Headaches After Eating

Headache is one of the most common conditions experienced by people all over the world. It is also one of the most common symptoms that is related to a variety of diseases and disorders. Hence, there are countless reasons and causes for headaches. Many people complain of suffering from headache after having meals, or specifically, sugar.

Causes of Headaches After Meals

High blood pressure is considered as one of the possible causes of headaches after eating salty food. Following are the minor as well as severe causes for the same.

Diabetes
Diabetes can be the possible cause of suffering from headache on eating sugar. On eating sugar, the blood sugar level rises, which then leads to release of large amounts of insulin. As the brain does not receive sufficient amounts of glucose, the blood flow in the brain increases. This can lead to contraction and expansion of the blood vessels resulting in headache.

Food Intolerance
Food intolerances like lactose intolerance are common causes of headache experienced immediately after eating food. Although unaware of this, many people are intolerant to lactose containing (milk and milk products), gluten containing (wheat, rye, barley and related products). When people suffering from food intolerance consume the related foodstuffs, their immune system gives a negative reaction resulting in symptoms like headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Migraine
Migraine is a condition when a person experiences severe headache on one side of the head. Although, the exact cause of migraine is unknown, there are several factors that can trigger off this condition. Although varying, eating specific kind of food is one of the prominent trigger factors of migraine. Some people may suffer from it by consuming salty foods, while others may experience it on consumption of sugar containing foods.

Acid Reflux Disease
Acid reflux disease, also known as gastroesophageal reflux or gastric reflux disease, is a condition that occurs when the acid in the stomach seeps back in the esophagus and into the throat. It is a common cause of having headaches after eating, specially during pregnancy. Eating spicy or fried foods, consumption of alcohol and smoking, etc, can increase the amount of acid in the stomach, which in turn seeps back in the esophagus. The symptoms of this condition includes nausea, heartburn, chest pain, discomfort, cough and headache.

Treating Headache

In most of the cases, people fail to relate headache to any of the above mentioned causes and hence, this symptom is ignored. In minor cases, this is a non serious condition. However, one should watch out if it appears frequently. The doctor may advise to keep a food diary to identify the factors causing headache. Blood and urine tests may be required for the diagnosis of diabetes. One needs to consult the doctor for the treatment of high blood pressure. In order to treat food intolerance, migraine and acid reflux, one simply needs to make dietary changes to keep away foods that trigger headache. It is advisable to completely cut down on foods causing these disorders. One can even go for medications like pain killers to get rid of headache. The doctor may even prescribe other medications to treat other symptoms. Pregnant women should also consult the doctor before going for any medication.

Lastly, as a concluding note, one should remember that all the above mentioned conditions can be treated and prevented merely by following a diet. Take care!