People may suffer headaches, drowsiness while fasting

Islamabad : It is commonly observed that many people while fasting in Ramazan suffer mild to moderate and in some cases severe headaches that according to health experts can be managed by avoiding headache triggers along with opting for a proper diet at the time of ‘Sehr’, ‘Iftar’ and after ‘Iftar’.

Majority of people experiencing headaches, drowsiness and lethargy during the fast and after ‘Iftar’ can control the problems by understanding the factors that cause them. People during the fast may suffer headaches because of hypoglycaemia (lowering of blood sugar), change in sleep patterns, the stress of fasting or reduction in blood supply to the brain. Experts say that fasting in Ramazan is a significant precipitating factor for headache and the onset of headache often occurs in the afternoon or evening before ‘Iftar’ and may last for hours. It is witnessed that chronic patients of headache are more prone to have severe headache while fasting however some patients who experience headaches while fasting in Ramazan do not have any history of headaches or migraines.

Studies reveal that during the long hours of fasting, protein breakdown starts and ammonia and other nitrogenous chemicals are released that enter the brain and cause headaches, drowsiness and lethargy. Experts say that another reason behind headaches is that when empty stomach is filled rapidly at the time of ‘Iftar’, 60 to 70 per cent of the blood supply is directed towards the gastrointestinal system for digestion of the food consumed causing reduction in blood supply to the brain that results in persistent headache.

Hypoglycaemia, the lowering of blood sugar, can also trigger headaches in many people. If a meal with high sugar content is taken at the time of ‘Sehr’, it can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels followed by a fast drop that may trigger a headache. According to experts, eating a meal with low sugar content at the time of ‘Sehr’ may prevent the onset of a headache during the day.

Experts believe that dehydration is another common trigger and adequate intake of fluid between ‘Iftar’ and ‘Sehr’ and at the time of ‘Sehr’ can prevent headaches. People should not eat too much at the time of ‘Iftar’ and avoid stomach distention. People particularly those who experience headaches while fasting should take a diet having slightly higher fat so that the effects of massive protein breakdown can be minimized during the long hours of fasting. People experiencing headaches, drowsiness or lethargy more often while fasting should take at least two-hour bed rest in the afternoon.

It is worth mentioning here that the human brain is more than 75 per cent water, and it is very sensitive to the amount of water available to it. When the brain detects that the water supply is too low, it begins to produce histamines.