Have you been experiencing more headaches than normal? Sometimes this happens, but we can pinpoint the reason right away, and other times, we are left feeling a little uneasy as we don’t know what is going on with our body. While chronic headaches and migraines can be caused by serious medical conditions, most of the time, our headaches tend to be the result of our own lifestyle choices. This could include anything from eating habits, to stress at work, lack of sleep or even the weather. There are a myriad of reasons, most of which can be easily remedied.
(Just by way of disclaimer here, I am in no way suggesting you do not visit a healthcare provider if you are concerned about your chronic headaches. While this information is beneficial in many instances, it is by no means something that should replace the advice of your physician if you have constant recurring headaches.)
Here are five things to you can try if you are trying to figure out what the cause of your headache or migraine is.
1. You Are Stressed Out.
Research has not clearly shown, at this point, what the the exact cause of tension headaches is, but there are several things that come into play that can lead to stress:
- Lack of sleep
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Poor posture
- Hunger
- Emotional distress
- Low iron
- Environment
- Relationships
Think about some of these things, and “measure” your stress levels. For example, if you notice your head hurts after a bad night’s sleep, or you are having co-worker issues in the work place, then it is quite likely that stress is contributing to your headaches or migraines. If you think this is a factor, then make it a priority to get enough rest, eat right and take some time to have some “self-care time” — such as going for a massage, pedicure, take time to read, or just do something that you know promotes relaxation in your life.
2. You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep.
It bears repeating how important getting enough sleep is. If you are sleep-deprived, everything seems to be blown out of proportion. Healthy sleep habits are imperative if you suffer from headaches or migraines. You must make it a priority to get at least seven hours of rest per night. If you have a hard time going to sleep, try some relaxation exercises or play some soothing music as you try to sleep.
3. Are You Eating Too Much Processed and Smoked Meats?
If you typically eat a lot of smoked and/or processed foods, even meats, give serious consideration to cutting back. Consuming processed meats increases your risk for many diseases as well as causing your mood to be unbalanced. In addition to this, eating these types of foods increases the severity and frequency of headaches and migraines, and can even cause hardening of the arteries.
Diet plays a huge role in migraine and headache intensity and frequency, as well as the fact that foods are a trigger. Processed meats have tyramine in them, which is a known migraine trigger. So, if you are consuming a lot of processed foods and meats, cut back or cut it out for a while to see what effect it is having on your headaches.
4. You’ve Been Taking Too Many Pain Relievers.
I have mentioned “rebound headaches” before, but they are very real. If you take fast-acting pain relievers to manage your headaches, this can cause changes to the signal receptors in your nervous system. What this means is that the more of these pain relievers you take, the more you are going to need so that they continue to be effective for you. The only thing you can do is stop taking them. I know this can be a hard thing to go through, but there are some foods that can aid in pain relief and have an anti-inflammatory effect. These include:
- Ginger
- Cayenne Pepper
- Tart Cherries
- Pineapple
- Olive Oil
- Salmon
- Turmeric
Try putting some of these in a smoothie or adding some to your salad. These will offer some relief while cutting down on the pain medication.
5. You’ve Got It – Dehydration!
Last, but definitely not least, as I have mentioned many times, dehydration is a definite cause of headaches. According to The Mayo Clinic’s Website, women should be drinking nine cups of water a day, while men should be aiming for 13 cups per day. Remember, if you are working out, you may even need more than that. Remember, dehydration headaches occur when you lose a substantial part of the water and electrolytes that your body needs to function normally. Obviously, we know if we are out in the heat that we can become dehydrated, or living in high altitudes can also cause us to be more dehydrated, but did you also know that not consuming enough of water-containing fruits and vegetables can also dehydrate you? Try drinking a glass of lemon water before you even get started with your daily routine. Also, try to drink most of your water before lunch. I have found this beneficial in my own life in trying to get enough water into my diet. Don’t wait until you start getting so busy throughout the day that you forget to drink water.
I know that these are normal, every day tips for migraine and headache relief, but hopefully if your headaches are chronic, by trying some of these things, you will find relief. If not, consider getting some help from your healthcare provider — or hop on a free call with me so that we can discuss your headaches and/or migraines in more detail and set up a personalized road map for your life.
Do you track your headaches and foods? This is a key component for migraine relief. For your FREE migraine diary, ==<CLICK HERE<==
Each one of us reacts differently to different things – there is no one-size-fits-all with migraine treatment. However, with that said, if you or a family member have frequent migraines, then I would love to be able to help. I can help you implement some strategies and teach you how to maximize your prevention and help during migraine attacks, and help you to live with less pain and less days of debilitating headaches. Simply contact me to book an appointment for assessment so that we can map out an individualized treatment and prevention plan.
It’s so interesting that there never is only one cause to our ailments. This is a great article!
I did not know about the rebound effect of painkillers. How interesting. I am not into painkillers myself, but know quite a few people who are. I have experienced constant headaches before which disappeared as I adressed my low iron issues – just an aside 🙂
As soon as one of my kids complains of a headache, I tell them to get a drink of water. It is hard to keep kids well hydrated, at least with water. I limit their juices and other drinks. Instead of drinking lots of water, they just don’t drink much. Work in progress 🙂
These are great things to keep in mind! I think everyone can use a reminder in treating the root cause instead of just masking the symptoms, so thank you. I’m grabbing another glass of water now!
Great suggestions of so many things found right in your kitchen that you can be using instead of taking so many painkillers. Well done!