Dear Doctor;Whenever I am hungry, I feel headache. It subsides after eating and taking water. Does such a niggling headache have long-term effect to health?How does it come about? Maureen, 22, SFG.Dear Maureen, Many individuals suffer from headache when they are feeling hungry. It usually occurs due to  stress and stretching of muscles caused  by the low blood glucose levels. It may be secondary to mental stress, physical exertion  and can even be sign of diabetes mellitus.

Eating more of junk foods can also give rise to this type of headache. When somebody does not eat  for a long time, the blood glucose levels go down. Body tries to regulate it by producing more adrenalin which can cause contraction of blood vessels and muscles, resulting in headache.

Long term health hazards of hunger headache are related to other risks associated with stress and irregular meals like high blood pressure, diabetes, e.t.c.

So far as the headache is not very severe or incapacitating, there is nothing much to worry about.

The prevention and treatment lies in eating small frequent meals at regular meal times, eating healthy fresh food and avoiding junk food.