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“Can Sunshine Trigger Migraine Attacks?” It’s not a figment of your imagination- if you suffer from chronic migraines, then you’ve probably noticed an increase in migraine headache symptoms since the beginning of the summer season.

What is it about the sun that triggers migraine attacks?  A number of things, actually.  Heat, for one, is the most obvious factor, but there are many more reasons the months of June, July, and August are peak periods for migraine headache sufferers.

Thirteen summer season headache triggers, and then some.

Not everybody who suffers migraines finds the summer months to be their worst season.  Some find the cold winter months harder to endure.  The best way to keep track of your migraine triggers is by keeping a headache journal and utilizing that information to prevent migraine attacks.  Some weather-related headache symptoms are out of our control- barometric pressure changes, for one.  If summertime is a particularly difficult migraine season for you, then be extra vigilant with migraine triggers that you can control.

#1 Barometric pressure changes: Sadly, a migraineur can do little about air pressure variances.  Check weather reports frequently, so you can at least be prepared.  Avoid flights when at all possible.

#2 Tree pollen and grass allergies: Even with springtime gone, pollen often lingers into summertime.  Summer thunderstorms often spread bits of tree and grass pollen.  If you have an allergic reaction to pollen, then keep doors and windows closed during peak periods.  Alternatively, investing in an indoor air filter will deliver relief.

#3 The heat: Yes, it’s hot, and that means that your body temperature is hotter than usual, as well.  Changes in body temperature may trigger migraines.  If you’re going out in the sun, wear a broad-brimmed hat, bring an umbrella, and seek shade whenever possible.

#4 Bright lights: Migraine patients are extremely sensitive to bright lights, in addition to scents and sounds.  For that reason, many migraineurs find relief in wearing tinted sunglasses outdoors and avoiding brightly lit or noisy scenarios, such as indoor basketball games or shopping malls.  Rainbow Colored Sunglasses that Prevent Migraines

#5 Humidity can be irritating, but if you’re a migraineur, it may contribute to your headaches.  Scents we would ordinarily not notice become more profound in humid weather.  Migraine patients, who are more sensitive to sensory experiences, find that unusual smells trigger migraine attacks.

#6 Dehydration: One common cause of headaches, for migraineurs and non-migraine sufferers alike, is dehydration.  If you exercise regularly, then make sure to keep a sports bottle handy.  Always bring water with you before you leave the house, and store extra bottles in your car for emergencies.  If you spend a lot of time in an air-conditioned environment, you’ll need to drink extra. Also read 15 Tricks for Staying Hydrated and Avoiding Migraines.

#7 Over-hydration: Yup, it’s no joke.  Drinking too much water can upset your balance of electrolytes, causing a headache.

#8 Vacation: When we let go of our stress, headaches soon follow.  At least, that’s what many health experts say.  The first few days of a holiday season or vacation, the first day of the weekend- these are all red-flag periods for migraine attacks.

#9 Changes: Migraine patients don’t handle change well, say headache doctors.  Summer vacations often lend themselves to oversleeping, afternoon napping, and eating at unusual times of the day.  Try to stick to your everyday sleep and eating schedule, even when time is at your disposal.

#10 High altitudes: Some of our favorite summertime pastimes include camping by a mountain lake, sightseeing, and taking long canyon drives to the beach.  If high altitudes give you migraine headaches, then don’t be caught off guard.  Before hopping on that bus to the coast, check your map for any nearby mountain ranges.  When traveling, always carry your migraine medications with you.

#11 Alcohol use and summertime just seem to go together- whether it’s Fourth of July barbecues, Memorial Day picnics, or just hanging out on the front porch, you might be tempted by an ice-cold beer or a fruity wine cooler.  If alcohol is a headache trigger for you, then strengthen your resolve to say no.  If you’re going to a party, take along some favorite nonalcoholic beverages, and bring enough to share.

#12 Scented creams and salves: Try to avoid using scented sunscreen lotions, sunburn relief ointments, or bug sprays, as strong perfumes often cause migraines.  Health food stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s have an extensive selection of natural, perfume-free skin and hair products.  For more info, read Perfumes and Migraines: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Stinky.

#13 Medications left out in the heat might lose their potency.  Read the warning labels on any new migraine treatments, and don’t leave your medicine bag in the car when the sun is high.

