On April 1, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began, and all over the world, those who respect the Islamic faith fast from sunrise to sunset. Beyond the meaning of fasting, since it is "sacrifice" in itself, it is sometimes accompanied by other consequences, such as: headache!
What do you need to know if during this period you have had more headaches than usual?
According to doctors, headaches during the fasting period are more common in people who generally suffer from it. Such pain is usually felt if you have fasted for more than 16 hours.
What causes fasting headache?
Dehydration, changes in blood sugar levels and cessation of caffeine.
When your body dehydrates, your blood vessels narrow. This causes the tissues in your body - including your brain - to shrink or contract. As your brain contracts, it pulls away from the skull, putting pressure on the nerves and causing headaches. For this reason, even the slightest dehydration can cause headaches. However, water consumption is not enough. People generally get 20% of the water they need from food, so if you are going to spend a long time without eating you should drink much more water than usual.
Electrolytes are minerals (eg, sodium, potassium, magnesium) in your body that are important for balancing the amount of water in the body, moving nutrients to your cells and ensuring that nerves, muscles, heart and brain your can function properly. Your electrolyte levels move naturally, but they can become too low or too high as a result of changes in the amount of water or electrolytes in your body.
Most people get enough electrolytes through food or drink, but if you do not eat (and / or drink) for long periods of time, your electrolyte levels are likely to be out of balance. Fasting for more than 12 hours or following an extremely fast diet (like the ketogenic diet) will put you at a higher risk of dehydration and electrolyte balance because it causes your kidneys to excrete sodium and potassium.
If your body is expelling those two electrolytes, an imbalance can occur, which can lead to dehydration or overhydration - both of which can cause headaches.
Sudden change of regimen or giving up caffeine also causes headaches that you may not have experienced repeatedly before.
What can you do during this period?
The good news is that such pains go away as soon as you eat! You need to pay attention to the amount of the first meal, make sure it is not too much and rich in carbohydrates. Combine them with vegetables, protein, fruits to have the energy you feel during the day and maintain proper blood sugar levels.
Source: Pop Sugar
