Regions such as Antalya, where extreme heat and humidity develop and sudden weather changes, trigger headaches and migraines in people who are sensitive to changes. In addition, heat-related headaches may occur during physical activities that increase body temperature. It is possible to protect against headaches and relieve complaints with treatments and preventive steps such as drinking fluids and avoiding sun exposure. Specialist Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak from Memorial Antalya Hospital Neurology Department provided information about headaches and their treatment in hot weather.
"It affects women more"
Specialist Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak stated that while headaches can sometimes be a complaint that a person experiences from time to time throughout their life, for some people it can be a symptom of a disease or a condition that accompanies a disease. Çakmak said, “Migraine headaches, which are more common in women in particular, and tension-type pains, which again cause serious complaints in patients, can affect patients throughout their lives. While these types of pains do not accompany another disease, it should not be forgotten that there are factors that predispose to pain. These can be listed as seasonal factors, as well as stress, hunger and insomnia.”
“Using air conditioning can cause headaches”
Specialist Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak continued as follows: “Seasonal characteristics can cause migraine and tension-type headaches to increase or decrease. Headaches that increase in the summer months are the most concrete examples of this situation. Scientific studies in this field show that as the weather warms up, the veins expand and headaches increase accordingly. On the other hand, people who experience chronic headaches often do not even realize this effect of the heat. In addition, increased air conditioning use 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 situations that trigger headaches.
"Take these precautions to protect yourself from headaches"
Drawing attention to the fact that headaches, which are felt more intensely in the summer heat, can be alleviated by taking a series of precautions, Spec. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak listed the precautions that can be taken as follows: “Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, avoid excessive sun exposure, take regular breaks in shaded areas, wear polarized sunglasses, prefer unscented sunscreen and lotions as odor can trigger headaches, do not exercise in extreme heat, be careful about your eating habits, try not to consume alcohol in extreme heat, do not suddenly transition from a very hot environment to a cold air-conditioned environment, do not be directly exposed to cold air in air-conditioned environments.”
“The pain ends with effective treatments”
Emphasizing that if the headache reaches a level that limits the person’s life, Spec. Dr. Özden Yener Çakmak concluded her speech as follows: “While medications for the treatment of depression can be useful for tension-type headaches, the first step in migraine treatment is for the patient to stay away from triggers as much as possible. In addition to regulating sleep and nutrition; Regular exercise and precautions taken against seasonal changes will help reduce complaints. If attacks continue frequently despite such measures, the patient should be treated with medication to reduce the frequency of attacks. The medications used in migraine treatment may need to be tried in order. At this stage, it is important for patients to continue their treatment patiently and to stay in constant contact with their doctors.”
