What can I do to ward off headaches?

Question

I've tried drinking more water....and I don't want to take tylenol everyday. Could too much caffiene trigger a headache?

Answer 1

The common causes of headaches are allergy, emotional stress, eye strain, high blood pressure, a hangover, infection, low blood sugar, nutritional deficiency, tension, and the presence of poisons and toxins in the body. Allergies are often the unsuspected cause of headaches. The foods to which some people are allergic and which can trigger headaches are milk and milk products, chocolate, chicken, liver, alcohol and strong cheese. Sneezing and diarrhoea are further indications of an allergy.




To ward off headaches ...

-Avoid overly stressful situations, and remember to deep breathe during times of great stress

-During a headache, try massaging your temples with your thumb and forefinger.

-You can also try this technique: Close your eyes and deep breathe. Count to 60. As you're counting, imagine the area that hurts opening up and "breathing." Repeat as necessary.

Here's some other information that may be helpful:

Headache cures and remedies
Natural Headache Cure using Lemon
There are several natural remedies for various types or headaches. The juice of three or four slices of lemon should be squeezed in a cup of tea and taken by the patient for treating this condition. It gives immediate relief. The crust of lemon, which is generally thrown away, has been found useful in headaches caused by heat. Lemon crusts should be pounded into a fine paste in a mortar and applied as plaster on the forehead. Applying the yellow, freshly pared-off rind of a lemon to each temple will also give relief.

Cure Headaches naturally using Apple
Apples are valuable in curing all types of headaches. After removing the upper rind and the inner hard portion of a ripe apple, it should be taken with a little salt every morning on an empty stomach in such cases. This should be continued for about a week.

Natural Headache remedy using Henna
The flowers of henna have been found valuable in curing headaches caused by hot sun. The flowers should be rubbed in vinegar and applied over the forehead. This remedy will soon provide relief.

Headache remedy using Cinnamon
Cinnamon is useful in headaches caused by exposure to cold air. A fine paste of this spice should be prepared by mixing it with water and it should be applied over the temples and forehead to obtain relief.

Headache treatment using Marjoram
The herb marjoram is beneficial in the treatment of a nervous headache. An infusion of the leaves is taken as a tea in the treatment of this disorder.

Headache treatment using Rosemary
The herb rosemary has been found valuable in headaches resulting from cold. A handful of this herb should be boiled in a litre of water and put in a mug. The head should be covered with a towel and the steam inhaled for as long as the patient can bear. This should be repeated till the headache is relieved.


Diet for headaches
Proper nutrition, excercise, positive thinking
The best way to prevent headaches is to build up physical resistance through proper nutrition, physical exercise and positive thinking. As a first step, the patient should undertake a short fast, and take citrus fruit juices diluted with water every two hours from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. daily. Thereafter, he should plan his diet in such a way as to put the least possible strain on the digestion. Breakfast may consist of fruits, both fresh and dried. Lunch may consist of protein foods. Starchy foods such as wholewheat bread, cereals, rice, or potatoes should be taken at dinner along with raw salads. Spices, condiments, sour buttermilk, and oily foodstuffs should be avoided. Drinking a glass of water (warm water in winter and cool water in summer), mixed with a teaspoon of honey first thing in the morning, is also a good remedy. Copious drinking of water throughout the day is also advised.


Other headache remedies
Water treatment
Other helpful measures in the treatment of headaches are a cleansing enema with water temperature at 37 degree C, a cold throat pack, frequent applications of towels wrung out from very hot water to the back of the neck , a cold compress at 4.4 degree C to 15.6 degree C applied to the head and face, or an alternate spinal compress. Hot fomentations over the abdominal region just before retiring relieve headaches caused by stomach and liver upsets.

Hot foot bath
Hot foot baths are also beneficial in the treatment of chronic headaches. The patient should keep his legs in a tub or bucket filled with hot water at a temperature of 40 degree C to 45 degree C for fifteen minutes every night before retiring. This treatment should be continued for two or three weeks.

Yogasanas
Yogic kriyas like jalneti and kunjal; pranayamas like anulomaviloma, shitali and sitkari; and asanas such as uttanpadasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, halasana, and shavasana are also beneficial in the treatment of headaches.

Answer 2

Caffeine wont trigger a headache but if you are dependent on it, not getting a regular dose can. I had chronic headaches that I attributed to caffeine and decided to switch about a year ago over to decaffeinated sodas and my headaches have decreased. Other ideas are try to figure out where your headaches are usually focused. If you have tension headache, radiating from the neck, then maybe a small adjustment in posture will help. If you have headaches around your eyes it might be due to eye strain. There is also some interesting research that suggests headaches can be brought on by a magnesium deficiency so make sure you are taking your vitamins.

