Some people have headaches when the weather is cold. I believe many people want to know what the reason is and how to treat it. I've sorted out the causes of headache in cold weather for your reference. I hope you can gain something in the process of reading!
As we all know, too low temperature will lead to the contraction of capillaries on the surface of the human body, causing the rise of blood pressure. This rise in blood pressure caused by cold is called cold pressor response. The typical manifestations of cold pressor reaction are numbness of limbs, cold hands and feet and headache. The elderly have relatively high blood pressure, so it is not surprising that they are prone to headaches in winter.
Therefore, when going out in cold weather, it is best to wear a scarf and hat to keep warm; From the outside to the heated room, open the window first to cool down, so as not to induce headache due to too high temperature and too late for the body to adapt. When exercising outdoors in winter, it is best to wear a hooded coat or hat to avoid vasodilation during exercise, but the epidermis contacts cold air, resulting in poor vascular regulation; If you sweat during exercise, dry it with a towel or handkerchief as soon as possible to avoid sweating evaporation and catching cold and inducing headache.
In cold and dry winter, it is also vulnerable to virus infection. Some people may not have respiratory symptoms after being infected by the virus, but only headache and dizziness. In addition, the elderly have been infected with many viruses, such as rhinovirus, ECHO virus and adenovirus. When reinfected by these viruses, sometimes they will not cause serious diseases, but they can cause headaches, just like colds and headaches. This kind of headache usually disappears after 3 ~ 4 days. Oral Qutong tablet can alleviate the headache caused by recessive virus infection.
In winter, due to the cold, the doors and windows are closed, and we should also be alert to the headache caused by mild carbon monoxide poisoning. Therefore, paying attention to indoor air circulation in winter is an effective measure to prevent this kind of headache, especially for rural families who use open fire for heating, we should pay more attention to the safety of baking.
After taking a bath in winter, you should quickly wear warm clothes to avoid headache caused by excessive temperature difference inside and outside the bathroom. You can also use air conditioning to raise the temperature of the room or living room, so that after taking a bath, people's head will not contact the cold air, and it is not easy to have head discomfort symptoms.
Of course, the elderly or patients with hypertension should not get up immediately after taking a bath. They should first sit on the edge of the bathtub and soak their feet in the water. After the heartbeat and breathing are stable, they can get up slowly and wear clothes to keep warm, so as to prevent accidents caused by dizziness and rapid vasoconstriction.
Women who love beauty like to wash their hair in winter, which actually affects the warm effect of hair on the head. Because dry hair can keep the air in the hair gap to achieve the heat preservation effect of isolating the external temperature, while wet hair has no such effect; If the hair is not dried in time after shampoo, the water will absorb heat energy when it evaporates, resulting in cold on the scalp and neck, causing excessive vasoconstriction and headache.
It must be noted that the cold weather is only the inducing factor of headache, which is an external cause; The internal cause of headache is people's physical condition (such as high and low blood pressure, physical strength, chronic medical history, etc.). In this sense, any type of headache should go to the hospital, especially when the headache is severe, which is easier to find out the internal cause.
Potatoes:
Potato is a kind of food rich in potassium, and people will lose a lot of potassium after drinking, and the electrolyte balance of the human body is broken. And proper eating foods rich in potassium can alleviate the headache caused by drunkenness.
Melon seeds:
Melon seeds are rich in amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. People who often have pain can eat them appropriately, or when they are side dishes, they can also reduce the incidence of headache. In addition, nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews have the function of tonifying and strengthening the brain, and proper eating also has the function of relieving pain.
Watermelon:
Spring and summer alternate, dehydration is one of the main causes of headache attack, and watermelon is not only the best fruit to relieve summer heat and thirst, but also the water content in watermelon is very rich, which can supplement water to alleviate the headache caused by dehydration. In addition, the rich magnesium in watermelon can also prevent headache.
Coffee:
Coffee has the effect of constricting blood vessels, especially when you feel depressed and sleepy. Drinking coffee appropriately can refresh your mind. But don't drink too much coffee at one time, otherwise it will aggravate the problem of dehydration, make the headache more serious and affect the quality of sleep.
Whole grains:
It is generally believed that if the carbohydrate intake in the daily diet is insufficient, the brain will lack energy, so people are easy to have headaches. Therefore, eating whole grains with more carbohydrates can alleviate headaches.
1. Reduce temperature difference and slow stimulation
Because migraine can be induced by cold, it is necessary to keep the patient warm, especially for the head. When it's cold, reduce staying outdoors for a long time and try to stay indoors at a normal temperature. Some outdoor sports can also be adjusted to indoor or other sports. If you have to go out, try to wear a hat to maintain the temperature of your head. From the outside to the heated room, open the window first to cool down, so as not to induce headache due to too high temperature and too late for the body to adapt.
