Frequent Headaches

When it comes to headache prevention, there are a lot of different methods that you can follow. While some people can figure out what triggers their headaches and just avoid these things, other people can never really pinpoint why they get headaches. For some, every day is a question as to whether a headache will start or not. Migraine sufferers especially have a problem with this since it can interfere with their career, their family life and indeed their own quality of life. If you are getting a lot of headaches and want to know how to prevent them, here are some suggestions you can implement. You may want to try these 3 methods first before finding out for sure whether or not they are going to help.

1. Finding the Triggers

If possible, the most important thing you can do for headache prevention is to find the things that are triggering them. Even if you can only find one of them, it will still help greatly. You may only have one thing that is triggering your headaches or you may have a lot of them. You might never discover what the cause of your headaches are, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying.

The more you examine your lifestyle and what you were doing before the headache started, the easier it is to find your triggers. Headache prevention is easy if you know what is causing your headaches. What is difficult is finding these triggers in the first place.

If you’re serious about finding out more about the causes of your headaches, you’ll need to start keeping track of everything you do during the day with a log or diary. This is the way you’ll be able to isolate any changes in your routine, any dietary indiscretions and anything else that could possibly be the cause of your headaches.

2. Relaxation Techniques

Since stress is a major contributing factor to a lot of headaches, you may want to consider using some relaxation techniques for headache prevention. Some people find that yoga is a relaxing way to relieve stress. Other people like to take a nice leisurely stroll around the neighborhood.

You’ll have to find your own relaxation technique that you feel comfortable with. It should be something that you really enjoy doing and you find relaxing at the same time. This is something that you’re going to want to make a habit to help with the headache prevention, so it should be something that you really like doing.

The idea is to find some type of outlet to remove your stress. A creative person may want to use his talents, a sporting person may want to engage in the sport he loves, an animal lover may want to walk his dog. There is no set rule for relaxation. You need to do whatever it is that makes you more relaxed and releases your stress.

3. Avoiding Changes

Changes are a part of everyday life and everything will be different from one day to the next. While you can’t avoid changes altogether, fast changes can often lead to a headache. Things like moving to a new house, changing schools, finding a new job, or losing one, are big changes that will affect your whole body. The stress levels will go up and sometimes there will be fear. And, quite often, there will also be a headache.

Some changes can’t be avoided while others can be. If you are headed for a big change in your life, then you should take a look at your options part of a headache prevention technique. Is there any way to make the change more gradual so that it is less stressful on your body? For example, if you’re planning a move, can you take a few days to move your furniture instead of doing it all on the same day? Can you start living in the house gradually during the move?

If you suffer from migraines, you may want to take a look at making gradual shifts instead of fast changes. You certainly don’t want to end up with a major migraine the day after you move into your new home. This is the time to celebrate, not to hide in your room with the curtains drawn in agony. 

When it comes to headache prevention you are either going to be your own best friend or your own worst enemy. You’ll have to take the responsibility of finding out for yourself what is causing your headaches. In the same light, you will have to determine what helps them. Unless there is a physical cause for your headaches that can be determined by a doctor and medical tests, it’s up to you to learn more about yourself and what is triggering your headaches.

If you have frequent headaches, including migraine headaches, then there is a good chance that there is something that is setting them off. These are called headaches triggers. Once you find out what these are, you will be able to reduce the number of headaches you have and enjoy a better quality of life.

The following is a list of the most common headaches triggers. While one or more of these triggers may apply to you, there is also a good chance that you will have your own that you need to discover by yourself.

Weather Changes

Sometimes the barometric pressure can act as a headache trigger. Low pressure that often comes before rain has been linked to an increase of headaches in some people. Also, you are more likely to get a migraine as the temperature rises. Researchers have also found that the risk of getting a headache increases 7.5% for every temperature rise of 9°F.

Changing of Hairstyle

A lot of people get a headache after they visit their hairdresser. Changing your hairstyle can often prompt a headache. If you usually part your hair on the left and then change it to the right for a new hairstyle - followed with a headache coming on, then try putting your hair back into place. You just might find that you have stopped your headache in its tracks.

Tyramine

Tyramine is a substance that is commonly found in old cheese, red wine, and cold cuts. While tyramine is found in many other foods, the amount is higher in the ones listed. This is one of the easiest headaches triggers to figure out. You can test yourself by eliminating these foods from your diet completely for a month and then trying one to see if it triggers a headache. If it does, you have found at least one of your headaches triggers.

Monosodium Glutamate

This chemical is commonly found in Chinese food but it can also be added to a lot of junk food. For instance, the next time when you buy a bag of potato chips, try taking a look at the ingredients. Some companies sneak in monosodium glutamate to make you want to eat more of the chips, thus increasing their profits. Even if you find out that MSG is not acting as one of the causes for your headaches, you should still avoid it. It really isn’t good for you.

Smoking

If you’re a non-smoker do you ever notice that being around others that smoke triggers one of your headaches? Even a smoker can get a headache from his own smoke. Any type of smoke in fact can be a headache trigger.

