Seasonal Migraines

Migraine is a genetically inherited familial syndrome which runs through the life of many persons.  Starting in the teenage or young twenties time of life, it affects women three times more than men.  It is a disabling condition that causes missed work, and missed school.  It circulates around the menstrual period for many women, striking them at their most vulnerable time of the month.

For many, migraines come with weather change-cool weather, hot weather, humid weather, or barometric change as a cold front moves through.

Check out my introductory article, “What is Migraine?” on my website, www.doctormigraine.com

It would be helpful to understand seasonal migraines to live with them better.

This is an article by Britt Talley Daniel MD, member of the American Academy of Neurology, Migraine textbook author, Podcaster, YouTube video producer, and Blogger.

Seasonal Migraines are well known triggers for migraine attacks.  List of Seasonal Migraines:

Migraine and the seasons

When the seasons change, winter-spring, summer-fall, many changes in the living environment occur.  In winter it is cold and sometimes the wind blows a lot.  In the spring the temperature is usually more moderate, but still there is wind.  March winds are said to blow in April.

Also, in the spring things grow and turn green-the grass, trees, shrubs.  The world recovers from winter and comes back alive.  But there are more allergies then, and even though the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) does not recognize “allergy headache,” that is a cause of headache due to allergies, sui generis, allergic reactions may aggravate migraine headaches.

ICHD does not recognize “sinus headache” either, a name invented by the pseudoephedrine industry in the fifties to sell their drug.  It is true that most persons who complain of sinus headache are really experiencing a migraine headache.  Variation in issues such as barometric pressure, allergen production, humidity, and wind can all indirectly aggravate the occurrence of migraine headaches.

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Spring Triggers

Springtime has a lot of migraine aggravating features-wind, barometric pressure changes, storms and rain, sunshine, glaring light, allergies, bright light and glare, yard work with sunlight and exposure to allergic triggers.

Summer Triggers

When a person exercises, like a young kid playing basketball outside in the summer, he becomes red in the face.  His body heats up and the small arteries in his face dilate.  Arterial vasodilation occurs in the brain during a migraine and something about that heat and dilation process produces migraine headaches for some persons who have inherited the migraine gene. 

This could be called a “work-out headache,” which really bothers many migraineurs who like to exercise.  Other summertime headaches may be due to dehydration as the body loses fluids with exertion.  My YMCA gym has cup holders on the side of their treadmills for the plastic water bottles everyone uses for rehydration while working out.

Fall Triggers

Fall migraine triggers are-weather alternation, cool weather, warm weather, humidity, barometric pressure change, different fall allergic factors.  Also, in the fall the days get shorter driving changes in the sleep schedule and aggravating insomnia, which is not good for migraine.

Winter Triggers

The cold, dry air of winter can aggravate migraine. Dryness may be worsened by heating the home, unless rehydration through the heating system is possible. Barometric pressure changes occur with snow storms.

How to deal with Seasonal Triggers

Stay with your migraine lifestyle-consistent sleep/wake schedule, decrease stress, eat regular well-timed meals, avoid light aggravation by timing when you are outside. There is less light in the evening, use dark glasses and hats with brims and parasols, when means “for the sun” for walks.

Study what your triggers are.  Use migraine cellphone apps to track and study when your migraines come and then try to avoid the triggers..

Treat your allergies-avoid exposure, cell phones and newspapers state bad days for allergic conditions, take a shower and wash your body and hair after outside allergic exposure, use over the counter nasal spray-Aller-Flo, Nasocort, Rhinocort, and antihistamine pills-benadryl, Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), Allegra (fexofenadine), Dimetane (rompheniramine)), Trimeton (chlorpheniramine), and Tavist (clemastine).

In the spring, you should monitor the weather if changes in barometric pressure are a trigger for your migraines.  Some persons reliably start a migraine as soon as the pressure falls and this group is encouraged to keep their acute therapy drug, probably a triptan, near by and ready to go.  Barometric pressure can be monitored by a pressure gauge on the wall or by using a cell phone weather app.

Migraine and weather changes

Changes in weather are a common factor for provoking a migraine.  Weather changes may be: temperature change such as body cooling, heating up, change in barometric pressure, wind, dry weather, humidity.

Migraine and Allergy

Migraine and allergic rhinitis, the proper name for “allergies, hay fever” are separate medical conditions.  Both conditions are genetically related familial problems.  High allergic conditions are seasonally related, grass related allergy in the spring, ragweed in late summer and early fall, cedar in late fall to mid-winter.

Read my article on “Migraine, Allergy, or Sinus Headache?” on my website, www.doctormigraine.com.

Light induced migraine

Around 80% of migraineurs are sensitive to light in general and especially during a migraine headache. This is called photophobia, fear of light. Glancing light off an automobile hood or flickering light from a strobe can set off a migraine in some susceptible persons.

Light sensitive migraineurs are encouraged to be like good Boy Scouts, whose slogan is “Be Prepared” and anticipate light changes by avoiding the bright light heat of mid-day in favor of later afternoon or evening excursions.  They should have good sunglasses and keep hats with a brim ready to wear when outside.

Read my article “Migraine and Photophobia” on my website, www.doctormigraine.com.

Barometric pressure changes and Migraine

This relationship has been scientifically studied with numerous headache neurologic studies which have found that migraine tracks with a drop in barometric pressure for many people and acts as a true migraine trigger.  This is not some made up, phony, or doubtful finding.

Good luck dealing with Seasonal Migraines.

Read my big book on Migraine-click here.

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Although this site provides information about various medical conditions, the reader is directed to his own treating physician for medical treatment.

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All the best.

Britt Talley Daniel MD