Doctors: Heat can severely impact people with migraines
"Hot weather is a big trigger for a migraine. The sun beating down can be a trigger. It can led to dehydration," says Dr. Peter McAllister, medical director of the New England Institute for Neurology and Headache.
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Doctors tell News 12 that the summer heat can have a serve impact on people suffering from migraines.
"Hot weather is a big trigger for a migraine. The sun beating down can be a trigger. It can led to dehydration," says Dr. Peter McAllister, medical director of the New England Institute for Neurology and Headache.
McAllister says for some, the scents of suntan oils and lotions can also trigger a migraine. He says the more people get a handle on their migraine triggers, the less likely they are to have debilitating headache days.
"The pain they're experiencing has to do with release of bad inflammatory peptide that triggers a whole cascade that triggers a non-infectious meningitis. It's really not a blood vessel thing anymore. It's a brain and nerve thing," says McAllister.
An estimated 39 million people suffer from migraines.
Doctors say no one is immune to health issues when spending long periods of time outside in the heat. They say to watch out for symptoms of dehydration, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Doctors encourage people to drink lots of water, limit time in the sun and spend time indoors with a fan or air conditioning.
