Heat Can Cause Migraines

[Family Ties Forever!]

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Does Heat Trigger Migraines?

Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011
Updated: 1:04 pm CDT June 20, 2011

Houston -- If you feel like Houston's heat is giving you major headaches, it may not all be in your mind. Recent research shows an increase in temperature can trigger migraines.

Video: Heat Can Cause Migraines

"It's normally in the front part of my head, and it's just a strong aching pain that's like a pulse," said Brishette Pruitt, who has learned the hard way that extreme heat can cause her to experience extreme migraines. Pruitt's among the 18 percent of women and 6 percent of men who suffer from migraines. Most are genetically predisposed to the horrible headaches, but a lot of things can trigger them, like alcohol, lack of sleep and changes in the weather. Dr. Raymond Martin, professor of neurology at the UTHealth Medical School and an attending physician at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann, said when the temperature goes up, so do the number of patients. "We're more likely to see people that present to emergency rooms with headaches," Martin said.

Researchers in Boston poured through seven years of emergency room records for patients coming in with migraines. What they found was that for every nine-degree increase in temperature, the risk of a migraine increases by 7.5 percent. "Even though there’s a correlation, there may be some variable in between those two that actually causes the headache," said Martin. "For example, if the temperature goes up, you may get dehydrated and it's actually the dehydration that causes the headache." While avoiding the heat in Houston is nearly impossible, if you know that you're vulnerable to changes in temperature, doctors said you should concentrate on the things you can control, like getting enough rest and avoiding alcohol on days when the temperature is expected to change significantly.

Copyright 2011 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved.

[Mr. Television]

I get migranes all the time. It doesn't matter if it's summer or winter.

[Family Ties Forever!]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I get migranes all the time. It doesn't matter if it's summer or winter.

That's true. I get them and they are bad. I'm already sensitive to light and unfortunately they make me even more so. Plus the pain is horrible.

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by Family Ties Forever!

That's true. I get them and they are bad. I'm already sensitive to light and unfortunately they make me even more so. Plus the pain is horrible.

I'm sorry that you get them Jenny. They are just awful. I usually get them every couple of weeks. I don't know what causes them. They usually last 24 hours but sometimes they last longer. I sometimes just put a cold rag over my eyes.

[Retro4Life]

Never had a migraine, thank God, but I do loathe the heat. It makes me very uncomfortable and I hate the slimy feeling of sweat. Walking in high humidity always reminds me of walking through water...it's so hard to breathe I can't appreciate the walk, which I usually enjoy.

Between the humidity and the horrible gnats (not to mention the rain and storms) I haven't been walking as much this summer.