and try to cool down with a cold drink or ice pack. Look for indoor air conditioning and take advantage of cooling centers during a heat wave.
Drink water and electrolyte drinks to help your body replenish. Add electrolytes to your water by adding salt or lemon juice, Ailani said.
You can then use strategies that typically help you manage a headache, Loder said, such as lying down in a dark room with your eyes closed.
Avoid known trigger foods and cut down on alcohol, which can contribute to dehydration, Kissoon said. Sugary drinks can also lead to dehydration, Di Lorenzo said.
Another suggestion that seems obvious: avoid outdoor workouts when temperatures are high.
“This may seem like trivial advice, but almost all cases reported in the literature of heatstroke headaches have occurred in people who did not follow this common-sense rule,” Di Lorenzo said.
If you must go out, sunglasses can be a useful preventative measure, he added.
There are several over-the-counter medications that have been shown to help with headaches, such as aspirin and Tylenol. Doctors may also prescribe triptans, which work by binding to serotonin receptors and blocking the release of substances that stimulate nerve activity, Loder said.
Migraine treatments recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration include CGRP antagonists, which target the molecule that plays a role in headaches. Lasmiditan, which works similarly to triptans, may be safer for migraine patients with a history of vascular disease, Kissoon said.
In addition, preventive treatments Monoclonal antibodies such as CGRP block the action of CGRP and are taken by a person with migraine whether or not they have a headache.
“We recommend that a person with migraines who has headaches of any kind at least six days a month take a preventative medication to reduce the number of days they have a headache,” Kissoon said.
For those experiencing headaches, it is important to contact your healthcare provider.
“It’s not a hopeless situation,” Ailani said. “There are many treatments to help get through these difficult months.”