Sensitivity to Odors, Lights and Sound

Many people get a headache from the glare of the sun and have to wear sunglasses regularly. Others find that loud noises or strong smells can start up the pain. Try to isolate any of these attacks to your senses as a headache trigger.

Stress

It has been known for quite a while that stress can be a leading cause of headaches. Not only does it upset your nervous system, but it can also tighten up the muscles in your neck. A lot of people use stress-relieving therapies to help them reduce the amount and the severity of their headaches.

Nutritional Imbalances

Many people are walking around with a nutritional imbalance and aren’t even aware of it. Chances are that if you’re not taking a multivitamin every day, then you’re not getting the proper nutrition you should be. Even if you are eating healthy foods, it’s still hard to get the right amount of vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis. Also, a lot of the foods produced today are lacking the vitamins and minerals that they used to have back when farming was more natural and less commercialized.

Caffeine

A lot of research has been done about caffeine lately. It is quite an interesting substance in that too much caffeine can trigger a headache in some people while giving it up can also act as a cause of headaches. On the other hand, caffeine pills are often prescribed for people that suffer from migraines to help relieve the pain. It’s quite interesting to note that caffeine can act as a cause as well as a treatment for headaches.

While the above are the most common headaches triggers, you’re really going to have to search for your own while keeping your eyes open for the ones listed. The best way to keep track of what may be triggering your headaches is to start keeping a daily diary of your activities. Be sure to note everything you do so that when a headache does occur, you can take a look at your notes to find out what may have triggered it. Finding the right headache triggers is your best line of defense against this pain that affects your quality of life. Most importantly, this is something that you can do on your own at home.

If you’re looking for a migraine headache treatment, the first thing to do is visit a doctor to get a diagnosis. After it has been established that you are suffering from migraines, there are two routes that you can choose to follow in terms of treatment. The first one is traditional medicine that you would receive from a medical doctor. The second is alternative treatments that you would receive from a specialist that deals with natural medicine. The choice will be yours to choose and yours alone. You will have to determine what makes the most sense to you and follow that trail towards relief.

Traditional Medicine or Prescription

Once a medical doctor has determined that you are indeed suffering from migraines you will often be given a prescription medication. These prescriptions can fall into two different categories.

1. Pain Relievers

These medications are taken as soon as the migraine begins. They have been designed to alleviate the symptoms once they have started. Common pain relievers such as Tylenol and Excedrin can be purchased as an over-the-counter drug. In most cases, however, a person who is visiting a medical doctor to discuss a migraine headache treatment is not finding the relief they need with these drugs. Some of these over-the-counter pain relievers may not be strong enough to work on severe migraines.

Prescription medications include triptans or narcotic pain relievers such as codeine, a combination of caffeine and ergotamine and indomethacin.  The narcotic pain relievers are not recommended unless everything else fails because they can become addictive, which only adds another problem to the migraine issue. As with any type of pain relief, it is always a good idea to start with the weakest form of pain reliever and work up from there, if necessary. A lot of these drugs have side effects associated with them and if you’re in the middle of a migraine, you certainly do not want to deal with side effects on top of it.

2. Preventive Medicines

A doctor may advise you to start preventive therapy if your attacks are debilitating and occur more than twice a month. He may also suggest following this migraine headache treatment route if your headaches are severe and you aren’t able to get enough relief from other medications that have been prescribed. Some of the drugs used for preventing migraines include anti-seizure medications, cardiovascular medications, Botox and Cyproheptadine.

It is important to note that these drugs usually don’t eliminate the migraine headaches totally. While they can reduce the severity and length of the attacks, many of these medications can also cause side effects that are quite severe. It will be up to you to decide whether you want to take this preventative path, use pain relievers or look for alternative migraine treatments.

Natural Migraine Headache Treatment

While the medical establishment is trying to figure out the best migraine headache treatment, there are many other natural solutions available for these terrible headaches. More and more people are turning towards natural medicine when they can’t get enough relief or a cure from mainstream medicine.

There are a lot of different alternative treatments for migraine headaches. Most of these therapies are based on Eastern philosophies and are becoming more recognized in the West. A lot of people are using natural treatments and many are getting great results from them.

The difference between the Western form of medical treatment and the Eastern form lies a great deal with the symptoms. Traditional medicine practiced by medical doctors here in the West isolates the symptoms and then looks for a cure. Alternative therapies from the East usually look at the person as a whole and work on getting it back into balance.

There are several different therapies that can work on balancing the energy flows within the body including acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, chiropractic, massage therapies, herbalism and many more. With these forms of medicine, the migraine headache treatment does not specifically address the headache itself. The headache is viewed as a symptom of a larger energy flow problem within the body that needs to be corrected. Once this is handled, the headaches will go away naturally.

If you are tired of taking medications for your migraines, you may want to try out some of these alternative headache treatments. With so many people getting relief from them, there just may be something in the treatments that would help you as well.