Answer 3

If you are in the process of cutting down caffiene then you might be experiencing some symptoms of withdrawl. They should pass in a few days if you continue to cut down or eliminate this from your diet.

BBW used to sell a cream for headache relief. At first I thought this was absolutely ridiculous (I also used to be a frequent Tylenol user), but I tried it and guess what? It worked! The main ingrediant in the cream was peppermint essential oil. After I could no longer get the cream, I made my own using a regular, unscented, natural cream base and adding a few drops of essential oils to it. I rubbed this on my temples and most of the time my headache goes away. It depends on what triggers my headache.

I think a lot of the time headaches/migraines are triggered by lack of oxygen in the brain. Try getting some fresh air and doing some deep breathing exercises. Aromatherapy can also bring oxygen to the brain through the essential oils. Some of the most popular preparations use chamomile, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and geranium oils.

I have heard about drinking several glasses of water to relieve headaches but that also has not worked for me. I have not yet tried it, but I think teas such as mint, chamomile, and possibly even detox teas could do much more in relieving a headache than just plain water.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

To much can definitely trigger headaches, and caffeine comes from lots of things, like chocolate is a big caffeine food.

If you are addicted to caffeine, quitting will also cause severe headaches.

Other headache triggers are not eating in a routine way. If I skip a meal I get a headache, tension headaches are of course from tension.

High blood pressure will increase headaches also. So will plugged sinues.

Lots of water is good, eating healthy and regularly is good. Chocolate is bad, so is coffee and high energy drinks. Because no one can give up chocolate, just use moderation and don't overdo it.

I get migranes and the best is no light, no caffine and cold packs, sounds odd that cold would help.. but it does!

Answer 5

Well you mentioned water and that good.
Next, be sure to eat proper and not go starving, this can cause a headache.
Next, I not know if you ever did this in school. But, we did this roll your head around exercise and it help keep the neck limber as a stiff neck can cause Headaches.
Now, a friend of mine was a Chiropractor and some I loved for him to do. He could feel along my neck and somehow pop a vertebrate back into place. Man, you get this Head Rush as Oxygen flow to your Brain and really feel good!
But, by using the roll your head exercise I have found it help me more than anything.

Answer 6

There are different types of headaches and realistically you should keep a journal when these come on what is happening (physical , weather, emotional etc) how long they last . and see a medical professional who will help you to diagnose your problem

Headache is a term used to describe aching or pain that occurs in one or more areas of the head, face, mouth, or neck. Headache can be chronic, recurrent, or occasional. The pain can be mild or severe enough to disrupt daily activities. Headache involves the network of nerve fibers in the tissues, muscles, and blood vessels located in the head and at the base of the skull.

Types
Primary headache accounts for about 90% of all headaches. There are three types of primary headache: tension headache, cluster headache, and migraine.

Tension headache is the most common type of primary headache. Episodes usually begin in middle age and are often associated with the stresses, anxiety, and depression that can develop during these years.

Cluster headaches occur daily over a period of weeks, sometimes months. They may disappear and then recur during the same season in the following year.

Secondary headache is associated with an underlying condition such as cerebrovascular disease, head trauma, infection, tumor, and metabolic disorder (e.g., diabetes, thyroid disease). Head pain also can result from syndromes involving the eyes, ears, neck, teeth, or sinuses. In these cases, the underlying condition must be diagnosed and treated. Also, certain types of medication produce headache as a side effect.

Severe, sudden, and debilitating secondary headache that develops after a blow to the head, that interferes with normal activity, or that accompanies other symptoms (e.g., convulsions, disorientation, dizziness, loss of consciousness, pain in the eye or ear, fever) should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible.

Incidence and Prevelence
In the United States, over 45 million people—including more than the 33 million sufferers of asthma, diabetes, and heart disease—experience chronic, recurring headaches. Of these, 28 million suffer migraine every year.

Approximately 75% to 90% of all persons who complain of chronic or frequent headaches suffer from tension headache. Tension headache is more prevalent among women than men. Cluster headaches primarily affect men between the ages of 20 and 40.

