Category: Headache

When you’ve built up a caffeine dependency, a day without a Starbuck’s run can leave you with a killer headache. In the midst of that throbbing pain, you may feel like the only thing that could possibly make you feel better is a giant Red Bull. If you’re trying to cut back on your caffeine intake, this can be a tough hurdle to jump. However, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the pain without turning to caffeine.

• Drink some peppermint tea. Peppermint is a proven natural headache remedy, and the tea itself is soothing. This old-fashioned cure can seriously mitigate your agony.

• Up your water intake. When you are already suffering from a headache, the slightest dehydration can make it worse. Make sure you’re drinking at least the recommended eight glasses a day or more.

• Get a massage. Whether a professional pamper package or a simple backrub from a friend, a massage relaxes your muscles, relieving the tension and pressure that are knotting up the base of your neck and contributing to that headache.

• If all else fails, take some ibuprofen to alleviate the pain and get some sleep. This will get you through the worst of the pain and keep you from running to Starbuck’s.

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Pressure headaches can be very painful and difficult to handle. They can be caused by sinus problems such as congestion or changes in the weather, which affect the barometric pressure in the atmosphere. One theory is that the changes in pressure cause oxygen levels to change, which cause headaches in some people. Another theory is that the blood vessels in your head contract and expand to make up for weather changes. This would explain why people can get pressure headaches when they are hiking, flying or driving to a higher altitude. Likewise, sinus infections cause pressure in the front of your head behind your eyes because of underventilation of one or more of the sinuses.

Things You’ll Need

• Ibuprofen
• Antihistamine and/or decongestant
• Humidifier or ionizer

• Water
• Towel

• Take an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen before you are in trigger situations. Doctors say that taking the medication before boarding a flight or driving to high altitudes will reduce the inflammation of the vessels in your head.

• If the pressure headache starts to throb before you have a chance to pre-treat take the anti-inflammatory drug at this time. It may take some time for the pressure headache to diminish, but it should go away.

• Ask your doctor about taking an antihistamine and/or decongestant. An antihistamine may help reduce mucosal swelling caused by an allergy. The decongestant decreases swelling because it constricts the blood vessels within the mucosa.

• Get fresh air or use a humidifier or ionizer. Breathing in moist air while lying down can help with weather-related headaches.

• Wet a wash cloth or towel with warm to hot water. Squeeze out the excess water. Place the towel over your nose and breathe in the moist air. The humidity will have the same effect as using a humidifier.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep track of how weather changes affect your health. This can help you identify when you get pressure headaches. Consider buying a barometer to assist in the tracking.

• Be careful before placing the warm/hot towel on your face. Don’t scald yourself.

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A headache is described as pain in the head and upper neck. According to Medicine.net, secondary headaches consist of pain from underlying issues such as tumors, meningitis or brain bleeds. Primary headaches are less serious and consist of aches and pains associated with tension, migraines, and cluster headaches. There do not appear to be many benefits from inducing headaches as they affect quality of life and can cause serious damage from being induced. It is recommended that you not induce headaches on purpose, and prevent them by avoiding their common causes.

Things You’ll Need

• Strobe Light
• Bright Lights

• Vitamin A-rich foods
• Histamine-rich foods

• Consuming foods rich in Tyramine, such as cheeses, pickled herring, and meat or yeast induce headaches. According to Dr. Kaslow.com, Tyramine is formed during the aging of protein-rich foods, and eating large amounts of chocolate, eggs, wheat, fava beans, peanuts, tomatoes, pork, cabbage sauerkraut, vanilla, soy sauce, and salted dried fish cause blood vessels to dilate and induce headaches.

• High histamine levels induce headaches. Consuming large amounts of beer, wine and chocolate increases your heart rate and can cause a vascular headache, as well as eating foods that emit histamine after consumption, such as egg whites, shellfish and citrus. You can also cause a histamine headache by experiencing high levels of stress.

• You can induce a headache by not drinking enough water. Depriving your brain of water is very dangerous, as it will start producing histamines to protect itself. The presence of histamines result in low energy and headaches.

• Staring at bright, flashing, pulsing lights commonly induce headaches through eye strain. You can cause eye strain by staring at a computer screen too long, sitting in a fluorescent-lit room, or by being in the presence of a strobe light. Inducing eye-strain will almost always lead to a headache, due to pressure inflicted on the brain and blood vessels.

• Consuming excess amounts of vitamin A can induce a headache by raising intracranial pressure through elevating your intake of dairy products such as cheese, milk and eggs. Weightlossforall.com also lists cod liver oil, kale and spinach as high sources of vitamin A.

