Most people experience headaches or pain in the head at some point in their lives. Headaches are one of the most common complaints in the medical industry. It affects anyone regardless of their age, sex, or race. There are different reasons why one experiences headaches, and it is also important to note that there are different types of headaches as they can occur in any part of your head.
What are headaches?
There is two category of headaches according to the International Headache Society (IHS) which are Primary headaches and Secondary headaches. Primary headaches are said to be stand-alone illnesses that are directly caused by the overactivity and structures in our head deemed pain-sensitive. These structures include the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles — the changes in chemical activity in the head results to the common primary headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches.
Meanwhile, Secondary headaches occur when another condition stimulates the pain-sensitive nerves of the head. This cause means that the symptoms of a headache attribute to factors such as alcohol-induced hangover, stroke, dehydration, brain freeze, blood clots, brain tumor, concussion, influenza, etc. These are the categories of headaches you may know to help you aid in curing and preventing it. There are also different types of headaches since the tensions are felt by individuals in varying durations and parts of the head.
Preventing Headaches
There are several alternative ways to treat headaches such as meditation, acupuncture, and herbal nutritional products, but then again, it is always best to prevent headaches from attacking by getting a good grasp of easy tips. It is easier to prevent headaches than treating it when you have one. Headaches and Migraines may get in the way of our focus and productivity and could be a sign of more severe complications that lead to more medical attention. Prevention will always be better than cure so here are some easy tips to stay away from pain by preventing headaches and migraine.
1. Get a good Pillow.
Pillows can be a culprit to a headache. When you are resting on a bad pillow, chances are you will get neck pain, headaches, or restlessness. Make sure that you are investing in the right kind of pillow for yourself. Ideally, your pillow should support your head where it naturally aligns with your spine.
2. Get enough sleep.
A steady eight hours of sleep could help prevent headaches or . Get enough sleep that your body needs, do not try to sleep longer than usual on vacation or over a weekend as this may cause a headache. It is found that oversleeping has specific effects on the neurotransmitters including serotonin; hence, a person experiences pain. While the amount of sleep significantly varies per individual relevant to their activity level, health, age, or lifestyle- it is recommended to get about seven to nine hours of sleep daily to keep your head and mind good.
3. Go for a Healthy Diet.
Eat healthily and take meals on time. Never skip meals as this could result in a headache, especially when you are hungry. Hunger can cause muscles to tighten up which therefore triggers muscle tension that leads to a headache. Apart from muscle tension, low blood sugar is also one contributor to a headache. Your body needs to take glucose sourced in the food that you eat. Therefore, make it a habit to have a good diet not just to ward off a headache, but to sustain your overall body needs as well.
4. Drink Water.
Always keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. When the body loses essential fluids for proper functioning, the brain can temporarily shrink or contract therefore causing pain and resulting in a dehydration headache. The average amount of water needed by the body to feel hydrated is at least sixteen to thirty-two ounces.
5. Don’t stress yourself.
Make it a point to manage stress in everything you do as it can build up in your head. Tension headaches are commonly due to factors such as emotional stress, alcohol use, depression, and inconsistency in sleep patterns among many others. Give yourself time to relax and breathe by taking quick exercises or yoga meditation that could help ease the stress using the daily meditation app.
Headaches are commonly treated by resting and pain relief medication. However, since headaches can be a symptom of severe conditions, then it is essential to seek the advice of a medical professional for this. If you experience a severe and recurring headache, it is time to visit your doctors. They can recommend generic pain relief medication as well as prescribe preventive medicines. This should be an excellent supplement to your efforts in preventing headache to get to you. You may also make use of migraine drug coupons available if you are starting to get a throbbing pain due to a migraine headache.
