Yes, I am a frequent migraine sufferer. Suffer being the key word since they can dictate the day instead of me. During a migraine or bad headache, my head feels like its in a vice.
The pressure seems to build and build, making it feel like a vice is tightening with every second. It hurts to move, breath, and sneezing makes it feel ready to explode. Oh so much worse than any torture chamber in my opinion. I thought I would share some ways to help with headaches and some tips to help avoid them.
First off, there are four types of headaches: Tension, Migraine, Sinus, and Cluster. Each type of headache can cause pain in different areas.
The first most common type of headache is tension headaches. These are most commonly caused by stress. The pain is normally felt around the temples or the eyebrows and is handled with OTC medicine like Tylenol.
Migraines are the 2nd most common type of headache. This can be accompanied by light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting. These can even affect your vision. When a migraine is triggered for me, I can see spots, my vision can go in and out, I may have double vision, or even feel see fireworks.
Cluster headaches are less common, usually affecting men in their 20s though women and children do suffer from them. They tend to run in families. Two of the most common triggers are changes in sleep patterns and medications.
Here are some tips on headaches:
-Alcohol. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Alcohol can trigger a headache by dehydrating the body.
-Food. Some people have foods that trigger headaches, usually processed meat products, but every person is different.
-Sleep. Get enough sleep. Changes in sleep patterns or lack of sleep can trigger a headache.
-Posture. Yes, bad posture can cause a headache as it puts stress on the neck and shoulders.
-Eating. This goes along with food. Skipping meals can also trigger headaches.
-Stress. Stress can trigger headaches so try to limit your stress when possible. Some people exercise to relieve stress but over exertion can lead to headaches as well.
-Scents. Some scents can trigger headaches (again everyone is different on which ones). I have a difficult time walking down the candle isle at the store because all of the different scents mingling together is enough to trigger a headache.
-Hair. Having your hair pulled up tightly or back tightly can cause stress on the scalp, triggering a headache (guilty as charged here).
There are things that can be done to help headaches:
-Scents. While scents can trigger a headache, they can also help to ease a headache. Some scents that help with headaches are lemon, lemon balm, peppermint, clove, eucalyptus, and rosemary. Be careful when choosing a scent to try. Some scents are not suitable for people on specific medications, children, or women who are pregnant (peppermint should be avoided during pregnancy, to name one), so make sure to double check your scent before using and consult your doctor to make sure the scent you like does not interfere with your medications.
-Caffeine. Caffeine makes OTC pain medicines about 40% better (hence Excedrin Migraine which is a combination of aspirin and caffeine). Be cautious with caffeine, however, because too much can actually cause a headache as well. Just as lack of caffeine can cause a withdrawal headache. Oy....to caffeine or not to caffeine. This is one of my biggest instigators. If I have too much caffeine, I can get a headache. If I go without caffeine for a day or so, I get a headache. Not a fun things so find the happy medium for yourself. Caffeine can also lead to dehydration which can lead to you....you guessed it...a headache.
-Smoking. As a smoker myself, I find that lighting up that stick of sweet nicotine soothing for tension headaches (hehe sorry), however, those "smokey treats" can also affect headaches for two reasons. First, nicotine constricts your blood vessels which can trigger a headache. Second, smoking can cause dehydration, which can cause a headache. If you are a smoker, like me, make sure to drink extra water to help stave off dehydration. They say to drink 1 additional glass (above the recommended 8 glasses a day) of water for every cigarette you smoke. Personally, I think they are just trying to get us to use more toilet paper because this just means I visit this room more often too. Joking aside, dehydration is a big issue with smokers and drinking extra fluid will help...but avoid additional caffeine since this will just do the opposite for you. They say to add an additional glass of water for every cup of caffeine that you drink as well.
-Triggers. Know your triggers. Keep track of when you have headaches and what you were doing before they happened. Some people are sensitive to foods and smells so keep track of what you ate or smelled right before a headache too. These can help your prevent them in the future.
-Medications. Some medications actually cause headaches (read your side effects info that the pharmacy gives with your prescription). I remember the doctor prescribing me Seldane (not sure how it is spelled so sorry if it is wrong) when I was in high school. The medicine was a double duty one. It helped with my allergies and with my headaches....funny thing was that this little baby also caused headaches. I never understood why I would be prescribed a medicine for my headaches that caused headaches....guess that is why I am not the doctor. This medicine has since been taken off the market...I am not sure why so I won't speculate, I only know because I was told by a doctor a few years back that it is no longer offered (I asked because it did work well with my allergies).
-Allergies. Speaking of allergies, these can cause an irritation or inflammation in the sinus cavities and nasal passages. This inflammation can cause a headache as well. As a year round allergy sufferer, I find that a daily dose of an allergy medicine that includes a decongestant does help me most of the time. Just a caution though, decongestants can make the sinus passages dry which can lead to so many other problems like a bloody nose so use with caution. I find that a saline spray helps prevent dry nose. Using a netty pot of some kind can also help to relieve sinus pain and clear out the nasal passages. I use this when my sinuses are inflamed, but not everyone likes these (they can be kinda gross to use at first especially if you are really congested and blocked), so do what works for you.
There are many more ways to help with headaches than those that I listed above. What do you do when you have a headache?
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