Tips & Warnings

• You should not try to induce headaches on purpose. Becoming dehydrated is very dangerous, and in serious cases can result in death. The listed steps serve as avoidance guidelines. If your headaches become severe, your symptoms change, or become more frequent, see a doctor immediately.

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An ocular headache, also referred to as an ocular migraine or migraine with aura, results in physical headache pain and visual problems. The visual disturbances associated with this type of headache can be frustrating, painful, and even debilitating depending on the individual. Once an ocular headache begins, simple steps can be taken to ease the symptoms and pain.

• Rest in a quiet room or other area–free of noise and lower light levels, if possible. If you are able, place a warm compress or washcloth over your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes as needed. This can lessen the tension in the eyes and surrounding areas causing the ocular headache.

• Take an over-the-counter remedy designed to treat headache pain. Ocular headaches lack the typical symptom of pain associated with the typical headache or migraine, but in some cases, it may occur.

• Take a break from activities that require sharp vision or active vision use, such as reading, writing, and using the computer. Allowing the eyes to rest will allow the muscles in the surrounding area to relax as well, resulting in a decrease in symptoms and pain.

• Drink a small cup of coffee or tea. Low levels of caffeine can reduce pain and other symptoms. However, too much caffeine can produce the opposite effect, so carefully monitor your caffeine intake.

• Apply pressure and massage the temple area for several minutes. Also massage the back of the neck at the base of the skull. Both areas can store tension and cause a headache. A gentle massage even for a few minutes can ease pressure and symptoms.

• Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. Your doctor can offer suggestions to alleviate symptoms and pain. Also, regular vision checks can help prevent ocular headaches because not having an eyeglass or contact prescription, or having the wrong prescription can trigger eyestrain, eventually resulting in a headache. Ocular headaches may also be related to other eye problems.

• Schedule an appointment with a physician. Frequent ocular headaches can indicate other medical problems relating to hormones, high blood pressure, and other conditions. Prescription medication may be recommended if headaches are frequent or severe.

Tips & Warnings

• Taking an over-the-counter medication can alleviate the pain associated with ocular migraines, but it should be taken when the symptoms start. Once a headache begins, it is less responsive to medications, and relief from symptoms can take longer.

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Chronic headaches and fatigue can stem from a number of factors. Zeroing in on the cause of your symptoms can help you rule out serious conditions, and knowing that your symptoms are treatable can put your mind at ease.

Fatigue

• Fatigue itself can result in chronic headaches. If headaches have been a consistent problem, try getting more rest.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can bring on both fatigue and headaches. Also watch for sore throat, muscle soreness, loss of memory, poor concentration and insomnia, all of which are associated with this condition.

Anemia

• Anemia can result in headaches and fatigue. It also causes dizziness, pale skin, chest pain and irritability.

Sinus Headaches

• Sinus pressure can cause throbbing headaches. This can also lead to fatigue, in some cases simply because the pain makes it difficult to sleep.

Stress

• Recurrent stress can lead to headaches and fatigue. Preoccupation with stressful issues can keep you from getting sufficient sleep, and tension can cause headaches.

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No one fully knows the cause of migraine headaches, though likely candidates include biochemical imbalances in the brain, hormonal changes during menopause, stress, and certain audio-visual stimuli such as bright lights or noises. Whatever the causes, the throbbing pain, nausea and sensitivity make even mundane tasks difficult to complete. Treatment for a migraine runs the gamut from simple home remedies to prescription medication.

Acute Treatments

• Use acute treatments only when the migraine itself has manifested, as a means of reducing the symptoms. Medication options include over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen. Look for those labeled as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which the Mayo Clinic recommends for cases of migraine headaches. Other medications can include triptans (such as Frova and Amerge), ergotamine (such as Cafergot) and butalbital combinations (such as Butapap). Always speak to your doctor before taking any of these medications; many of them have side effects and may react badly to other medications you’re taking.

Preventative Treatments

• Preventative medication is designed to reduce the number of migraines and limit their effects when they do. Depending upon your case, you might take preventative medicine every day, or only when a particular trigger will appear. The most common are beta blockers, normally used for high blood pressure, but also effective in dealing with migraines. Other cardiovascular drugs such as Calan, Isoptin and Zestril, have proven effective as well. Certain types of tricyclic anti-depressants and anti-seizure medications like Topamax also work to prevent migraine headaches, though as always you should speak to your doctor before taking them.

Home Remedies

• In addition to formal medication, you can adopt a number of home remedies to reduce the severity of a migraine headache. Avoid undue stress in your life and lighten your workload if you feel a migraine coming on. Take regular rests in a quiet, dark place where you don’t have a lot of distractions. Put a cool washcloth on the back of your head , or press and hold the two pressure points at the base of your skull for about a minute or so.