Causes

Tension headaches are caused by stress, muscular tension, vascular dilation, postural changes, protracted coughing or sneezing, and fever. Physical and mental conditions that can lead to chronic muscular tension and headache include:

Anxiety
Arthritis in neck or spine
Degenerative bone or disk disease in the neck or spine
Depression
Temporomandibular joint disorders
There are several well-known triggers associated with cluster headaches, including drugs that dilate or constrict blood vessels and alcohol. This suggests that changes in the walls of blood vessels in the head may be partly responsible.
Some researchers believe that a low level of endorphins may cause frequent, severe, or chronic headache pain. Endorphins are painkilling compounds found in the b

Answer 7

I find if I go too long (three days or so) without caffeine I get terrible headaches. I try to drink more water and ease myself away from caffeine dependency. It takes time, but it is nice to think "wow, I haven't had a headache in a couple of weeks.."

Answer 8

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck.
Headaches can be caused by minor problems
like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more serious reasons
like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can
have harmful side effects, so it is better to
modify your lifestyle. More information available at

Answer 9

Too much caffeine is just not a good healthy choice.
You may need your sight checked this will cause headaches,
that are reoccurring.Drink Gatorade this will help you not drink the coffee,and relief the H.A....2 cups a day.no more
caffeine in other drinks.Drink juices with vitamins and all natural ingredients.Try some cranberry cocktail.

Answer 10

Certain foods do contain substances called amines that may affect the brain and trigger migraines in susceptible or headache-prone individuals.

Cheese, chocolate, and citrus, the "three Cs," are the most common offending foods.

It's generally thought that a hereditary chemical imbalance in the brain causes susceptibility or proneness to headaches. This chemical imbalance involves serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters, or chemicals that transmit messages from one cell to another.

Factors such as fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, stress, or hormone changes associated with the menstrual cycle may change the level or threshold of headache susceptibility or proneness, so that certain food "triggers" can set an attack in motion.

Alcohol, especially red wine, is often mentioned by migraine sufferers as a trigger, especially when other factors have "set the stage."

Nitrites, which are found in cured or processed meats such as turkey, ham, hot dogs, and sausage, can cause problems for some people, and so can monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which is found in Accent(r), meat tenderizers, canned meats and fish, and some Chinese restaurant food. This common food additive sometimes masquerades under a variety of other names, such as "textured protein" or "natural flavoring." New food labeling requirements will make it harder to conceal MSG.

Eating salty snack food has been linked to headache attacks by some studies. Use of aspartame (Nutrasweet,(r) Equal(r)) has been associated with a high frequency of headache in some studies, but not in others. Until this issue is settled, headache sufferers, especially those with migraine, should avoid this artificial sweetener.

Even though the foods and beverages mentioned don't cause problems for all headache sufferers, avoiding them for awhile to see if this helps is worth trying.

If you think diet may be an important factor in your attacks, a dietitian who has a special interest in this subject can be helpful. Keeping a headache diary can also help you spot troublesome foods or beverages, but remember that there may be a "lag period," commonly 3-12 hours but occasionally as long as a day, between the time a particular food or beverage is used and onset of the headache. It's also good to remember that some headaches may be triggered by a combination of foods. For example, you may be able to eat cheese by itself, but not in a pizza with pepperoni, which has cured meat containing nitrites and may also be a headache trigger.

Caffeine can sometimes cause headache, but caffeine is also used in some painkillers.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that caffeine is a drug. It's found not only in coffee but also in tea and many soft drinks. Caffeine is a stimulant that can speed up the heart, raise blood pressure, and interfere with relaxation. A good rule is to drink no more than two caffeinated beverages per day, or less if headaches are frequent. Strangely, once a headache has begun, caffeine can be helpful. This is because caffeine is an "adjuvant"-it enhances the effects of pain medicine. That's why caffeine is added to many over-the-counter medications used to treat headache.

Like some other drugs, caffeine can cause headache if overused by a rebound mechanism once the body comes to depend on it. This is the reason why it's probably not a good idea to avoid caffeine altogether on the weekend if you are accustomed to having one or more cups per day. If you decide to cut down on caffeine, it's best to do so very gradually.

Skipping meals, which can allow blood sugar levels to drop, seems to be one of the most common triggers mentioned by migraine patients. Anyone prone to frequent headaches should avoid skipping meals. A better idea is to have meals at regular intervals during the day, and to eat some protein at least three times during each day.

Answer 11

You have some other good answers. You need to
figure out what's causing it tho (like stress, caffeine,
from sun glare,reading, tension, etc.) I've heard
that drinking Gatorade helps relieve headaches.