The coming of spring is much needed after the chill and dark days of winter, but despite the warmer weather and brighter days, for migraine sufferers it’s not all good news.
The arrival of spring can mean the coming of more migraine attacks. This is especially the case for migraine sufferers who suffer from pollen allergies. People who suffer from allergies are more likely to suffer from migraine attacks, and to experience them more frequently, than those who don’t have allergies.
Hay fever season starts in spring, and runs from late March through to September. Tree pollen is the first type released – from late March to mid-May, then grass – from mid-May through to July, and finally weed pollen – from the end of June through to September.
If you suffer from migraines and have an allergy to one of these types of pollen, you may well find your attacks are more intense and/or frequent during these peak times. Although how bad and how long the pollen season and ensuing migraines triggered by it are will be dependent on average temperature and rainfall. For example, a drier season reduces the amount of pollen produced.
Doctors aren’t sure why allergy sufferers are more susceptible to migraines, but they do know that the nervous system, hormonal system, and immune system all play a part. One part of the problem may be that when you’re exposed to allergens and your immune system is triggered, certain chemicals are released which can fuel inflammation throughout the body, and in doing so trigger a migraine attack.
With this in mind, now is the time to make sure that you have enough of your anti-histamine hay fever medication ready to use. While anti-histamines won’t help with reducing migraine pain or symptoms, they can help by easing your allergy symptoms and so reduce the migraine-triggering impact of hay fever.
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