  Various types of vitamins can help a migraine headache as well — including niacin, choline, C and B6 — as can healthy food such as fruit or a natural drink. In some cases, a long bath or shower will help relax your muscles, reducing the severity of the migraine pain. Avoid exercising while you have a migraine — the pounding blood will make it worse — and stay away from any area that contains bright or flashing lights.

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Headaches are a common side effect of caffeine withdrawal, a result of suddenly cutting back on your caffeine consumption. According to a 2004 study by Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University and Laura Juliano, Ph.D., of American University, 50 percent of people who cut back on caffeine experience withdrawal headaches, and 13 percent experience headaches, anxiety and other side effects severe enough to cause significant stress and inability to function.

Caffeine headaches can last as long as nine days and appear even when stopping a very small caffeine intake, such as one cup of coffee. Symptoms can be decreased or prevented by gradually cutting back on caffeine consumption.

Things You’ll Need

• Coffee
• Chocolate

• Pain relievers
• Decaf and/or herbal tea (optional)

• Take note of how much caffeine you consume in a day. One six-ounce cup of coffee contains about 100 mg caffeine. The same amount of tea or cola contains about half as much, and an average-sized bar of milk chocolate contains about 10 mg. Some medications, such as pain relievers, contain caffeine.

• Reduce your caffeine intake gradually over the span of several days. If you normally drink six cups of coffee a day (600 mg caffeine), cut back by half a cup of coffee (50 mg caffeine) each day. When you get down to zero cups of coffee, eat a chocolate bar instead for one or two days to give yourself a small dose of caffeine.

• Get more sleep. The temporary alertness that caffeine provides is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. Being tired and feeling unfocused can tempt you to increase your caffeine intake again, which can, in a vicious cycle, cause trouble sleeping, prompting further caffeine use.

• Take pain relievers. Caffeine headache symptoms usually show up 12 to 20 hours after you last had caffeine and reach their worst point after about 48 hours. Take a pain reliever such as ibuprofen (but not one containing caffeine) when you first start to feel your symptoms, instead of waiting for the headache to get out of hand.

• Prevent future caffeine withdrawal by limiting your caffeine intake. Replace coffee with decaf or herbal tea and keep careful track of the caffeine content in your food, drink and medication.

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When you feel lightheaded, you feel like you could faint at any time. Your brain is not getting the required amount of blood. Deciphering what could be causing you to feel lightheaded can help you fix the problem and prevent the feeling from occurring in the future.

Decrease in Blood Pressure

• A very common reason for feeling lightheaded is a quick decrease in your blood pressure. Medications might be the culprit. See the references for a more in-depth look at what causes blood pressure to drop.

Dehydration

• Feeling lightheaded can occur if you are dehydrated. It can also occur if you have consumed too much alcohol or coffee or if you have exercised too strenuously in hot temperatures. Be sure to consume lots of water to keep your body well hydrated.

Allergies/Cold

• Having a common cold or suffering from allergies can cause you to feel lightheaded. Taking the proper medication for your allergies or for your cold should take care of the lightheaded feeling.

Arrhythmia

• Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm and while not very common, can in fact cause you to feel lightheaded. You can check your own heart rate to determine any abnormality of its rhythm or you can visit your local doctor.

Vertigo

• Vertigo can cause you to feel lightheaded and happens when there is a problem with the brain receiving the body’s balancing and positioning signals. The more common causes of vertigo include migraines, drop in blood flow in the arteries, and ear injuries, among others.

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Chronic morning headache is diagnosed as happening for at least 15 mornings in a calendar month. According to the landmark study "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Morning Headaches in the General Population" by Dr. Maurice M. Ohayon, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan 12, 2004, one in 13 people suffer from chronic morning headache.

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Gender

According to Ohayon’s study, just being a woman increases the chance of getting chronic morning headaches, but the reason why is unclear, although women also get migraines three times as often as men.

Misconception

It used to be thought that most chronic morning headaches were caused by sleep problems or by grinding the teeth while asleep. Ohayon’s study disproved that, but sleep problems or teeth grinding can still be a cause.

Comorbidity

People with clinical depression or sinus congestion also have chronic morning headache. In these cases, the headaches won’t go away until the primary condition is treated.

Medications

According to MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association, dependence on drugs like caffeine, painkillers or opiates can cause predictable morning headaches in the very early morning hours.

Economics

According to Ohayon’s study, people who were unemployed suffered more from chronic morning headache than those with jobs.

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