2. Soak your hands with hot ginger to treat headache
In winter, soak your hands with hot ginger for half an hour 2-3 times a day, which can stimulate vasodilation, accelerate blood circulation and effectively alleviate the symptoms of headache. If you have a stubborn headache, it is recommended to stick to this method for a long time. When it is not suitable to soak your hands, you can also warm your hands with a hot water bag, which can also play a role in alleviating.
3. Massage the head
Massage the head with moderate strength is an effective way to relieve headache. The temple is an important acupoint for headache massage. You can press it with your index finger and gently rotate it back and forth from the temple to the hairline with your fist.
4. Apply cold compress or hot compress as appropriate
When it is cold, you can apply a hot towel (the temperature does not exceed 42 ℃) to the neck for 10 ~ 15 minutes to relax the muscles and drive the blood circulation of the head. When the blood vessels dilate too fast from outdoor to warm indoor, you should apply a cold towel to the forehead. It is not recommended to apply the neck, so as not to tighten the muscles, affect the circulation and aggravate the headache.
5. Do not touch computer and TV for a long time
Because migraine patients need to keep warm, they will stay indoors longer, which increases the probability of patients facing computer and TV for a long time. However, patients should not face the computer TV for a long time. They will be exposed to electromagnetic radiation when facing the computer screen for a long time, and the long-term electromagnetic radiation will lead to the fatigue of patients' eyes. The fatigue of patients' eyes is very easy to consume liver blood, cause the internal movement of liver wind, and finally lead to the occurrence of migraine.
6. Wrap towel around your head
It may seem ridiculous, but it's a good way to treat migraines. In case of pain, use a towel or soft cloth to wrap it around the temple, so as to inhibit vascular dilation and relieve pain.
7. Keep warm after taking a bath
Wear a coat to keep warm after bathing to avoid headache due to contact with cold air and excessive temperature difference. Don't get up immediately after taking a bath. First sit on the edge of the bathtub and soak your feet in the water. After your heartbeat and breathing are stable, get up slowly and wear clothes to keep warm, so as to prevent dizziness and rapid vasoconstriction from accidents.
8. Dry the sweat during exercise
When you go out for exercise in cold weather, you'd better wear a hooded jacket or hat to avoid vasodilation during exercise, but the epidermis contacts cold air, resulting in poor vascular regulation. If you sweat, wipe it with a towel or handkerchief as soon as possible to avoid sweat evaporation, cold and headache.
9. Proper rest
If possible, when a headache occurs, you might as well have a rest in a dark and quiet room. Generally speaking, as long as you sleep for half an hour, the headache will slow down.
10. Be alert to food induced migraine
In this season, try not to eat some raw and cold food. Sausage, hot dog, ham, bacon and other cured and smoked meat and processed meat have high nitrite content, so we should try to eat less in daily life. Sugar substitutes should also be eaten less, because sugar substitutes (such as aspartame, amino acids, etc.) will over stimulate or interfere with nerve endings, increase muscle tension and cause migraine.
11. Soak your feet with hot water every day
In this way, the blood vessels of the feet and lower legs will be heated and expanded to lead the blood of the head to the feet, which plays a role in reducing the pressure of the blood vessels of the head. Hot water foot bathing can excite the parasympathetic nerve. The excited parasympathetic nerve helps to alleviate the tense mood and fully relax the body and mind. Therefore, many people who receive foot bathing are often seen sleeping when bathing their feet, and those who are awake will also be drowsy.
12. Get enough sleep
The length of sleep should be determined according to the individual's physical conditions. Let it be, but be sure to sleep enough. Generally, it is based on the recovery of normal physical strength and no fatigue discomfort the next day. At the same time, sleep regularly to ensure "midnight sleep" (23:00-1:00) and do not stay up late. Pay attention to eating more vegetables and fruits rich in magnesium to increase the content of magnesium in the brain.
13. Blow dry your hair to prevent catching cold
Dry hair can keep the air in the hair gap to keep warm and isolate the external temperature. If the hair is not dried after washing, the water will absorb heat energy during evaporation, resulting in chills on the scalp and neck, causing excessive vasoconstriction and headache. It is best to dry it as soon as possible.
14. Moderate coffee can relieve
Caffeine can constrict blood vessels. If you have a headache caused by excessive vasodilation due to too hot environment, you can drink an appropriate amount of coffee to relieve it. Take black coffee as an example. Don't exceed 250ml a day, so as to avoid excessive intake of caffeine, which will over excite the sympathetic nerve, but accelerate the consumption of physical energy and make you feel tired.
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