Fall offers plenty to enjoy, but the headache can be downright painful for some headache sufferers.
Autumn is a favorite time of year for many: the smell of candy corn, the feel of your favorite cozy sweater and picturesque landscapes filled with shades of red, orange and yellow. What’s not to love?
The season might actually feel like the absolute worst time of year for some headache sufferers. Several studies back that up, providing evidence that people experience significantly more headaches of all types from September through November.1 In fact, one small study found that seasonal migraine attacks were more common in adults during autumn than other seasons.2
Why? The most obvious reason might be that the weather changes dramatically during the fall. For example, a recent study found that not only were patients with a history of cluster headaches more likely to suffer in autumn, but also that these attacks were related to temperature changes, especially time periods that follow warm weather.3
To make matters worse, weather changes can mean allergies, and some people can suffer from both allergies and migraines. In fact, 50 percent of allergy sufferers in one study also experienced migraines.4
Dropping temperatures and shorter days also lead us to spend more time indoors and that lack of sunshine could be another seasonal headache trigger. Our skin produces vitamin D by being exposed to the sun, so our vitamin D levels drop when we aren’t outside as much. Researchers have found that the increased frequency of headaches actually mirrors drops in vitamin D levels, suggesting that vitamin D plays some role in triggering headaches.3
