How to Deal With Headaches
By Omer Rashid
We have all experienced headaches at some stage in our lives. Although they are certainly a nuisance, a mild headache is nothing to worry about, and you can deal with it all by yourself. Here are a few things you can do.
Drink Water
Drinking less water may be the reason for causing headaches. Drink as much water as you can keep yourself hydrated. This is very essential for a human body to drink at least 8 glass waters in a day.
Turn Off the Brightness
Your phone or computer screen's brightness might be the underlying reason behind your headaches. Too much brightness is not good for the eyes so try to lower the brightness as much as you can. Even sunlight can cause headaches so wearing sunglasses is a good idea while you are outdoors.
Cold Pad
If you have a headache, place a cold pad on your forehead. Ice wrapped in a towel or even a cold water shower can be of help in this achy situation. Tap your head with the ice towel for 15 minutes and then rest for 15 minutes -- this will help ease the pain.
Heat Pad
Just like cold packs, heating pads help a lot in reducing pain. If you have a tension headache, place a hot towel on your head or neck. If you have sinus headaches place the pad on the area where the pain is. Taking a hot bath may also be helpful.
Chew Less
If you often get headaches, avoid having chewing gums, toffees, chips, or hard cracking foods that put pressure on teeth; this increases the pain.
Caffeine
Drink tea or coffee. Take a small amount of caffeine as this helps to ease the pain. At the initial level of the headache when the pain just starts, immediately take tea or coffee to get instant relief. Drinking too much caffeine may cause headaches too, so try to consume only in moderate quantities.
Exercise
If you get headaches daily or if you have migraines, start exercising. You can do yoga or aerobics to get relief from the aches. Yoga is good for your mental health as well.
Massage
Develop the habit of massaging your head. Take a drop of oil in your palm, and massage your head and neck area. Ask someone to massage your shoulders as well -- this will help to reduce the headache.
Take Medicines
If the home remedies don't work, take medicines to ease the pain. You can take pain-relief medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen that are available over the counter.
See a Chiropractor
The relief of stress in the neck and spine area can have an impact on headaches as it releases pressure on nerves that transport information throughout the body -- including the brain.
We all know that those occasional headaches are a normal part of our lives and they are nothing much to fret about. But we should also be wary that if the headaches are persistent then it might be time to consult a healthcare professional.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Happy Valley, Ore.