Suggested reading:

Plan a Headache-Free Summer Vacation: Five Travel Tips

Want a Cure for Migraines? 10 Ways you can help

11 Headache Triggers you Never Thought Of

Source:

Summer Migraine Triggers a Real Pain for Many Sufferers – ABC News

Migraine Triggers Stronger in Summer | ThirdAge

Summer Migraines – Daily Dose – Blogs for Women at dailyWD.WomansDay.Com

Tips for Avoiding Summer Migraines and Headaches

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic migraine headaches. So why do you feel all alone? Your closest family members and friends don’t always understand the depth of your pain, but know that there are vast communities out there who can help you understand your migraine symptoms, share their experiences with migraine remedies and provide emotional support.

When Alice had a migraine, she found even the pretty things were too much to bear.

Here are 20 excellent migraine resources, listed in alphabetical order, including non-profit headache research sites, personal blogs and chronic migraine patient forums:

1) ACPA – American Chronic Pain Association: To provide support to patients diagnosed with chronic migraines and to their families, to help them find appropriate healthcare, education and to raise public awareness about migraines.

2) American Pain Society: Another excellent resource for finding out about recent advances in migraine treatment and other pain management tools.

3) Blog Carnival: A rotating collaboration of blogs which address health issues such as migraine headaches.

4) The Daily Headache: Blogger Kerrie Smyres writes about the issues migraineurs want to know about, including research, opinions and forum.

5) Head Wise: Migraine blogger Steph shares some inspiring life stories about her battle with migraines.

6) Help for Headaches: Managed by leading migraine expert Teri Robert, author of “Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches,” Help for Headaches is a great landing base for all topics related to migraines and other headache symptoms. Robert’s posts can also be viewed on Migraine.com and Health Central’s My Migraine Connection.

7) LiveJournal: Online migraine patient support group.

8) MAGNUM: The National Migraine Association: Their mission is to raise public awareness about migraines as a debilitating neurological illness. Find out how you can help.

9) Meetup: Find out about local migraine support groups, and meet other headache sufferers in your area.

10) Migraine.com: Join the largest virtual community of migraine patients and experts on the web. Migraine.com features articles written by some of the top experts in migraine treatment, education and social issues, including the Migraine Girl, Teri Robert, Diana Lee, Prof. Joanna Kempner and Dr. Whyte.

11) The Migraine Action Association: Formerly a British association, this website features quarterly newsletters, a telephone hotline and current migraine information.

12) Migraine Chick: You’ve seen her pics on some of our blog posts. Blogger and artist Deborah Leigh shares her unique, thought-provoking attitude about the social impact of migraines on our culture.

13) MigrainePage.com: Online community of migraine sufferers. Participate in chat discussions, forums or the online migraine journal.

14) Migraine Puppet: Anecdotes about life and pain management, and an updated list of blog posts by fellow migraine patients.

15) Migrainista: Unique, nostalgic and sometimes controversial insights by blogger Migrainista.

16) The National Headache Foundation: The world’s largest non-profit voluntary organization for finding migraine treatment clinics, resources and local community programs.

17) Painfully Speaking: Blogger Jessica opens up about her battles with chronic headache pain and anxiety.

18) Somebody Heal Me: Famous blogger Diana Lee writes about chronic pain management and headaches, and shares her database of sites, blogs and organizations which deal with a variety of health issues.

19) WebMD- Migraines: WebMD is a comprehensive website which provides health tips, information, slideshows and support for medical issues from A to Z; their migraine page is particularly helpful.

20) WHA- World Headache Alliance: Migraine news, global headache awareness activities and links to support groups.

Some good reads:

Migraines Caused by Eye Strain? Tinted Glasses can Help

Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!

7 Headache Categories:Which Type of Headache do you Have?

Do you get chronic headaches that attack every day, no matter how many painkillers you pop into your mouth? For some people, random headaches come and go, like two ships passing in the night. But for millions of Americans, severe headache pain is a constant, debilitating fact of life. Many migraine headache patients are able to find relief in prescription pain medication, but for others the cause of their headache symptoms is still another mystery to be solved.

