Frequent headaches can be uncomfortable at best, and debilitating at worst. While a chronic migraine can come with a throbbing pain on one side of the head, headaches due to tension can cause mild to moderate pain on both sides. Also, daily headaches happen in at least 15 days, Hemicrania Continua is a condition that brings about constant pain, and usually happens on one side of the head. Read on to learn more about dealing with these different kinds of headaches.

1. Medical Treatment: Inflammation, infections like meningitis and brain injuries that have been proven to be traumatic should be treated with due medication after a proper consultation with a doctor. In certain cases, headaches can be caused due to brain tumours and they must be treated at once. Also, headaches that come with fever, stiff neck, confusion and constant vomiting must be treated by a doctor immediately.

2. Take an Over the Counter Drug: Taking an over the counter drug for instant pain relief can stop the pain and give temporary or long term relief, depending on the kind of headache you are experiencing. It is advisable to speak with a doctor before taking any kind of drug.

3. Find your Triggers: Find and limit your triggers like certain food types as well as stress and certain seasonal changes. Stepping out in the summer with an umbrella and avoiding caffeine or too much of chocolate and cheese can also help in alleviating the pain. Stress is also a major factor that contributes to headaches and should be avoided in order to prevent or stop the pain.

4. Drink Plenty of Water: Staying hydrated is a good way to treat headaches instantly. The consumption of water is known to soothe the pain effectively.

5. A Soothing Break: Find a quiet place with dim lighting to take a break that should ideally last at least half an hour to one hour, or even more. This will help in diminishing and removing the pain. You can also use a cold compress and get yourself a massage.

5 Ways To Deal With Headaches

Headaches are common among working people as accumulated stress results in headaches and tiredness. Among the many different causes, strain on the eyes is one of the leading reasons for that annoying headache.

Taking an eye exam is recommended in case you are having headaches. The issues may not always be related to the eyes, but still a thorough eye check up is recommended. Strain in the eye is caused when small muscles present in the eye have to put in more effort than usual. Symptoms include aching, tired eyes with blurred vision and accompanying headaches. Such headaches are caused because of the following reasons:

Astigmatism
The cornea is in abnormal shape and causes people to squint when they want to focus, and this leads to bad headaches.

Hyperopia
This disorder is also called farsightedness. In case of this disorder, the images are focused by the eye behind the retina, and causes blurred vision and strain upon the eyes. Headaches occur as a result.

Presbyopia
This kind of problem occurs when the lens hardens and becomes inflexible with old age. This makes it hard for a person to focus and causes sore eyes along with headaches.

All disorders or conditions of the eyes can be rectified with the use of prescribed spectacles and contact lenses. For people already having glasses, regular eye check up should be carried out. Your power may increase which you are unlikely to notice, so regular check ups are vital.

Other causes
Headaches related to eye strain and eye problem can also develop from other causes. They are:

1. Glaucoma, an eye disease also causes headaches. This disease is characterized by the development of a fluid in the eyes, which in turn causes the internal eye pressure to shoot up. This pressure fluctuation can lead to headaches in many cases of glaucoma.
2. Cataract affected people suffer from headaches as well. Cataracts develop in individuals due to ageing. The lens becomes cloudy, and the vision gets blurred and slowly diminishes. The eye has to give more effort resulting in eye strain and accompanying headaches.

Prevention
In case you are having headaches, and you are not being able to find out the reason behind it, you should have an eye check up. Eyes are very sensitive and added strain to them causes headaches. People who use computers for long hours are affected by headaches due to eye strain. The best prevention is to have an eye examination and switch to glasses or lenses if required.

Headaches are of various kinds and arise from different factors, but eye strain is known to cause a lot of headaches in people who do eye stress involving activities.

Headaches? Get Your Eyes Checked!

5 Effective Home Cures for Headache Relief

A common complaint, painful headaches (including migraine), can be really bothersome and cause serious disruptions in your daily routine. Even though over-the-counter medicines can help, you can’t ignore the side effects they can potentially have on your body.

So, instead of popping pills to stem off the pain, why not try these simple and effective home remedies for a change? Moreover, apart from offering you respite from a headache, you can be sure that these remedies will cause no side effects whatsoever. Here are some of the tried and tested remedies for you to use at home.

1. Eat almonds

A natural remedy to cure a headache could be consuming nutritious almonds. Almonds contain a natural pain relieving agent called salicin, which helps in easing the pain. Furthermore, their high magnesium content aids in reducing nerve excitability while relaxing the muscles, thereby decreasing the incidence of headaches caused by anxiety and stress. Ideally, you should have about 10-12 almonds every day for preventing as well as alleviating headaches. So, munch on some almonds the next time you get a headache.

2. Try ginger juice or ginger paste

To get instant relief, you could also turn to ginger for help. Ginger eases headache by bringing down the swelling of the blood vessels in your head. You can have ginger in more ways than one.
You can try mixing lemon juice and ginger juice in equal parts and then drinking the juice once or twice daily to cure headaches. Alternatively, you can apply a paste made of ginger powder and 2 tablespoons of water on the affected area (temple or forehead) for fast and instant relief.

3. Make a paste of cinnamon sticks

Pound some cinnamon sticks into a fine powder and make a thick paste out of it by adding some water. Once done, apply the paste on your temples and forehead, and wash it off after 30 minutes using only lukewarm water.

4. Opt for clove oil or clove inhalant

Due to their pain-relieving and cooling qualities, cloves are highly effective in providing you relief from throbbing headaches.
For treating your headaches, all you need is a handkerchief containing crushed cloves for inhalation from time to time. Alternatively, you could massage your temples and forehead with clove oil.

5. Have basil tea

Possessing pain-relieving benefits, the wonder herb, basil, is another easily available home remedy for treating headaches. Basil is very effective in curing headaches that arise from stiff muscles and tension. You can cure headaches by having a soothing cup of basil tea. To make the tea, boil one cup of water into which you’ve added 3-4 leaves of this herb. Have this steaming tea with a little honey.

Whether you opt for almonds or hot basil tea, these simple and effective home remedies are sure-shot ways of getting respite from painful headaches.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

You Will Stay Headache Free Naturally, If You Do These 5 Things!

Mind your headaches (All about headaches)

Headaches and migraines are one of the most common types of pains that patients can face. There are many types of headaches that may afflict people and there are a number of reasons that can be attributed as their cause.

Let's look at some of the types of headaches and their causes:

Facial headaches

This is an ache, which is usually centered on the face, the crown, and the forehead. In this headache, movements of the head and face may also cause problems.

Causes: The main cause for facial headaches tends to be sinusitis, a condition in which the cavities in the skull get blocked. Sinusitis may also happen due to a cold as this has often been accompanied by a runny nose as well.

Treatments: The best treatment for this issue would be to treat the underlying condition, i.e. the cold or the blockages. Using the prescribed variety of decongestants and inhalers can vastly improve the situation.

Migraines

This is an intense pain on one side of the head that can last for a few hours to a few days. Most of the pain is sometimes centered behind the eye, and many people report extreme sensitivity to light as well as sound. It can be debilitating to some people who suffer from a severe form of it.

Causes: Migraines are one of the most complicated problems to diagnose and there can be a variety of reasons for it. Triggers may include food or lack of it and also be caused by other underlying physiological reasons.

Treatments: Although there are certain painkillers, which are available, it is best to consult a doctor to know the root cause and thus, avoid the triggers or take appropriate medicines if necessary.

Tension Headaches

These headaches are induced by periods of stress, anxiety, anger and other mental distresses.

Causes: These headaches are a result of stress, which may result in the decrease of the blood flow to the brain due to the stiffening of the head and neck muscles.

Treatments: Over the counter drugs such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help improve them, but it is better to consult a physician before undertaking self-medication.

Cluster Headaches

These are the most potent form of headaches that can be very painful. They usually originate as a piercing pain in the head with pressure on the eye and can even lead eye inflammation, and watery and droopy eyes.

Causes: Certain neural functions originating from the hypothalamus can cause this issue and this type of headache may be triggered by alcohol, smoking or other forms of strong smells.

