Taking a Closer Look at Headaches

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Headaches can definitely be very frustrating, especially for people that experience them often. If you want to treat your headaches properly, it is important to determine the type of headache you are experiencing. Sometimes, headaches may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. This is why you should always take them seriously. It is not a good idea to simply take some over-the-counter medication to cover up the pain. After all, it may be something more severe than just a headache and you want to get down to the root cause of why the headaches are occurring. That is why we wrote this article for Annapolis headache suffers.

First, take a look at the various types of headaches. There are many different types, and to get a better understanding in order to treat your pain, you must be aware of the type that you are experiencing.

Types of Headaches

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are generally dull and achy, and one of the most common types of headaches a person experiences. Usually, it will feel like there is something wrapped tightly around your head, with no relief. It can be caused by postural issues, stress, neck strain, hunger, or a lack of sleep. Usually, tension headaches last around thirty minutes or longer. Sometimes, they can even last a whole week.

Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches often produce a throbbing sensation. Usually, this type of headache will accompany a sinus infection. When your sinuses are swollen and inflamed, this can cause a lot of pressure in your head. This pressure can result in headaches that are mild to severe. Usually, when you suffer from sinus headaches, they will go away when the sinus infection goes away. If they don’t, then chances are you are dealing with a more severe type of headache.

Migraine Headaches

Another common type of headache is a migraine headache. This type of headache can be very severe, and usually involves throbbing. Migraines are also often accompanied by other symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to lights and sound. Most people that experience migraine headaches report that the pain is localized to one side of their head. This type of headache can also get worse before it gets better. Without proper treatment, they usually last between 4 and 72 hours.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are a less common type of headache. This type of headache will recur over a span of several weeks. Like migraine headaches, they will usually only affect one side of the head. These headaches usually come on without warning. Sometimes, they will go away quickly, but other times they may last longer. The defining aspect of these headaches is their recurrence.

Treatments

A variety of different ways to treat a headache exist. Most people reach for over the counter medications, such as ibuprofen or excedrin. One may get temporary relief, but the issue that caused the headaches in the first place do not get addressed, and the medication itself can cause something known as a rebound headache. This means the very medication you may be taking to get rid of your headaches may actually be giving you headaches, causing you to need to take it daily. This can lead to a slew of more serious medical issues later, such as liver disease or ulcers. Medications should be a last resort, and you will want to avoid using these medications for regularly recurring or severe headaches.

If you have chronic headaches or migraines, you should to consider chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustments can be a very helpful tool when it comes to managing and eliminating headaches. If you get headaches often, it could be a direct result of misalignment of one or more of the joints in your spine or neck. Chiropractors are well trained at addressing these misalignments and handling the underlying cause of your headaches. Regular visits to a chiropractor could eliminate and prevent many of your headaches altogether.

Dietary issues and reactions to various foods may also be a trigger for headaches. Again working with a chiropractor to determine the type of headache you have, as well as all potential triggers for your headaches is the best bet in really getting rid of them.

Prevention Tips

Headaches are definitely not any fun to deal with. This is why most people want to find ways to prevent their headaches before they even start. Here are a few helpful tips that can prevent headaches from occurring.

Lower Your Stress

Stress can often be one of the main triggers for headaches. If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may notice that you get frequent headaches. If you lower your stress, you may find that you experience fewer headaches.

Preventative Nutrition

Some types of headaches, such as migraines and tension headaches, may be alleviated with natural substances, such as green tea or magnesium. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer and blood pressure lowering mineral. Many people are deficient in this mineral and taking a good source of it every day may help prevent the spasms and tension that can lead to headaches. Green tea contains antioxidants and caffeine, which is known to help alleviate headaches and may also help to prevent them.

Avoiding processed foods will help prevent headaches, as will avoiding foods that you may be reacting to without even realizing it; foods such as gluten-containing grains and sugars. Chiropractors can order blood work to determine vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as food reactions to determine what foods may be contributing to your headaches. Changes in diet, along with chiropractic adjustments can do wonders for eliminating and preventing headaches.

Regular Exercise

Exercise can help to reduce tension, which can in turn reduce the frequency of tension headaches. You should choose an exercise that will not put too much stress on you. Many people prefer walking, swimming, or riding a bike. These exercises are easy enough for most everyone, but they are also very effective.

Chiropractic Adjustment

Ensuring that your spine and neck are in alignment can help to reduce the frequency of your headaches. If you want to prevent headaches, you will want to make sure that you visit a chiropractor on a regular basis to get regular adjustments. This will help to promote better overall health and wellness.

As you can see, there are a variety of different types of headaches. Headaches can be a result of many different factors. It is really important that you focus on effective treatment of headaches. Even better than effective treatment, preventing them all together is a great way to avoid the pain from the start.

 

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