Anyone else get headaches from the heat?

[SGMsMom]

Yes, I do get headaches from the heat while at Disney World. Staying hydrated always helps, but if I make the mistake of drinking non-bottled water or eating ice from a fountain drink - I end up with a 'sick' headache.

There is something in the water in Orlando that causes me to have horrid headaches. I now even pack a Brita pitcher to use for rinse water after I brush my teeth.

Hope this helps, have a great vacation!

-Belynda

 

[cmusschoot]

Hi, I am a migraine sufferer but I am also prone to all sorts of headaches. To be honest once a migraine hits...it is over for me. Sleep is the only thing that helps.

But, I have found that to head off headaches, caffeine helps. I suggest a regular Coke...the sugar and caffeine combo can work wonders. This may lead to dehydration so follow up with plenty of water...

While I don't like to take OTC medicine I ALWAYS carry Excedrin Migraine with me, but have recently found Advil Migraine to work too...

Happy Travels to you!

 

[Experiment113]

No matter how much prevention i do, I seem to always have 1 bad headache/migraine at Disney. What i do at home to help with the pain (in addition to pain medication): Dampen a bath towel and microwave it to heat it and then wrap it around your head to relieve the pain. (Be careful not to burn yourself from the steam!)

Since i can't do this in our hotel room, i take a heating pad & a supply of the Thermocare Heat Wraps . They start heating up when they are opened and exposed to air. I know it sounds crazy, but when a headache hits, i take medication, go back to the room, turn on the air conditioning and use the heating pad or heat wraps to ease the pain.

While at Disney, in addition to drinking water, i also drink at least 1 Gatoraide a day.

We also plan our table service meals at lunch time. This way i am getting at least 1 good hour sitting in the air conditioning during the heat of the day.

Good luck!

 

[bubba]

I agree with all previous posters saying hydrate, hydrate, hydrate ! Carry your OTC remedy of choice, and use it at the onset of headache. I swear by cooling neck bands, or if I don't have it with me I put a cold bottle of water on the back of my neck. Take advantage of AC when you can, take a couple relaxation breaks during the day and eat regularly. I keep a cereal bar, banana or crackers and cheese, etc in my bag to ward off the dips in blood sugar.

 

[rosiep]

Eating when it's hot is a real challenge for me. I need to be very consciencious about it. Fruit and starch (like a pretzel or popcorn) seems to be easy for me to get down, but I also need to make sure that I eat some protein!

 

[timzagain]

I live in the Caribbean - year round heat and glare! I used to get frequent, terrible migraines from the heat until I made a few changes:-

1. I invested in a pair of good quality sunglasses with polarized lenses! I chose Ray Bans - not cheap but well worth every cent! As I am outdoors during the day, I make sure that I wear them
2. Stay hydrated! It makes a HUGE difference.
3. In a theme-park type of situation - I look for every opportunity to cool down - air conditioning, getting wet etc.
4. If all those tricks fail, take headache meds as soon as there's even the slightest hint of a headache

Edited to add:

I forgot to add 2 other tips:-

1) If I feel a migraine coming on and I have no meds on me - I drink a Coke. The caffeine definitely helps
2) Don't allow yourself to get too hungry

 

[onelilspark]

I'm with the others. I think for migraine sufferers the heat, humidity, and sunshine can be killer triggers. For me, I know I need to just keep drinking a ton of water. I'm definitely one that walks up to Counter Service places and asks for ice water...otherwise I'd spend a fortune on bottled water I always make sure I have sunglasses on, even if it's overcast. The strain on your eyes, especially day in, day out, can really hit you hard.

And if you're finding that you're starting to feel lathargic, drowsy, etc. Go find some air conditioning. Many times I find that I'm simply overheating, which if I don't cool off, will trigger a migraine. (And unfortunately, it is a migraine, not just a simple headache!)

The best thing you can do with the heat is just to take care of yourself...oh, and lay off the booze

ETA: I drive my family crazy because I inhale so much water that I spend most of my time in the restrooms! (If you want to know where the best ones on property are...I'm your girl! ) But they also know that if I didn't do that, we'd be heading back to the hotel so I could sleep it off Personally, I'd rather spend that time stopping at a restroom than spending the time sleeping because I didn't take care of myself!

 

[Debbie-TN]

I find that sometimes I get a headache from squinting my eyes in the sun. On our last trip, I wore a visor(or you could hear a ballcap) to keep the sun off my face and it reaaly helped.

 

[nicolesap]

Keeping hydrated is the key, like many others have said...and avoiding caffeine. While some swear by Excedrin migraine, it has caffeine in it, and tends to be the root cause of rebound headaches. That coupled with continued dehydration, and continued use of excedrin migraine is why so many people "swear by it" and use it on an almost daily basis. If you cut it out of your life, and replace it with an equal amount of caffeine (which is a CRAZY amount!) plus hydration and the occasional tylenol, and gradually cut the caffeine out of your diet, you can wean yourself off the excedrin. Google it, or call a neurologist--they will vouch for it.

As far as while in Disney, or any other hot place for that matter, keeping cool and hydrated is the key...drink even when you think you aren't thirsty. If you notice that your mouth is dry or you are starting to get thirsty, it's too late...bring on the water--and especially avoid sodas and sugary juices, etc.

 

[Shagley]

I agree with all of the others...

*stay hydrated

*wear sunglasses (the polarized ones make a big difference)

*don't go too long without eating. I am not a big breakfast eater, but I have to have at least a granola bar or pop tart in the morning, or I will have a headache before lunch.

*take medication when you feel the headache starting to come on, don't wait until it is already bad.

*stay out of the sun as much as possible, and go into the shade or air conditioning periodically, before you feel overheated.

 

[crazelion]

I work out outside at baseball parks and drink a ton of water. I tell when I am get sick to my stomach when I have not drank enough water. All say is water water more water. That will help you the most. For the headaches get some where cool fast your body is over heating and need rest.

 

[Simba22]

Drink a lot of water and wear sunglasses...I also recommend wearing a hat or visor...something else to shield your eyes. I've found that I get headaches from squinting.

 

[brock20l]

Advil Extra Strength Liqui-Gels are my BEST FRIEND!! I honestly won't go anywhere without them. Besides, that, I'd say my best tip for handling migraines is to try to nip them in the bud. When you feel headache pain coming on, don't just brush it off and tell yourself "oh, I'll just wait a bit before I take something. It'll go away." Sure, it might, but if it doesn't, the pain will increase past the point of no return, and you'll end up with a brain that feels like someone has tied an elastic around it for the whole rest of the day. When you feel just that little bit of a warning ache, get out of the sun, drink at least a half a bottle of water, and take your pain relieving medication, whatever it may be.