It’s not your imagination — lots of people get more migraines in the summer than any other time of year, and there’s a lot of sound science to prove it.
Migraines are in a league of their own when it comes to pain and debilitation. More than just a headache, migraine pain is typically isolated to one side of the brain and can often be felt behind the eyes and sinuses.
In addition to incredible pain, migraines can come with a host of unnerving neurological symptoms including blind spots, difficulty speaking, numbness and tingling in the extremities, and even extreme nausea.
The trickiest part about migraines is that they can be triggered by so many things, and every person’s set of triggers is unique to their own biology.
In the summer, a radically different climate can create circumstances and situations that are ideal triggers for migraines. Be especially mindful of these common summer migraine triggers if you find yourself shut in a dark room more often throughout the summer.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a leading cause of migraines, and one that sneaks up on you before you realize it’s time to start chugging the water.
With intense heat comes the need to hydrate more, so make sure to up your water intake and keep track of how much you’re getting each day as things start heating up.
More Sunlight = More Glare = More Migraines
Light is another really common migraine trigger. Sometimes it’s as obvious as flickering fluorescents or police strobes, other times it’s as innocuous as the glare of the sun off the car in front of you in traffic.
Whatever you do, wear sunglasses wherever you go in the summer and don’t let yourself stare at bright spots. A few seconds of glare can easily trigger a migraine episode that can last days. Look for sunglasses with 100% UV protection (not just a rockin’ set of frames), and keep in mind that longer days mean you’ll need them well into the evening hours.
Air Pressure Changes
If you’re someone who gets a migraine during travel or on a flight, it’s possible air pressure changes could be one of your triggers. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about this one, which is pretty rough — air pressure is one of the top three triggers for migraine sufferers.
Seasonal Allergies
In addition to air pressure, fluctuating pressure in your ear, nose, and throat system due to seasonal allergy flare ups can also cause migraines. More pollen means more mucus for a lot of migraine sufferers.
If you get migraines and you have a pretty rough time with allergies in the summer, talk to your doctor about options for medications or treatments that’ll reduce the likelihood of having an imbalance of fluid in your ears, nose, and throat this summer.
Heat
Temperature is definitely a migraine trigger for a lot of people, and the hotter summer months can be especially unforgiving as temperatures rise.
If you’re sensitive to heat, make sure you have a means of staying cool at all times to avoid a migraine episode — fix the AC in your car, get a portable AC unit for your bedroom, and shut the blinds when the sun’s beating down.
Humidity
Smells are another migraine trigger that can be exacerbated by summer weather. When the humidity rises, the air literally becomes denser, and smells can be greatly intensified. There’s not much you can do to avoid this one in public, but do yourself a favor and set a dehumidifier up in your house at least.
Overhydration
Yep, you read that right — overhydration can actually trigger migraines too. As you guzzle water to keep up with your body in the summer heat, be sure to not completely dilute the minerals in your system. Too much water can cause an electrolyte imbalance, triggering migraines.
Routine Disruption
Summer is the season for family vacations and business conferences — don’t let travel put you in a migraine coma in the hotel.
The combination of air travel and the pressure changes that come with it coupled with sleep schedule disruption, poor blood sugar balance, and the mental stress of travel is often the perfect storm for a migraine.
Do your best to stick to a sleep schedule while you travel, and be sure to watch your vitamin and protein intake as you consume gas station and airport food — protein shakes might be your new best friend.
Know Your Triggers
There are a crazy number of migraine triggers to keep up with, and narrowing down which ones you specifically need to watch out for can be a major exercise in trial and error.
Keep a migraine journal, and every time you feel one coming on, start taking notes. What did you do in the 48 hours before it hit? What symptoms did you notice first? How long did it last? What finally got rid of it?
Summer can be a hotbed of migraine triggers for some people, but still others struggle with them more in the winter months. Know your body, know your triggers, and you’ll know how to navigate seasonal changes without landing in bed with a migraine once a week.
What are some of your biggest migraine triggers? Tell us in the comments below!
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