Summertime means playing and having fun, but it’s also full of headache and migraine triggers – heat, humidity, sunshine, disrupted schedules, parties with alcohol and food triggers, and more. Here are some suggestions for keeping summer headaches and migraines at bay.

Stay hydrated. Dehydration is a major cause of headaches and migraine trigger. Water is the best hydrator, though sports drinks and milk can also be helpful. Drinking eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day is a helpful guideline, but hydration needs vary from one person to the next. The color of your urine is the best indicator of whether or not you’re drinking enough water – it should be nearly colorless. Caffeine and alcohol can contribute to dehydration, so they shouldn’t count as part of your hydration needs.

Stay indoors in the hottest times of the day. If possible, avoid the worst of the heat by running your errands or doing outside activities early in the morning or after the sun goes down.

Keep your routine. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule and eating regular meals are both important for migraine and headache management. If you like to stay up later in the summer, gradually shift your schedule by 15 minutes at a time to avoid a headache or migraine with the transition.

Protect your eyes from the sun. Bright sunshine is a major migraine and headache trigger, but glare can be an even bigger problem, according to headache specialist Vincent T. Martin, MD. Outdoor TheraSpecs filter the wavelengths of light that most commonly trigger or worsen migraines and headaches, are polarized to minimize glare, are dark enough to manage the brightest sunlight, and provide UVA/UVB protection.

Protect your skin from the sun. Sunburns can also bring on headaches, so be sure your skin is well-protected with sunscreen or SPF clothing.

Watch out for scented body products. Sunscreen and insect repellent are generally heavily scented. If odors are a trigger for you, be sure to do a smell test before you buy a product. There are many fragrance-free sunscreens available, but non-smelly insect repellents are trickier to find.

Wear a cooling vest or use ice packs. A cooling vest, which is essentially a vest with ice packs in it, has made Phoenix summers bearable for me. Other, less expensive options include wrapping an ice pack around your neck if you're moving about or tucking ice packs around you when you're sitting, like in a car. For less extreme climates, you may find cooling wraps with water-activated crystals to be effective and less conspicuous.

References:

• National Headache Foundation: 7 Ways to Avoid the Summer Headache
• Mayo Clinic: Sunburn First Aid