How to Get Rid of Most Headaches

So many people just put up with headaches, and it’s not necessary.  Some people even think it’s normal to have pain on a weekly or daily basis! 

Pain is your body’s way of telling you to address a problem.  So whilst painkillers might help you get through the day, it’s not a good idea to keep ignoring the symptoms.  There’s even a new classification of headache called an analgesic rebound headache – believe it or not it’s caused by taking painkillers regularly.  So what could a headache mean, and what can you do about it?  

When it comes to health care the best thing to do is look at the most obvious factors first and whittle it down.

Dehydration.  You’ve heard it all before, drink some water because it’s good for you.  It really does make sense though, especially if you’re rushing around all day.  Think of it as bathing your brain in pure, detoxifying, cooling water.  To create a new habit you just need to have a visual trigger to remind you, like a bottle of water in your bag or a glass sitting in the kitchen.  Do it for 21 days and it’ll become second nature.

Low blood sugar.  If you live on sugary snack bars (even ones claiming to be nutritious) then it’s likely your blood sugar goes up and down like a rollercoaster.  The crashes can cause food cravings, low energy and headaches.  Making an effort to have a good source of protein at every meal helps your body repair and also minimises those cravings for instant energy.  Even though mornings can be chaos, a couple of eggs however you like them can have a great impact on the rest of the day.

Stress.  Easier said than done!  It’s not what’s around us but how we deal with it that matters, so they say.  Time to yourself can be a rare luxury, but prioritising “me-time” makes you more effective at everything else you do, not to mention more relaxed and more fun to be around.  Walking is a great stress-buster, even 20 minutes a day can be enough.  Yoga, pilates, art, music, meditation, the gym, writing thoughts down, and even knitting are some ways people choose to de-stress. 

 Learning to delegate and to say no is also an invaluable skill which can help free up some time. It’s important to put yourself first sometimes.

Your neck.  Ever heard of cervicogenic headaches?  Because the nerves to your scalp come from your neck, underlying neck stiffness can irritate these nerves and be a significant cause of headaches.  Think of the accumulated stress on your neck from years of desk work, driving, falls or minor road traffic accidents years ago, carrying a heavy handbag, fairground rides, etc.  All of this can add up, causing stiff joints in your neck and subsequent headaches.

Try this little test: turn your head to one side then tilt it backwards.  Not the most comfortable position, but it shouldn’t hurt.  If you feel a pinching pain in your neck when you do this, that’s a sign the joints are unhappy, and a visit to your chiropractor would help to free them up.  Chiropractic is excellent for helping your spine work properly, and all the many health benefits that brings.

Food intolerances. Some of us just can’t eat certain things, and unfortunately it’s often the stuff we really like.  Wheat, dairy and food additives are common ones.  You can have allergy tests (either medical or more alternative options like kinesiology), but the simplest way to find out for yourself is an elimination diet.  Basically cut out the food you suspect, either individually or several at once, then re-introduce them one at a time and see if they disagree with you.

There are different opinions on how long you should abstain for, but a week or two should give you chance to notice the difference.  If you find you are intolerant to something then the biggest challenge is just to change eating and shopping habits.  A bit of planning ahead can make a huge difference and reduce the number of sneaky sandwiches bought out of convenience.  Like with water, do something differently for three weeks and you’ll create a new habit which is easy to keep doing.

This article is not intended to be diagnostic, and there are many types of headaches.  If you’re experiencing severe pain you should see your GP.  For the majority of us though, the simple solutions are often the right ones.  If you cover the bases mentioned here, the difference in your quality of life could really surprise you.