Headache Help 101

Headaches are common, and more prevalent than most think. About 96% of people will experience a headache at least once in their life. They affect women and men of all ages and demographics, and range in length and severity. But many headaches are actually preventable by knowing your triggers and some simple lifestyle, movement and nutrition changes.

Know Your Triggers

There are over 90 triggers, and many of them loop back to lifestyle habits. Using a journal, record when (date and time of day) as well as the intensity and length of your headache. Then make a note of what you ate and what/how much you drank in the past 12-24 hours. Also make a note of stress (0-10 scale), sleep, changes in routine, temperature, etc. You can also use an app such as Migraine Tracker or Cranium Headache Diary. Knowing what triggers a headache for you will help with headache prevention.

Common triggers related to nutrition include skipping meals/fasting, processed meats, caffeine withdrawal, chemicals such as MSG.  There are also many environmental triggers such as weather changes (hot to cold, humidity), light sensitivity, traveling or routine changes.  Hormonal changes throughout the lifespan, or monthly with your cycle or even with medications, replacements or birth control will trigger headaches.  Stress plays a part in headaches too – whether it is during a stressful task or even on the weekends or vacations when we get stress letdown.  Sometimes a combination of these triggers (stress of traveling to a different climate and not sleeping while changing diet routines) will amplify symptoms or even just create the perfect storm for a headache.

Headache Prevention

It may be difficult to prevent every headache from happening, but there are many things that can help you to avoid or even minimize their frequency and intensity. Many lifestyle changes that also promote good health, also help to reduce or even eliminate headaches all together.

Diet plays an important role in headache prevention. Low blood sugar can trigger headaches, which is why eating regular meals that include protein and fiber can help. This is also why people will experience headaches with diet trends, intermittent fasting and cleanses.

 Certain foods can also trigger headaches. The most common are caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and sugar. Excessive amount of processed foods can also lead to headaches.

Another common reason for headaches is dehydration, and is more likely to happen this time of year with heat and temperature changes. Drinking at least 64 ounces of water daily, and even more with heat and exercise will help avoid dehydration.

Stress and Headaches

Stress continues to comes up again and again with effects on many body functions and overall well-being. It is not surprising that stress is also the number one trigger for migraines. It is nearly impossible to remove stress from your life, but finding ways to manage it and making time for relaxation will help to calm your nervous system and improve overall stress levels.

Ideas to Manage Stress

Simplify your life and schedule! Instead of finding ways to squeeze things in, try to look for a way to leave something out. For example, try to keep one week night open for time to recharge. You can do that with keeping a weekend open during the month too. 

Take a break! From work, emails, home chores and everything else. Get up and move, take a short walk, stretch or even just dance in place.

Deep breathing is extremely calming. Focus on the pause between the inhale and exhale, and working to make your exhale longer and slower. You can combine this with stretching, or even break it up doing 1 min of deep breathing at the start of the hour.

Enjoy yourself! What do you like doing? A hobby, doodling, daydreaming, meeting up with friends, time to yourself? Now try to spend at least 15 min day doing that.

Prolonged Postures and Tension Headaches

Sitting in a slouched or hunched posture, with your shoulders rounded forward makes the muscles in the back of your neck work extra hard to hold up your head. It also effects the small muscles at the base of your skull and jaw. This increase in tension is one of the many causes of tension headaches.  

Stretch!  Avoid these by taking movement breaks, ideally every 20 minutes. This can be done while sitting at your desk and doing small head and then shoulder rolls in both directions. Then clasp your hands behind your back bring each ear to the same side shoulder. Arm circles or twisting side to side is another way to break up movement patterns.

Massage helps to reduce tension in muscles.  If the muscles in the back of your neck and head feel too tight, lie on the floor with the edge of the yoga block resting at the base of your skull. Slightly tuck your chin towards your chest and slowly roll your head left to right to massage these muscles. You can also tape 2 tennis or lacrosse balls together for a similar muscle release.

Help – I already have a headache!  Drink a large glass of room temperature water.  Then move yourself to a quiet room, and even better if it is a darker room to avoid light triggers.  You can also try a hot or cold compress (whichever is more soothing to you) to the base of your head around your neck or across your forehead.  Allow body to unwind, scan from head to toe to see if you are holding on to any tension. You can also use music, book, or restorative yoga poses (legs up the wall).  Essential oils at the inner wrist or behind the ears (peppermint or lavender) will help to increase relaxation. 

If you can’t remove yourself from what you are doing to relax, acupressure can be helpful.  Acupressure at the base of thumb and index finger, inner wrist on thumb side of arm, or back of jawbone can help reduce symptoms. Hold pressure for 30sec to 3 minutes, or you can make circles or perform up/down motion.

Maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle, through nutrition, hydration and good sleep routines will be your best bet in avoiding headaches altogether – and will also give you many other great benefits too!