Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims, in which Muslims fast for a whole day without eating or drinking anything. Many people, no matter healthy or patient, suffer from headaches while fasting in this condition. Headache is a pain that might be severe or mild and widely affect our daily life activity during Ramadan. It's widespread because our blood sugar level decreases, and our body dehydrates due to fasting.


Headaches are mainly of two distinct types and have various causes, primarily due to stress and anxiety, and in this case, there are chances of migraine. Sometimes it occurs due to any structural and molecular disturbances in the brain and body. And most of the issues that we receive headaches, they suffer headaches during the evening and afternoon or during the time near the iftar.


Causes Of Headache During Fasting


Headache during fasting, whether you are suffering from migraine or mild pain, can have various causes like electrolyte imbalance, stress, sleep deprivation, usage of some supplements, and dehydration. The reasons like dehydration and electrolyte imbalance are linked with fasting, but not everyone suffers from dehydration. Some people can regulate this gap after iftar and drink plenty of water and juices to overcome it.


Sleep deprivation and stress are linked to chronic headaches. Many people can't sleep during Ramadan due to the upregulation of chemicals like epinephrine, and lack of sleep increases your stress level resulting in a headache.


Various Ways To Manage Headaches During Ramadan


There are various ways to manage headaches during Ramadan because there are some specific body changes that occur due to fastings like low water consumption and low sugar level, so if we can address these conditions well during Ramadan, then we can control or prevent headaches;


Hypoglycemia


Hypoglycemia means a low level of sugar, and this is the most common trigger for headache if you consume the food before fasting that is high in sugar level. Then during fasting, this level falls rapidly, and due to this quick drop in the blood sugar level, we suffer from severe headaches.


So you should take the food before fasting with low sugar content, which will help prevent your severe condition later. Low carbohydrate level produces fewer levels of glucose and insulin in the body. Food with low carbohydrates includes low-fat things such as yoghurt, juice, oat bran, etc.


Withdrawal Of Caffeine


The standard-issue that people face is the withdrawal of caffeine. If you are used to consuming several cups of caffeine, tea, or coffee every day, you might suffer problems in Ramadan. So, reducing caffeine consumption will be helpful for you and prevent headaches.


View More: What Should I Eat During Ramazan


If you want to overcome this condition, it is suggested to drink one cup of strong coffee before fasting in sehri, which will help soothe caffeine withdrawal headaches.


Dehydration

Our body largely depends upon water because there is more than seventy person water in our body, and our brain needs an adequate amount of water for proper functioning. When there is a relatively lower amount of fluid in our body, the brain starts the formation of histamines.


Our body starts conserving water to provide the brain with normal functioning. Histamine production can cause pain, fatigue, and headaches with low energy. So it is necessary to consume a large amount of water before fasting, prevent unnecessary stress, and take complete proper sleep during fasting. This will reduce the pain and irritation.

 

Concluding It


During fasting, you need to consider various aspects of the causes of fasting, and you need to prevent these causes. Try to keep yourself hydrated and think if your headache is really due to fasting or any other issues or medications. Reducing the carbohydrates in our food will help prevent it. By taking various measures, we can avoid headaches during Ramadan. 


Please book an appointment with the Best Neurologist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03100002273 to find a verified doctor for your disease.


FAQ's


Q: Which doctor is best for headaches?


A: If you are facing headaches continuously it might be a good idea to see the best neurologist. To find the best doctor you can also visit Instacare.


Q: How to manage headaches at home?


A: Follow the following things to manage headaches in Ramadan at home

  • Take the food before fasting with low sugar content,
  • Drink one cup of strong coffee
  • Take complete proper sleep during fasting