Symptoms of migraine headaches can include throbbing, excruciating head pain, eye strain, nausea, stomach cramps, blind spots and unintelligible speech, as is the case when migraines are preceded by an aura. Learn more about migraines with aura: Migraines with Aura may Signal Birth Defect in Heart

Most headaches are caused by a certain headache trigger, according to many health experts.  Headache triggers can be related to diet, environment or emotional states. Below is a list of the most common factors which cause headaches:

• Stress: According to a study published in the Cephalalgia journal, 80 percent of all headaches are triggered by stress; scientists attribute it to the “fight-or-flight” hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to cause pain and stomach upset. Stress also elevates blood pressure and causes head, neck and shoulder strain- all symptoms which can cause extreme headache suffering. RX for relief: practice deep meditation and yoga, learn breathing techniques to quiet the mind, or seek counseling.
• Hormones: Estrogen levels low? That could be a factor behind your chronic headaches. Scientists have notes strong correlations between severe headache and conditions which create hormonal fluctuations, such as menstruation, pregnancy, menopause and perimenopause. RX for relief: Keeping a headache journal will help you identify which times of the month are your trigger days. Learn more about menstrual headaches:Â Symptoms of a Menstrual Migraine
• The weather: Migraine patients often notice their headache symptoms are magnified by changes in the temperature, according to a study published in Neurology. Other migraine triggers are changes in altitude and seasons. RX for relief: If headache pain is severe, try to stay in a climate-controlled environment, particularly on hot days.

• Lack of sleep: Aside from causing stress, insomnia can also trigger headaches through low levels of serotonin, a hormone our body manufactures to promote more restful sleep. Low serotonin levels activate a nerve which is known to cause chronic migraine headaches. RX for relief: To avoid insomnia, experts advise going to bed at night and rising in the morning on a strict schedule, avoiding caffeinated beverages and incorporating some low-impact aerobics into your day. Natural Migraine Treatments: 12 Herbal Remedies that Provide Headache Relief
• Strong odors: Headache sufferers are often overly sensitive to strong scents, such as heady perfume and second-hand smoke. Â Certain odors can trigger a nerve which produces pain-giving chemicals. RX for relief: Avoid buying scented products. Also, try to avoid going into areas which are notorious for exuding powerful odors, such as department store makeup counters and the grocery store’s detergent aisle. As for the second-hand smoke, don’t be afraid to just ask somebody politely to please snuff it out.
• Bright lights: This is one of the more difficult headache triggers to avoid, as electric lighting is one of life’s  basic necessities. Chronic migraine patients often suffer tremendously from ultra-sensitivity to fluorescent lighting, sunlight and stark white surfaces. RX for relief: Try switching to soft indoor lighting, such as incandescent light bulbs. If you use a computer, protect your eyes with a screen glare deflector. Place plenty of pictures on the walls to avoid a glaringly white background. Always wear sunglasses outdoors, or ask your doctor about prescription goggles for migraine patients.
• Diet: Strong correlations exist between headaches and food triggers. Foods which are known to cause chronic headaches are aged delicacies containing tyramine, nitrates or phenylalanine; for example, wine, cheese, dried meats and chocolate.  RX for relief: Drink plenty of water and eat regular meals which include protein, in order to maintain stable blood-sugar levels. Keeping a headache diary will help you determine which foods are triggering your headaches, so that you may begin to cut them out of your diet. Read more about food headache triggers: 10 Golden Food Rules for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Also read:

7 Headache Categories:Which Type of Headache do you Have?

Sources:

Health.com, Mayo Clinic, Neurology, Cephalalgia

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Rebound headaches– cruel trick of nature?

Sometimes it seems that there are so many headache triggers out there giving you migraines, that you need to be a detective to get to the bottom of it- foods like chocolate and coffee are known to cause migraines, and stress, that unavoidable common denominator, accounts for approximately 80% of all tension headaches.

But what are you supposed to do when it’s the headache medicine that’s giving you your migraines?

What is a rebound headache?

A rebound headache is a recurring migraine which is caused by overuse of headache medicines.  Depending on the type of medication, a rebound headache may occur after 5 days of headache treatment per month, or after more than 9 days of  using a particular headache medication.  Also, using a pain reliever without following the labeling instructions may result in rebound headache symptoms.

Which headache treatments cause rebound headaches?

Taking too much of any pain reliever is likely to cause a rebound headache; numerous studies link rebound headaches with pain medication which were commonly considered “safe” to use at all times.

• Over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and combination headache remedies are known culprits for rebound headaches; sinus relief medications and sleep sedatives have also been proven to cause headaches.
• Headache medications which utilize ergotamine and butalbital have been linked with rebound headaches in numerous studies.
• Taking triptan migraine medications more than twice per week can cause rebound headaches; examples of triptans include Imitrex, Zomig, Maxalt, Relpax, Axert, Frova, Amerge, and Treximet.

How do you get rid of a rebound headache?

