Everyone has had a headache at some point in their life. Some headaches start out as a mild throbbing sensation, easily relieved with some basic treatments while others progress into a full-blown migraine requiring serious medication and a dark room to lie down in.
There are a thousand triggers for headaches and this article is meant as a suggestion of a few of the most common reasons I see headaches in practice. It is by no means extensive and as always, please consult with your healthcare provider if your pain changes, does not improve or worsens.
1. Blood sugar swings
How many of you have skipped a meal and ended up with a headache as a result? Blood sugar swings from skipped meals, late meals, or high sugar/high carbohydrate meals are easily fixed by eating regularly (no-brainer), eating a breakfast high in protein, and making sure to have high protein snacks on hand.
A patient of mine who is a nurse complained of daily headaches that started mid-morning and lasted all day every day except on the weekends. Turns out, she either skipped breakfast or had a high sugar cereal during the week but ate eggs on the weekend. Once she made the adjustment, her headaches were alleviated.
2. Menstrual headaches
How many of you don’t even need your phone app to predict your menstrual cycle because your migraine just before is warning enough? Menstrual headaches typically occur just before your menses or within the first few days of bleeding.
Some women experience mid-cycle (ovulatory) headaches as well. If you aren’t certain, start tracking your headaches along with your period to see if there is a correlation. Hormone testing may be of benefit for you as the sudden fall of your levels that will trigger your menses also triggers the head pain.
3. Musculoskeletal issues
How many of you are slouched over in your chair reading this with your shoulders hiked up around your ears? When you go for a massage do you ask for the therapist to focus on your upper back area? Does your chiropractor note the tense muscles in your neck at every visit? Does bodywork, a hot bath, a heating pad, or muscle relaxants alleviate the pain?
Then your headaches are probably caused by musculoskeletal issues. Focusing on proper posture and consider getting regular bodywork or doing yoga in order to relax!
4. Food triggers
There are well-known migraine triggers such as red wine, chocolate, coffee, caffeine in general, artificial sweeteners (ie. aspartame and sucralose) and MSG that you should consider avoiding if you experience regular head pain. However, there are other common triggers such as gluten/wheat, dairy (not just lactose), soy and corn that I have seen in practice make a world of difference when eliminated.
It does require some serious dietary changes however the results may be worth it especially if you are a chronic sufferer. You can start by eliminating one family of food at a time for four weeks or eliminate all (gluten/dairy/corn/soy) and re-introduce them one at a time to see how you feel. Anecdotally, I hear amazing stories of new-found headache-free lives when the trigger foods are discovered.
5. External sources
Your headaches may be caused by the things around you such as overhead lights, the glare of your computer screen, the height of your desk and desk chair (think ergonomics), the way you cradle your phone on your shoulder, the weight of your bag that you slug around, improper exercise form, the way you sit when you drive, the heels you walk in, and more.
If any of these ring a bell, start to make adjustments in your lifestyle and see if your pain goes away. If something as simple as getting a computer glare screen and a headset could change your headaches, why not do it?
References:
1. Alternative Headache Treatments. Web. 9 November, 2011.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738530
2. Estrogen "Withdrawal" Triggers Migraine, Rising Levels Have Protective Effect. Web. 9 November, 2011.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545082
3. Ovarian Hormones and Migraine Headache: Understanding Mechanisms and Pathogenesis--Part 2. Web. 9 November, 2011.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/528774
4. Popular Sweetener Sucralose as a Migraine Trigger. Web. 9 November, 2011.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545187
Reviewed November 10, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith