Summer is made for beach trips, pool days, outdoor dinners and long evenings in the sun. But for people living with migraine, the season can also bring a frustrating combination of triggers.
Hot weather, bright sunlight, dehydration, changing sleep schedules and even strongly scented summer products can make migraine management more challenging. The good news is that you do not have to spend the season avoiding everything you enjoy.
Understanding your personal triggers — and planning around them — can make summer much easier to navigate.
Why Can Summer Be Challenging for People With Migraine?
Migraine triggers vary widely from person to person, and what causes an attack one day may not do so another day. Still, several summer conditions appear frequently in migraine research.
1. Weather Changes
Weather is one of the most commonly reported migraine triggers.
In a study of 1,207 people with migraine, 53.2% reported weather as a trigger, while heat was reported by 30.3%. (Kelman L, 2007) Research has also found an association between changes in barometric pressure and migraine attacks in some individuals.
That does not mean every drop in atmospheric pressure will cause a migraine. The relationship between migraine and weather is complex, and researchers are still working to understand exactly why some people are particularly sensitive to changing temperature, pressure and humidity.
2. Longer, Brighter Days
Light sensitivity, or photophobia, is one of the hallmark symptoms associated with migraine. For some people, bright light can also make an attack worse or act as a trigger.
Seasonal research conducted in northern Norway offers an interesting example. In a study of more than 1,000 headache patients living above the Arctic Circle, people with migraine were more likely than those with non-migraine headaches to report worsening symptoms during the bright “midnight sun” summer season.(Salvesen R, 2000)
3. Dehydration
Hot weather means more sweating, and summer activities can increase fluid loss even further.
Dehydration can cause headache on its own and may aggravate an underlying primary headache disorder such as migraine. Research into whether increasing water intake prevents migraine is still limited, but one randomized study found improved migraine-specific quality of life among participants advised to increase their water intake, although it did not significantly reduce the number of moderate headache days.(Spigt M, 2012) In other words, hydration is not a migraine cure — but avoiding dehydration is a sensible part of summer migraine management.
Practical Ways to Make Summer More Migraine-Friendly
Knowing the possible triggers is useful. Building simple habits around them is even better.
1. Hydrate Before You Get Thirsty
Think of hydration as something you maintain rather than something you fix after spending several hours in the sun.
Carry a reusable bottle when travelling, exercising or going to the beach. If you know you will be outside for a long period, start the day well hydrated and drink regularly.
2. Keep Your Sleep and Meal Schedule Consistent
Summer has a way of changing routines. Sunset comes later. Vacations lead to late nights. Weekend activities turn lunch into a snack at 4 p.m. And after a long day outside, bedtime can move several hours later than usual.
You do not need to make your vacation run like a workday. Simply try to keep the basics relatively predictable: regular meals, adequate sleep and enough recovery time after busy days.
3. Plan Around the Weather
Check the temperature, humidity and forecast before a full day outdoors.
On extremely hot days, consider shifting activities to the morning or evening. If storms or rapid weather changes tend to coincide with your migraine attacks, use the forecast as an early reminder to prepare rather than as a reason to cancel everything.
4. Protect Yourself From Bright Light
Sunglasses are one of the easiest additions to a summer migraine routine.
Choose lenses that are comfortable enough to wear consistently outdoors. Polarized sunglasses can reduce glare, while a wide-brimmed hat can help block sunlight entering from above and around the sides of your glasses. And remember that reflected light can be especially intense around beaches, pools and other bright surfaces.
5. Watch Out for Strong Summer Scents
Sunscreen, insect repellent, perfume, air fresheners and scented body products can become especially noticeable during summer.
If fragrance is one of your personal triggers, try fragrance-free sunscreen, insect repellent and personal-care products when possible. This is especially useful when several strongly scented products would otherwise be used at the same time.
6. Build a Summer Migraine Kit
You do not need to avoid beaches, festivals, theme parks or outdoor gatherings. Instead, make it easier to respond when you notice early symptoms.
For people looking to incorporate neuromodulation into their preventive migraine routine, HeadaTerm 2 offers a portable option that can fit easily into a travel bag.
HeadaTerm 2 is a rechargeable transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device worn on the forehead. It delivers electrical stimulation targeting nerves in the forehead involved in migraine pain pathways and provides adjustable intensity settings.
The goal is not to carry an entire medicine cabinet everywhere you go. It is to have a few useful tools available before a minor warning sign turns into a day-changing problem.
A Better Summer Starts With Knowing Your Triggers
There is no universal list of rules that can prevent every migraine attack. Migraine is highly individual, and triggers often interact rather than acting alone.
A hot afternoon might be perfectly manageable after a good night's sleep, breakfast and plenty of water — but much harder after a late night, skipped lunch and several hours in direct sunlight. That is why one of the most useful things you can do is learn your own pattern.
References
1. Kelman L. The triggers or precipitants of the acute migraine attack. Cephalalgia. 2007;27(5):394–402. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01303.x.
2. Kimoto K, Aiba S, Takashima R, et al. Influence of barometric pressure in patients with migraine headache. Internal Medicine. 2011;50(18):1923–1928. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.50.5640.
3. Salvesen R, Bekkelund SI. Migraine, as compared to other headaches, is worse during midnight-sun summer than during polar night: A questionnaire study in an Arctic population. Headache. 2000;40(10):824–829. doi:10.1046/j.1526-4610.2000.00149.x.
4. Spigt M, Weerkamp N, Troost J, van Schayck CP, Knottnerus JA. A randomized trial on the effects of regular water intake in patients with recurrent headaches. Family Practice. 2012;29(4):370–375. doi:10.1093/fampra/cmr112.