Although there has been a lot of research done in the field of migraine headache treatment, there are still a lot of questions that haven’t yet been answered. You have some options when it comes to treating your migraines and in the end you’ll have to make your own choices. Others will try to offer some advice, but it will still be up to you to figure out for yourself the route that you want to choose for treatment.

Holistic headache remedies fall into two categories: Those that provide relief from the headache you’ve already got and those that will help prevent headaches in the future.

For a head that’s aching in the present moment, here are several holistic practices you can try, either singly or in combination:

Boost circulation: Tight neck, shoulder, and upper back muscles can cause a headache or make one worse. To relieve them, locate the sorest spots on the back and sides of your neck and on the tops of your shoulders and rub them or have someone else do so. Rubbing breaks up muscle knots, which constrict blood flow, and boosts circulation that carries away trapped toxins. For best results, apply pressure for a few seconds before beginning to massage these areas. To increase relief, add an herbal liniment, especially one containing capsicum—but wash hands carefully afterward to avoid getting any of these liniments near your eyes the next time you wash your face.

Relieve anxiety: Tension caused by anxiety is a great headache producer, so using herbs that relieve anxiety will also relieve anxiety-induced headaches. Kava-Kava, Valerian, Hops and Passion flower are especially noted for their anxiety-reducing properties, as is the Chinese herbal compound known as Hepataplex, or long dan xie gan tang.

Stretch and breathe: Stretching and deep breathing both help release headache-causing toxins by increasing your brain’s oxygen flow. If you’re sitting or standing in one place and position for a long time, inhale as you lift your shoulders, then exhale as you roll them backward and let them drop.

Go for the right smell: Aromatherapy—the practice of using certain aromas and scents to alleviate physical and emotional problems—can work wonders in relieving headaches. Sniffing a few drops of peppermint, rosemary or eucalyptus oil placed on a cotton ball and held under the nose can bring instant pain relief, as can massaging a drop of rosemary oil into your each of your temples.

An added benefit for these remedies is that you can use them as singles or mix them without concern for side effects.

Long-term holistic remedies may include making lifestyle changes that commit you to a better diet, exercise and work schedule. Here are two long-term steps you should consider:

Breathe better: Making a conscious effort to do a better job of breathing can go a long way toward alleviating headache problems. Perhaps due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should or from the right parts of our bodies. Good breathing comes from allowing your belly and lower abdomen to push air into your lungs rather than merely breathing from your chest. Because stress and tension can trigger shallow breathing, making a conscious effort to change breathing patterns is important.

Go for the negative: Ions, that is. Using a negative-ion generator that freshens the air you breathe by removing unhealthy particles has been shown to relieve headaches and reduce the frequency with which they occur. Putting one in the room where you spend most of your time can make a huge difference in how well you feel.

If you suffer from debilitating Cervicogenic headaches, you know that part of the ongoing frustration is finding the right medical professional or physician who can help you with your symptoms and provide solutions to alleviate your pain. This is not an easy task but if you look in the right places, you may just find the answers you have been long searching for.

1. Decide on Your Path – First you must decide if you want to seek the help of a medical doctor or a homeopathic doctor such as a chiropractor. As both courses of treatment will be radically different, you need to decide what will work best for you.

2. Choose a Qualified Medical Professional – Whichever path you take, make sure you choose a doctor that has experience dealing with patients that have cervicogenic headaches.

3. Ask for Diagnosis Methods – It is important to talk to your physician about what methods he or she will use to diagnose your cervicogenic headaches. As you may know, this type of headache can only be diagnosed through the use of diagnostic blocks to determine the point of origin of your headaches. If your doctor is going to use x-rays, find another doctor as this method will not spot cervicogenic headaches.

4. Choose a Doctor that Believes – There are a portion of the medical community that don’t believe in the validity of cervicogenic headaches. These physicians are close-minded and ultimately, are not able to help you if you suffer from these types of headaches. You need to find a professional that believes in your pain and suffering and will work with you to find pain management techniques, solutions and ultimately a cure.

5. Select a Physician that Educates as Well as Treats – A big part of dealing with your illness is gaining a full understanding of what it is, how it works and what will work to fix it. When you choose a doctor that is willing to educate you about your cervicogenic headaches, you are in a much better place where you can help yourself.

6. Look for References Online – There are many chat rooms and support groups available on the Internet for people like you who suffer from cervicogenic headaches. These people have been through what you are going through and can assist in determining what is important when you are looking for a doctor.

7. Talk to your Therapist – The medical and healing communities are closely links. Many times, your physical therapist or massage therapist may know of doctors that actively treat patients with cervicogenic headaches. This may be an excellent referral source to find a suitable qualified and open minded doctor to see about your headaches.

8. Consider Personality – Headaches are actually a very personal experience and in many cases, a lot of emotional issues accompany the symptoms and the pain. As such, you should make sure that you choose a doctor that you are comfortable talking to on a very personal level and one who is open to discuss your progress and regression with you.