Following these guidelines will help you avoid getting rebound headaches, and ensure that you are getting maximum benefit from your migraine pain relievers:

• Always use medication as directed by your doctor or the labeling instructions.
• Limit over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers to situations where the headaches seem unbearable, taking the smallest dose suggested. Â So not use pain relievers more than a few times per week, unless advised otherwise from a physician.
• Ask your doctor about possible drug interactions before taking any new over-the-counter medication.
• Avoid using caffeine while taking pain relievers, particularly if the medication which you are using already contains caffeine.

Also read:

11 Headache Triggers you Never Thought Of

4 Headaches that Require Emergency Intervention

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic, WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Wall Street Journal

Nearly 60 percent of women with chronic migraines experience migraines during their menstrual period, called a menstrual migraine — yet most of them do not seek treatment. Although theses types of headaches may not always be as chronic, it can still increase a woman’s risk for a stroke, making treatment vitally important — and potentially life saving.

Good news, however: There are several treatments currently available to women suffering from these excruciating headaches. Some may lessen or stop the pain of migraines, whereas others can help women deal with its nauseating or dizzying effects.

So which treatments work for menstrual migraines — and are they effective?

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Treatments(NSAIDs)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a class of drugs that includes ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen, are the most common drugs prescribed to women suffering from mild to moderate menstrual migraine pain. Doctors who commonly prescribe NSAIDs usually opt for ibuprofen, due to its easy availability and affordability. NSAIDs are generally the best treatment for mild to moderate pain.

Their efficacy is limited, however, and only helps lessen pain when taken right before or as an attack is beginning to cause pain. Still, their wide availability and cost — one bottle rarely goes for more than $6.00 — makes NSAIDs the most convenient treatment for women suffering from this condition.

Acetaminophen Combination Treatments

Acetaminophen combinations are also over-the-counter treatments that can also reduce migraine pain. These combination drugs tend to be quicker and more effective than NSAIDs. The most common type of acetaminophen combination is acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine — many people know this as Excedrin. Although these class of treatments will not be as effective as prescription medications, it can help pre-menstrual women cope with their pain without having to visit a doctor.

Narcotic Pain Drug Treatments

Narcotic pain medications are very effective for relieving severe pain, making it a good choice for women suffering from menstrual migraines. Generally, these medications are reserved for the most severe types of pain because of its potentially addictive nature. It also carries the risk of certain side effects that can exacerbate the intensity of migraines, such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Consider this a last resort treatment.

Verdict: Acetaminophen combinations and NSAIDs are the most effective medicated treatments for mild to moderate menstrual migraine pain. If you suffer from severe menstrual migraines, however, you may need prescription medications, such as narcotic drugs, to deal with your pain.

Achieving migraine relief with exercise is a tricky endeavor. Overall physical activity will help prevent migraines. However, some forms of exercise may actually trigger migraines. Therefore, proper planning must be taken to develop a course of physical activity that will prevent migraines and help a person feel better. In addition, exercise can prevent a person from falling victim to other illnesses.

There are so many people who suffer from migraines and don’t realize that their lifestyles play a large role. Most jobs today are eight-hour desk jobs, which don’t involve much physical activity. In their leisure time, most people watch cable television, play video games or browse the Internet. This lack of exercise has devastating effects. It causes people to gain weight, and have reduced blood flow. This also makes it more difficult to sleep at night. The additional weight, impaired blood flow and difficulty sleeping add stress to the body and can all trigger migraines.

The benefits of exercise are numerous. Someone who exercises burns carbohydrates and fat. Reducing fat content in the bloodstream aids in blood flow.

The primary catalyst for the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat calories are hormones, such as epinephrine and glucagon. However, too much exercise makes the body release large quantities of these hormones into the bloodstream. This decreases serotonin levels in the brain, which then causes headaches. On the positive side, exercise helps the body use sugar for energy. Therefore the body needs less insulin, a hormone that breaks down sugar. Someone who exercises regularly would be need less likely to develop diabetes, which makes a person more prone to headaches.

Blood is responsible for transporting oxygen to the organs of the body. When a person is engaged in physical activity, blood flow is increased. Hence, the body gets more oxygen as a result. Many headaches stem from a lack of oxygen to the brain, so increasing oxygen flow to the brain would prevent headaches.

Physical activity also has the additional benefit of helping a person sleep better at night.  Sleep is one of the body’s greatest healing mechanisms, and reduces stress on the body. Improved sleep can help ward off migraines.

By increasing the time you spend exercising, but not overdoing it, you can find relief from your migraine symptoms.