A bad headache can make it difficult to enjoy yourself and can quickly change your plans for the day. And if you get a headache while you’re at work, it’s hard to put in your best effort and make it through the workday. Everyone gets headaches now and again, but if you’re experiencing them on a chronic basis, they can significantly impact your life. But you don’t have to suffer in pain or wait for the time your next headache strikes. There are many ways you can combat your chronic headaches so you can reclaim your life.
Understanding The Cause Of Your Headaches
You can better prevent your headaches if you understand the causes behind them. Some of the most common causes of headaches include consuming alcohol, having poor posture, being under stress, changes in your sleep habits, and skipping meals. Certain types, like sinus headaches, may be caused by other specific issues, like inflammation.
It’s also possible your headache may be a migraine. Migraines are intensely painful and can last for hours or days. Migraines typically cause severe throbbing pain and are often accompanied by sound and light sensitivity, and they can be so painful that you may have to go to the hospital for treatment. Some people find that their migraines are triggered by certain things like lack of sleep, stress, hunger, and even by eating certain foods.
Work With Your Doctor
Before you start trying to treat your headaches on your own, schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss your headaches. Your doctor can help to evaluate you to determine what type of headache you’re experiencing. Once you know what type you have, you can better identify what’s causing it and implement steps to manage it.
As part of your evaluation, your doctor may recommend that you have your vision checked. Common vision problems may contribute to your headaches, and something as minor as getting glasses or updating your prescription may help to reduce their frequency. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to help with your headaches. Aimovig is often used to treat chronic migraines, and there are also many over-the-counter medications for both migraines and headaches.
Evaluate Your Lifestyle
Try to keep a journal of your headaches and look for correlations to events or changes in your life. It’s possible that you’re making some common health mistakes, like drinking too much coffee or not getting enough sleep. Create a sleep routine and stick to it. Make sure that you get plenty of sleep each night, and create a sleep cycle so that your body gets in the habit of going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. It can leave you feeling more alert during the day and, with adequate sleep, you may be able to prevent your headaches.
Evaluate your diet, too. Migraines can be triggered by foods like citrus, dairy, wheat, chocolate, nuts, and more, though individual triggers will vary from person to person. Try to track any correlation between your migraines and foods that you’ve recently eaten. Focus on eating a healthy diet and include “migraine-safe” foods like brown rice, non-citrus fruits, natural sweeteners, plenty of water, and orange, yellow, and green vegetables.
It’s also time to take a look at your work habits. Sitting in an office all day long can create tension and stress, contributing to your headaches. Consider investing in ergonomic equipment to relieve body tension, and focus on maintaining good posture throughout the day. Try to find time to get up and get in a quick exercise session during your lunch break, too.
If you find that you’re stressed during work or when you get home at the end of the day, implement a stress-relieving activity, like yoga, meditation, or some exercise. Talking to a therapist can also help you learn to better manage stressful events in your life.
Try Natural Remedies
There are a number of natural remedies that you can use to manage chronic pain and headaches, too. Studies have found that CBD oil is a promising option in relieving pain, and when administered topically, it has reduced inflammation and the resulting pain. While there’s need for additional research into how CBD oil manages pain and the appropriate dosages to be effective, CBD oil may be an option that you want to explore.
Massage therapy may also help to reduce or even prevent your headaches. Because headaches can be caused by stress and muscle tension, massage therapy may be a helpful option. For the best results, you’ll want to schedule a session with a talented massage therapist who can identify the tight muscles in your body and who can tailor the session to address that tension. In between sessions, a handheld massager may help to keep your muscles relaxed.
Identifying the causes of and learning how to prevent your headaches can be a longer-term process, so try to be patient but persistent. You may need to try many different solutions before you find the change that works for you.
