The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has provided several tips to avoid headaches during Ramadan. A variety of factors including dehydration, caffeine addiction, low blood sugar, and lack of sleep could trigger headaches during the fasting month.
Hissa Nasser Muhammad al-Naemi, dietitian at PHCC’s Qatar University Health Centre, said that the main cause of headache during Ramadan is dehydration, due to the long hours of fasting and insufficient water intake throughout the non-fasting period. She advised people to drink 8-10 cups of water throughout the non-fasting period, reduce caffeine intake, such as coffee and tea, as such diuretics increase the excretion of water from the body, leading to dehydration. If caffeine is consumed in excessive amounts, taking it away while fasting can cause headaches.
Changing mealtimes is another cause of headaches on the first days of Ramadan, due to low blood sugar and pressure. Al-Naemi advised those fasting to delay their first meals a week before Ramadan to avoid headaches. She also noted that staying up late and changing bedtimes also lead to headaches, highlighting the need to avoid that.
Al-Naemi added that changing medication timings may lead to headaches and advised those fasting with a chronic disease to consult their doctor, pharmacist, or health educator a week before Ramadan.
She also offered general tips to stay healthy during Ramadan, including the use of healthy cooking methods, such as grilling, boiling, or steaming instead of frying, as well as replacing butter, margarine, and Qatari butter with vegetable oil.
She recommended replacing juices with whole fruits or with sugar-free water with added natural home-made flavours, such as orange blossom water, rose water, lemon slices, and mint leaves.
Al-Naemi advised those fasting to exercise regularly, noting that those who suffer from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol should not exercise while fasting to avoid sudden drop in blood pressure and extreme tiredness.
Main cause of headache during Ramadan is dehydration.
