Heat and migraine attacks

Heat is definitely one of my migraine triggers. These excessively hot days are not cool- literally. It has been 30-37C, not counting the humidity, here which as a Canadian is hot. That would be 86F to 98.6 for my American friends which may or may not be hot for them. But I think we can agree without air conditioning hot is bloody hot. And weather variability does not do a migraine brain good. We have been fluctuating a lot from cooler to hot. And then of course the storms in there as well- which cool things down so no complaints there aside from the migraine attacks those can also cause.

“Migraine brain does not like variability,” said Jessica Ailani, neurologist and director of the Headache Center at MedStar Georgetown. “It wants you to sleep at the same time, eat the same thing. So big shifts in temperature and weather don’t do well with migraine.”
washingtonpost.com

It could be:

• sun glare
• high humidity
• bright lights
• abrupt changes in the barometric pressure
• Abrupt temperature increase and high temperature

One study published in 2024 said that while 62 to 97 percent of people blame weather triggers for their pain, the evidence for that is “severely lacking.” Researchers indicated that “there is a lot of individual variation in how weather can impact migraine patterns and that other factors appeared to be a more significant migraine factor.” 

Study authors advised that migraine patients who are negatively affected by the weather manage the more controllable triggers — such as diet, sleep, stress, and dehydration — so that their migraine threshold remains high enough that weather might be less likely to trigger an attack.

Migraine Again

The main tips for high heat

• Hydrate- Obviously, drinking water is a tip I have heard a thousand times with migraines but when it comes to high heat it is one that is incredibly valid.
• Try not to skip meals. For me the heat really saps the appetite away but I will have small snacks anyway. Otherwise that can just make things worse.
• Shades- a hat and some FL-41 shades when outside. Or a good pair of sunglasses.
• When going outdoors with your hat and shades remember sunscreen that is nice and unscented- don’t want to add a fragrance trigger.
• Stay inside, preferably air conditioning inside during peak hours if possible. Although all the sounds of air conditioning and fans are driving my brain bonkers. I can’t tune it out with this migraine. But I am glad to be cool.
• Use cold water applied to a towel as a cool compress and drape the damp towel around your neck or a migraine ice hat. These can be used out and about as well. Even small water spray bottles, or water spray canisters- just to cool down.
• Exercise in the morning or with an air conditioner. Preferably without that migraine in full swing.
• Always plan ahead. When going anywhere make sure you are ready with what you need and have the meds that you may also need. You never know.
• And if on holidays there is not shame to take a rest for yourself if you need it. I know I did for bad migraine attacks when I needed it. A triptan and a naps did my body good.

All of which still sucks when the temperature and pressure changed rapidly from the day before and you are stuck with a massive migraine. But I am keeping the apartment cool. And not going outside during these peak hours. I have a heat intolerance issue as is at the moment regardless so it is best to remain inside while it is cooking outside.

What I know

All I know is that we are getting some extreme heat this year and likely years to come. That I can’t tolerate the heat. I get more migraines and with those migraine attacks I get sicker. As in more nauseated and unable to function. The pain in high heat is just throbbing like crazy.

I live in an apartment now, just more affordable. Fans did not cut it so we got a air conditioner because, yeah, I was getting pretty sick. But even with those portable air conditioners they do not reach the entire apartment. So the nausea just doesn’t quite go away. And they make a lot of noise which is unpleasant with a migraine. I do use my migraine cooling hat which is so very nice. I take cool baths as well.

Migraines sap my motivation at the best of times, you add in heat, and I feel so sick and like a limp noodle. It is hard to force myself to do anything. And with chronic migraine disease that is what we do, force ourselves to do things because- we get a lot of migraine attacks so we still have to function somehow. We are always getting a migraine in the prodrome, have a migraine headache, or in the sleepy dopey hangover of the migraine. Still have things to do though. Even in this heat. Even with this insane nausea that totally kills my appetite.

Partially the nausea is from vestibular migraine attacks which hit me a lot during storms. Storms come and go with weather like this. Which can leave me out of sorts for days.

Reference

www.verywellhealth.com
www.migraineagain.com

See also:

My neurological visit