頭痛　夏

summer headaches

夏場の頭痛の主な原因には、空調による冷えすぎ、強い直射日光、脱水症状、気圧・湿度などが原因となります。冷房による室内外の温度差は、自律神経を乱し頭痛を引き起こす要因の一つです。室内と外の温度差が大きくなると体調を崩し、頭痛を引き起こします。冷房以外にも、冷たいものの摂りすぎも頭痛の原因になります。また、直射日光など、炎天下で激しいところで汗をたくさんかくと脱水状態になり頭痛を起こします。体は汗をかくことで体温を調整できますが脱水状態になることで体温が上昇します。いわば体内で、オーバーヒート状態を起こし頭痛を引き起こすのです。また、直射日光が頭部にあたり、頭に熱を持つことでも頭痛が起こります。日本の夏のように、高温多湿の環境下では、汗をかくことで体の水分が不足し、脱水状態なると、やはり頭痛が起きます。脱水症状の頭痛は、水分が不足することによって、血流が悪くなることが原因です。血流が悪くなることによって、十分な栄養や酸素が脳に供給されなくなるからです。気候や気圧、湿度など気象の変化によって体に起こる不調を一般に気象病といいます。気象病は、体調を調整する自律神経が気象の変化に対応できないようなときに、症状がでやすいです。鍼灸治療では、診察ベットなどの、静かな場所に患者を移して、鍼と灸で、体と頭を休めて自律神経を整え、拡張した脳の血管を収縮させて、頭痛をやわらげます。頭痛で緊張して固くなってしまった首や肩の筋肉を温めて、弛緩させるとさらに頭痛が緩和します。頭痛が起きない体力作りとしては、十分な睡眠と栄養バランスの取れた食事も大切です。

The main causes of summer headaches include excessive cooling from air conditioning, strong direct sunlight, dehydration, air pressure and humidity. The difference in indoor and outdoor temperatures caused by air conditioning is one of the factors that disturbs the autonomic nervous system and causes headaches. A large difference in temperature between indoors and outdoors can cause physical discomfort and headaches. In addition to air conditioning, excessive consumption of cold food can also cause headaches. Also, sweating a lot in direct sunlight or other intense places under the hot sun can cause dehydration and headaches. The body can regulate temperature by sweating, but dehydration causes the body temperature to rise. In other words, the body overheats, causing headaches. Headaches also occur when the head is exposed to direct sunlight and heated. In hot and humid environments such as summer in Japan, sweating causes dehydration, which in turn causes headaches. Dehydration headaches are caused by poor blood flow due to lack of water. This is because the blood flow is reduced and the brain is not supplied with sufficient nutrients and oxygen. Ailments that occur in the body due to weather changes such as climate, atmospheric pressure, and humidity are generally called weather-related illnesses. Symptoms of weather-related illnesses tend to occur when the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the body's physical condition, is unable to respond to changes in the weather. In acupuncture treatment, the patient is moved to a quiet place, such as an examination bed, and acupuncture and moxibustion are used to rest the body and head, regulate the autonomic nervous system, and constrict the dilated blood vessels in the brain to relieve headaches. Warming and relaxing the neck and shoulder muscles, which have become tense and stiff due to the headache, further relieves the headache. Adequate sleep and a nutritionally balanced diet are also important to build up one's strength to avoid headaches.