Treatments: Generic painkillers may not be able to correct the issue quickly enough and this may require the administering of special injections or nasal sprays.



All You Need To Know About Headaches

Migraine vs. Headache: know the difference

How to differentiate between a migraine and headache?

When you feel pain or pressure in your head, it may become difficult for you to assess whether you are experiencing a common headache or a migraine. Let's understand how different they are from each other.

A typical headache usually affects both sides of your head and varies from a mild to moderate pain. It can last from 30 minutes to up to a period of one week.

Some specific areas which get affected by a headache are:

  temples

  forehead

  back of your neck

Factors that trigger this headache type are a muscle strain, stress or anxiety. 

A migraine, on the other hand, is also a type of a headache which results in an acute throbbing sensation in one part of your head. Usually, migraine headaches are highly painful. Migraine pain makes it difficult for a person to carry out his/her daily tasks. Symptoms or signs associated with migraine attacks are:

  vomiting

  nausea 

  sensitivity to sound or light

  pain in the temples

  temporary loss of vision

  pain behind your ear or eye

What are the common causes of a migraine?

  hormonal imbalances in women - fluctuations in oestrogen, especially during menopause or pregnancy seem to trigger a migraine

  drinks like wine and extremely caffeinated beverages 

  foods such as salty foods, aged cheese as well as processed foods can trigger the migraine attack.

  medications - vasodilators such as nitroglycerine and oral contraceptives can intensify migraine pain.

How to treat a headache?

Fortunately, you can get rid of stress-induced headaches through over-the-counter treatments, which include:

  aspirin

  acetaminophen

  ibuprofen

How to treat a migraine?

If you experience migraine attacks less frequently, these medicines may give you quick relief:

  triptans, such as rizatriptan (Maxalt) or almotriptan (Axert)

  antinausea medicines, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), promethazine (Phenergan) or prochlorperazine (Compazine)

  non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, aspirin or ibuprofen

Some preventive tips:

  make changes in your diet such as avoid such foods, including caffeine and alcohol which are believed to trigger headaches.

  you can also try muscle relaxation exercises, yoga or meditation to ease the migraine attack. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 8 Common Migraine Triggers You Must Stay Away From

Migraine Vs. Headache: Know the Difference

Headache is a very common medical problem. Nearly 25% of females and 8% of males in general suffer from headaches at some point in their life.

More than 90% of headaches are due to migraine. However headaches are also caused due to tensions and due to wrong lifestyle practices. If headaches are not treated and managed at the right time they can also complicate into - brain like hemorrhage, meningitis, brain tumors, etc.

Any new onset headache should be taken seriously as it could be because of a serious brain illness.

Common myths associated with headaches:
It's because of acidity - headaches are not caused due to acidity or'gas, as popularly highlighted.
Headaches could only be because of sleepless nights - they could be because of any strain on your body. Eyesight, tension, nasal issues, flu are few reasons.
Headaches are only because of tension - they could be because of a number of reasons, tension could be just one factor.
Headaches can be cured by self medication - persistent headaches need to be addressed by specialists. Ignoring the signs and symptoms can lead to complications.

Common symptoms of migraine are:
One sided or whole head pain
Head pain accompanied with nausea or vomiting
Irritation with loud noise and bright lights.
Increase in headache with even slight movement of head.

Reasons of headaches:
Migraine or headache episodes can be triggered due to the following reasons:
Irregular meal timings
Improper sleep
Excessive mental stress
Excessive alcohol intake
Due to intake of certain food items like red wine, chocolates, cheese, preservatives
Change of weather season
Excessive heat or cold

If headaches occur more than 1 or 2 times in a month, then medical attention becomes important. Headaches take away precious working hours from our routine, reduce your efficiency and can make you vulnerable to excessive consumption of pain killers. At a certain point of time even pain killers stops working. It is essential that you consult a specialist for medical advice and a holistic lifestyle management. Ignoring the same can lead to complications such as loss of vision &amp; paralysis of the body- after all your body's health, balance and maintenance is in your hands!

Headache- It's Better You Consult a Specialist on Time

Don't wait any longer, manage your Headaches online with a Lybrate doctor today

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