When you haven’t had enough to eat, you may not just hear your stomach rumble, however also feel a strong headache coming on.bA hunger headache happens when your blood sugar begins to dip lower than normal. Being hungry can likewise trigger migraine headaches for some individuals.
Continue reading to learn more about hunger headaches, consisting of how to treat and prevent them.
What Are The Symptoms?
Hunger-related headaches frequently carefully resemble stress headaches in signs.
A few of the common symptoms consist of:
- dull discomfort
- feeling as if there’s a tight band twisted around your head
- feeling pressure across your forehead or the sides of your head
- feeling tension in your neck and shoulders
When your blood sugar gets low, you may observe other signs also, including:
- dizziness
- fatigue
- stomach pain
- feeling cold
- shakiness
These extra symptoms tend to come on gradually. You may start with simply a dull headache, however as you delay consuming, you might start to notice other signs.
Hunger headache symptoms tend to fix within about 30 minutes of eating.
What Causes It?
Hunger-related headaches may originate from a lack of food, drink, or both. A few of the most typical hunger headache causes include:
- Dehydration. If you haven’t had sufficient to drink, the thin layers of tissue in your brain can begin to tighten and continue pain receptors. This side effect is a common reason for another headache type– the hangover headache.
- Lack of caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant the body becomes accustomed to, particularly if you have a three- or four-cup each day routine. If you haven’t had caffeine in a while, the blood vessels in your brain can expand, increasing blood flow to your brain and causing a headache.
- Skipping meals. Calories in food are a measurement of energy. Your body needs a constant energy source in the form of food as fuel. If you haven’t had anything to eat in a while, your blood sugar levels can drop. In reaction, your body releases hormonal agents that indicate your brain that you’re hungry. These very same hormonal agents might increase your blood pressure and tighten up blood vessels in your body, triggering a headache.
In addition, you may be more likely to develop hunger headaches if you already routine experience headaches or migraine.
How Are They Treated?
You can typically ease a hunger headache by eating and
drinking water. If caffeine withdrawal is to blame, a cup of tea or coffee may help.
Keep in mind that it can take 15 to thirty minutes for your body to change and re-build its blood sugar stores. If you seem like your blood sugar is truly low or have a history of hypoglycemia, you may need to eat something high in sugar, such as fruit juice or soda. Simply make certain to follow up with some protein later.
Migraine Treatment
Sometimes, a hunger headache can trigger a more significant headache, such as migraine. This involves chronic headaches that cause extreme pain.
You can look for migraine symptoms utilizing the POUND acronym:
- P is for pulsating. The headache typically has a pulsating experience in the head.
- O is for one-day duration. They generally last 24 to 72 hours without treatment.
- U is for unilateral. The discomfort from is normally on one side of your head.
- N is for nausea. You may likewise feel nauseated or vomit.
- D is for disabling. Migraine symptoms can make it tough to think clearly. You might also be extra sensitive to light, sounds, and smells.
When you have a hunger-related migraine headache, eating may not be enough to ease the discomfort. Start by taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) also might assist.
In addition, some people discover that a little caffeine assists as well, so consider drinking a cup of tea or coffee.
If home treatment doesn’t provide relief, you may require prescription medications, such as triptans. These medicines include eletriptan (Relpax) and frovatriptan (Frova). If these aren’t efficient, there are other medication options, consisting of steroids.
Are They Preventable?
Unlike other kinds of headaches, hunger headaches are fairly simple to prevent. Attempt to prevent skipping meals. If you don’t have time for full meals throughout the day, try consuming several smaller ones.
Keep portable snacks, such as energy bars or bags of path mix, nearby when you head out or know you’ll have a hectic day. Opt for things that you can consume rapidly to keep your blood sugar steady.
Objective to drink a lot of water throughout the day. Not exactly sure if you’re drinking enough? Check your urine — if it’s pale yellow, you’re probably hydrated. But if it’s dark yellow, or even brownish, it’s time to reach for some water.
If you frequently get headaches related to caffeine withdrawal, you might want to consider cutting down on the amount of caffeine you drink completely. Given that stopping “cold turkey” can cause uneasy headaches, you can try some methods to cut back on your intake.
These consist of:
- pouring a half-caffeinated, half-decaf cup of coffee or tea to decrease the total amount of caffeine
- decreasing your caffeine intake by one cup or drink every 3 days
- drinking a cup of tea, which is generally lower in caffeine, instead of your normal drip coffee
Cutting down over the course of 2 to 3 weeks can usually help you minimize your caffeine intake without a lot of side effects.
What’s The Outlook?
According to Seattle Children’s Hospital, an approximated 30 percent of individuals get a headache when they are hungry. If you’re prone to hunger headaches, keeping snacks with you and consuming meals at routine intervals can help.
If you find you are experiencing hunger headaches several times a week, it might be worth following up with your doctor. They may suggest modifications to your eating habits or suggest screening your blood sugar levels more often.
