Headache ranks first among the health problems that manifest themselves with the gradual increase in temperatures. Neurology Specialist Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak, who conveyed the precautions to protect against headaches, said, “Seasonal characteristics can cause migraine and tension-type headaches to increase or decrease. Increasing headaches in the summer months are one of the most concrete examples of this situation.”
Regions such as Antalya, where extreme heat and humidity and sudden weather changes occur, trigger headaches and migraines in people who are sensitive to changes. In addition, heat-induced headache may occur during physical activities that increase body temperature. It is possible to prevent headaches and alleviate complaints with treatments and preventive steps such as drinking fluids and avoiding sun exposure. Memorial Antalya Hospital Department of Neurology, Specialist. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak gave information about headache and its treatment in hot weather.
“It affects women more”
Uzm. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak stated that while headache can sometimes be a complaint that a person experiences from time to time throughout their entire life; for some people, it occurs as a symptom of a disease or a condition accompanying the disease. Çakmak said, “Migraine-type headaches, which are more common especially in women, and tension-type headaches, which cause serious complaints in patients, can affect patients for life. While this type of pain is not accompanied by another disease, the presence of factors that predispose to pain should not be forgotten. These; in addition to stress, hunger and insomnia; seasonal factors can be listed as seasonal factors, “he said.
“The use of air conditioning can cause headaches”
Uzm. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak continued as follows: “Seasonal characteristics can cause migraine and tension-type headaches to increase or decrease. Increasing headaches in summer is one of the most concrete examples of this situation. Scientific studies in this field show that the vessels dilate as the weather gets warmer and headaches increase accordingly. On the other hand, people with chronic headaches often do not even realize this effect of the heat. In addition, the increased use of air conditioning due to the heat is another factor that negatively affects the pain. Being in an air-conditioned environment for a long time is among the conditions that trigger headaches.”
“Take these precautions to prevent headaches”
Drawing attention to the fact that headaches, which are felt more in the summer heat, can be alleviated by taking a series of measures. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak listed the measures that can be taken as follows: “Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, avoid excessive sun exposure, take care to take regular breaks in shaded areas, wear polarized sunglasses, prefer odorless sunscreen and lotions as odor can trigger headaches, do not exercise in extreme heat, pay attention to eating patterns, try not to consume alcohol in extreme heat, do not make a sudden transition from a very hot environment to a cold air-conditioned environment, do not be directly exposed to cold air in air-conditioned environments.”
“Pain ends with effective treatments”
Underlining that if the headache reaches a dimension that limits the life of the person, it is necessary to consult a specialist doctor. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak concluded her speech as follows: “While drugs for the treatment of depression can be useful for tension-type headaches, the first step in migraine treatment is for the patient to avoid triggers as much as possible. In addition to regulating sleep and nutrition; regular exercises and measures taken against seasonal changes will help reduce complaints. If attacks persist despite such measures, the patient should be treated with medication to reduce the frequency of attacks. Medications used in migraine treatment may need to be tried sequentially. At this stage, it is important that patients patiently continue their treatment and stay in constant contact with their doctors.”
