Ramadan in UAE: Getting headaches while fasting? Experts share tips to avoid

Ramadan in UAE: Getting headaches while fasting? Experts share tips to avoid

There are several hypotheses on what causes them, one that most seem to concur on is that it was a combination of dietary factors and loss of sleep

Published: Sat 25 Mar 2023, 7:03 AM

For Dubai resident Amina H., the most difficult part of Ramadan is the splitting headache she gets when she fasts. “Sometimes, I feel like my head is going to split into two,” she said. “It usually occurs in the first few days of Ramadan but sometimes, it extends for several days.”

Experts say, Amina is not alone in suffering from debilitating headaches during the holy month of Ramadan. In fact, according to Dr. Manio Ritter v. Maravic, Consultant Neurology at German Neuroscience Centre in Dubai, almost half of the fasting population is susceptible to it.

“One study amongst fasting patients reported 41 percent suffered from headaches and headache frequency increased with the duration of fasting,” he said. “The headache is very similar to Tension Type Headache with a diffuse non-pulsating pain of mild or moderate intensity. People suffering from headaches or migraine before Ramadan are at greater risk, but it can happen to anyone.”

There are several hypotheses on what causes these headaches. The one that most seem to concur