7 Reasons Why You Have Headaches And Easy Ways To Prevent Them

Jul 23, 2018

With nearly 90% of the world’s population experiencing a headache at least occasionally, most people would agree that it is one of the most common afflictions known to mankind. Of this percentage, at least 15% experience chronic headache issues of which 75% are known to be caused by avoidable conditions that create different types of headaches.

Medical research has categorized headaches into as many as 17 categories, but there are three common types of headaches that can be put into three groups:

• Tension headaches: These are the most common type and result in severe constriction of the muscles in the head. High-stress factors and neck strain contribute to these headaches and inflame the muscles resulting in headache pain.
• Migraine headaches: The cause of this type of a headache is not fully understood by medical professionals, but it can be so severe that it can cause blackouts and temporary blindness to occur. Many doctors and researchers believe that the onset of migraines is caused by a number of reoccurring factors that are different for every person that can include chronic exposure to specific environments, pollutants, foods, hormonal changes, stress, and even certain smells that may trigger it.
• Cluster headaches: These are not as common as the other types of headaches, but they happen quickly, last for days and weeks without relief, and then disappear just as fast as they came and may not occur again for months. The cause is mostly unknown but medical professionals suspect it is caused by the chemical release in the body of an overabundance of histamine and serotonin.  

All of these types of headaches can potentially be prevented or alleviated if you follow some simple methods:

When your body tries to adapt to colder weather, the change in atmospheric pressure and temperature constricts the blood vessels and forces the body to work extra hard in circulating the blood. This results in spasms in the cerebral vessels that lead to reduced oxygen levels to the brain and cause headaches.

According to experts for Johns Hopkins Headache Research, a higher body mass index (BMI) will more than likely lead to chronic headaches. They found that people who were considered overweight to obese were 21%-51% more likely to develop ongoing issues with headaches than a person considered to be of a normal weight for their stature according to the body mass index table.

Exposure to certain types of light over an extended period of time can lead to developing headaches. This includes fluorescent lighting common in office environments as well as natural sunlight. The brighter the light the more likely a headache or a migraine will result due to overstimulation of the brain neurons. This causes anxiety, frustration, and lack of control that leads to headaches.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America can actually be symptomatic of an undiagnosed anxiety disorder including depression. According to a study from 2009, of those that participated, 11% who experienced migraines were also eventually diagnosed with mental disorders ranging from panic attacks, general anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depression.

Codeine is a natural opioid compound from the opium poppy juice and also the most commonly available over-counter-pain reliever. It also has been shown to contribute to causing headaches. Many people who have a heightened sensitivity to pain will consume higher and higher doses of pain medication with codeine which results in the body developing an immunity to the effects of the drug and increase the sensitivity to pain with reduced relief.

A recent study done by Finnish researchers of approximately 2,600 men who sustained a lower-than-normal amount of vitamin D in their system found that nearly 10% of the men experienced an increase in headaches. Once vitamin D was re-introduced into their diet at normal levels, mostly all the men who had complained of headaches were no longer experiencing them.

There are several simple solutions to alleviating a headache as well as preventing a headache from occurring:

Since excess exposure to bright lights or certain types of light will increase the risk of headaches, wearing tinted glasses or sunglasses outdoors will help to deter headaches from occurring. There are also progressive glasses that gradually change the tint of the glasses to slowly introduce light as opposed to harsh and immediate exposure for someone with light sensitivity.

Because tension headaches are a result of muscle contraction which results in dull, chronic pain, acupuncture can help to alleviate the pain naturally with a three-pronged therapy focusing on pressure points in the head and neck region. When properly inserted by a certified acupuncturist, the acupuncture needles signal the brain to direct blood that is being circulated through your body to the pressure points that are causing the headache.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, consumption of caffeine in the form of a caffeinated beverage such as coffee, tea, soda, and even a caffeine pill can help to alleviate headache pain. But, they also say using caffeine as a way of eliminating a headache should be done for no longer than two days at a time. If you are not a coffee or tea drinker and take up this habit for more than 2-3 days to alleviate headaches, it can also cause headaches to occur if you abruptly stop consuming caffeine as well.

Not only does obesity contribute to headaches, but not understanding that the foods you eat may be actually contributing to the onset of headaches is something to be aware of and change. According to the National Headache Foundation, allergy headaches can be triggered by certain foods which should be avoided including the following:

• Chocolate
• Pickled foods
• Cheese
• Sourdough bread
• Sour cream
• Marinated food

With bright and excessive light as the main cause of many headaches, scientists researched the type of lighting that actually helps to soothe the brain’s neural process and reduce the pain caused by headaches. They found that in a 2016 research study on migraine sufferers, exposure to green light reduced their pain by up to 20 percent.

With the goal of both meditation and yoga to promote muscle relaxation, both are considered to have optimal benefits in reducing headache pain. As you meditate, you focus on breathing properly which properly regulates the heart muscle and blood circulation leading to improved oxygen flow throughout the body including the skull. Yoga also creates a “relaxation response” with stretching exercises that promote stimulation of the hypothalamus in the brain that reduces the stress response.

What gives you a headache, and how have you learned to prevent it? Help others to reduce their headache pain and tell us about your remedy here.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!