Many fasting people suffer from headaches during the holy month of Ramadan, especially during the first days. What are the causes? How is it dealt with?
Causes of headache during fasting in Ramadan
- Rapid change in eating habits, according to Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.
- Reducing fluid consumption.
- Changing sleep habits, which consist of staying up late for long hours, and not getting enough sleep during the night.
- feeling thirsty
- Cut out the caffeine in tea and coffee that many people start their day with.
Types of headache in Ramadan
- Headache before breakfast.
- Headache after breakfast.
How does headache occur before breakfast?
Dr. Youssef Al-Tayeb, senior consultant emergency medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation, says that headaches before breakfast occur as a result of a lack of glucose in the blood and its level below normal levels, as glucose is an important source of energy in the body, and food is its main source. Digestion and metabolism It turns into a simple sugar known as glucose in the bloodstream, and it is transferred to the cells of the body for use by the various organs in it to perform various vital processes.
How does headache occur after breakfast?
Some people may feel a headache after eating breakfast, and this often happens as a result of indigestion and filling the stomach with more than it needs for food and drink, which leads to pressure on the diaphragm, which impedes the breathing process, and makes the fasting person feel shortness of breath, fatigue and headache.
Tips to avoid headaches in Ramadan
- Start reducing caffeine consumption weeks before the fast.
- Delaying Suhoor and eating a healthy and complete Suhoor meal that provides the body with energy throughout the fasting period. It is preferable to include slow-digesting foods such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.
- Regulating sleeping hours during Ramadan, avoiding staying up late, and taking a nap during daylight hours.
- Consuming a large amount of fluids, up to 3 liters, distributed over periods from iftar to suhoor.
- Maintaining the blood sugar level within the normal range, by eating food rich in sugars and starches in moderate quantities during the Suhoor and Iftar meals.
- Eat a healthy and complete breakfast to ensure that the body gets what it needs of vitamins, salts and minerals, without overeating until you feel full.
- Stay in cool places during the hot hours of the day, and try to avoid sunlight and hot weather as much as possible.
- Avoid hard work and postpone it until after Iftar, to prevent sweating and maintain body moisture, and then prevent headaches during the day in Ramadan, thirst and dehydration.
- Avoid drinking stimulants that contain caffeine.
- Organizing medication dose appointments, especially for those with chronic diseases and high pressure patients.
- Avoid sources of anxiety and stress, and reduce exposure to electronic screens.
- Eat walnuts, cheese, eggs and natural butter at suhoor, according to Professor Dr. Canan Karatay, a specialist in internal diseases and cardiology in Turkey. Anadolu Agency.
- Eat soup, olives and cooked meals for breakfast.
