Headache while fasting can be managed

Islamabad : Many people including patients and healthy ones while fasting in the holy month of Ramazan complain of mild to moderate and in some cases severe headaches though majority of them do not understand the phenomenon and remain unable to find remedy for the problem.

Soon after beginning of Ramazan, the healthcare facilities both in private and public sectors have started receiving significant number of patients with headaches that in many cases may be because of hypoglycaemia (lowering of blood sugar), change in sleep patterns and the stress of fasting or reduction in blood supply to the brain.

According to Senior Consultant Intensive Care Medicine at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Medical Specialist Dr. Muhammad Haroon, fasting during Ramazan is a significant precipitating factor for headache and the onset of headache often occurs in the afternoon or evening before ‘Iftar’ or after ‘Iftar’.

He added that one can manage headaches during fasting with the help of proper diet at the time of ‘Sehr’, ‘Iftar’ and after ‘Iftar’. It has been observed that chronic patients of headache are more prone to have severe headache during fasting but some patients who experience headaches during fasting do not have any history of headaches or migraines, he said.

Talking to ‘The News’, Dr. Haroon said majority of people while fasting may experience some form of headache though for many it is not significant while others complain of severe headache that disturbs their routine activities. The main reasons in simple words are that during long hours of fasting, protein breakdown starts and ammonia and other nitrogenous chemicals are released that enter brain and cause headache, drowsiness and lethargy, he explained.

Another reason is that when empty stomach is filled rapidly at the time of ‘Iftar’, 60 to 70 per cent of the blood supply is directed towards gastrointestinal system for digestion of the food consumed causing reduction in blood supply to the brain that may result in persistent headache, he said.

He added that another big issue is free water intake in large quantities immediately after ‘Iftar’ that lowers down sodium levels causing multiple symptoms including weakness and fatigue.

Talking of the remedies, he said that people should not eat too much at the time of ‘Iftar’ and avoid stomach distention. People particularly those who experience headache while fasting should take plenty of fluids between ‘Iftar’ and ‘Sehr’ and at the time of ‘Sehr’, they should take diet with high fat so that massive protein breakdown can be prevented after long hours of fast, said Dr. Haroon.

He added the people under the fast should try to take two-hour bed rest daily after 3:00 pm.

Dr. Haroon said dehydration is another common trigger and adequate intake of fluid between ‘Iftar’ and ‘Sehr’ and at the time of ‘Sehr’ can prevent headaches.

It is important that the human brain is more than 75 per cent water, and it is very sensitive to the amount of water available to it. When the brain detects that the water supply is too low, it begins to produce histamines. This is essentially a process of water rationing and conservation, in order to safeguard the brain in case the water shortage continues for a long period of time. The histamines directly cause pain and fatigue, in other words a headache and the low energy that usually accompanies it.

Dr. Haroon said those who suffer headache during fasting should avoid exposure to triggers such as fluid retention, stress, fatigue and lack of sleep during Ramazan.