Summer Headache Relief

Head hurt? As temperatures rise, so do your chances of getting a pounder. Find out how to stop the brain pain

June 15, 2010
Headache Pain: Taking Aspirin

You thought cellulite was the bane of bikini season, but summer's real trouble lands a bit higher up. According to a Neurology study, your headache risk jumps 8 percent each time the temperature climbs nine degrees. Heat may make the blood vessels in your skull expand and press up against surrounding nerve endings, creating a very sensitive situation.

As a result, even normal blood flow can feel like a jackhammer drilling through your cranium, says neurologist Alexander Mauskop, M.D., founder of the New York Headache Center. But although headaches are people's number one physical woe—and women get them more often than men do—you can stop the throbbing and get back to the beach.

Tension Headaches

These zingers, which feel like a giant rubber band wrapped around your brain, affect 78 percent of Americans and can strike up to 15 times a month. "They come from stiffness in your neck, forehead, scalp, and face," says Mauskop, as overly taut muscles irritate nerve endings, which relay pain signals to the brain. Anything from stress to fatigue can get one going.

Treat them: Pop an OTC painkiller—whether it's aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen—at the first sign of scalp tightness. You can also try massaging a muscle-relaxing lidocaine-based gel on your shoulders and neck, says Mauskop.

Prevent them: Start sweating! Sofa spuds are 14 percent more likely to get tension headaches than those who frequent the gym. Exercise is a natural stress buster that prompts your body to release painkilling endorphins, explains Merle Diamond, M.D., codirector of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. It also strengthens blood-vessel muscles against headache-inducing inflammation.


Sinus Headaches

Anything that irritates your sinuses—a cold, allergies, malodorous cologne—can inflame them, leaving you with painful pounding around your eyes. And sinus infections can make things worse. "The pressure inside your sinuses should naturally match the atmospheric pressure," explains Kenneth Mukamal, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. So if you're already stuffy when a pressure-altering summer storm rolls in, your sinuses can't readily adjust and you could end up with an even more intense hurt between your brows.

Treat them: Lay a warm damp cloth over your eyes to relieve inflammation, and use an OTC nasal spray to knock out congestion. If symptoms last longer than four days, see your doctor, says Mauskop.

Prevent them: Replace the filters in your air conditioner with new HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) ones that screen out the pollen, dust, mold, and airborne bacteria that can cause nasal inflammation. If you're prone to allergies, try using a neti pot (a teakettle-like device that's used to irrigate the sinuses with a warm saline solution) twice a week.


The mother of all noggin pain, migraines can be triggered by a variety of stimuli—including stress, bright light, too much or too little sleep, hunger, and hormonal fluctuations—that engorge your brain's blood vessels. The resulting nerve pain leads to a piercing misery that lasts anywhere from four hours to three days. Scientists are studying why some women are more susceptible to migraines than others are, but they think DNA is involved; about 80 percent of sufferers have a family history. If you're not sure whether your headaches fit the migraine bill, check if you meet two of the three criteria doctors use to make a diagnosis: pain that keeps you from your normal life activities, sensitivity to light, and nausea.

Treat them: Swallowing OTC painkillers has little effect. An ice pack can offer some relief, but most sufferers use prescription meds called triptans, which work in part by constricting the blood vessels around your brain. They're most effective if taken at the first sign of pain.

Prevent them: Have your doctor check your magnesium level to determine if you need a supplement. The mineral is closely tied to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates blood-vessel function; inadequate amounts of magnesium can hinder serotonin production and lead to inflammation. Another natural alternative? Acupuncture. A 2009 study found it to be more effective at relieving migraines than some preventative Rx treatments. Finally, something decidedly less organic: According to a study in the Archives of Dermatology, women who got just a single dose of Botox in the forehead say their migraine incidences fell from seven days a month to one.

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