Each dinner table this Christmas will likely have a few people who suffer with the issue, the doctor revealed
05:00, 19 Dec 2025
Christmas dinner often comes with tables filled with drinks, food, bright lights and merry sounds along with the general chaos of a family reunion. However, for migraine sufferers this can be a perfect storm to trigger the often debilitating condition.
Taking to BBC Morning Live, Dr Kasim Ahmed revealed he is one of the 10 million people, roughly one in six, in the UK affected by migraines. He said: “If you’re going to a family gathering, three or four people there at least are going to be sufferers of migraines.
“Everyone’s symptoms and triggers are different. For me my triggers are sleep deprivation, stress is a big one, lack of hydration. Drinking plenty in general makes a big big difference.
“Alcohol is really dehydrating, you’re not drinking enough water at the same time. Christmas time is a time when these triggers can all come together.“
The expert urged people who do suffer from migraines to keep watch of their triggers and any early warning signs they usually experience. This can differ from person to person.
Common warning signs of migraines include:
- Sight problems
- Difficulty speaking
- Excessive yawning
- Numbness or tingling
- Stiffness
- Difficulty concentrating
One of the most common, and most well-known, signs is called an aura. Visual auras can include seeing flashing lights, kaleidoscope-like colours or zig-zag lines and blurriness.
These auras usually last for about 20 to 30 minutes, and will occur 20 to 30 minutes before the actual migraine starts.
Dr Kas continued: “If you know what your warning signs on, get on top of it early on. Things like paracetamol and ibuprofen, taking those responsibly and regularly. Making sure you’ve had something to eat at the same time.”
The doctor recommended potentially using black out eye masks with cold pack addition to cool the area around the eyes. Referring to the latest social media recommendation of putting your feet in hot water to draw blood away from the head, Dr Kas highlighted that there’s “no evidence it actually works, but you can see how theoretically it might work”.
He added: “Over the Christmas period I think it’s important to say if you are someone who suffers from migraines, you’ve got family who does, just think how to accommodate for them. Speaking to people about their migraines, the symptoms they might be getting. But don’t be scared, if you need that space don’t be afraid to ask for it so you can really enjoy the festive period as best you can.”
Some simple accommodations to help migraine sufferers at Christmas can include making the lighting softer and the music volume quieter, avoiding any strong scents and putting together a quiet room potentially away from the festivities where they can relax if needed.
Dr Kas added: “Migraines are not just headaches. They’re a clinical syndrome of what you get as a result of this brain overload that happens.
“There’s a whole sequence that builds up into a migraine, it can be days to hours before hand. People who suffer from migraines will know what that feels like and they’ve had these trigger signs.”