I have had a few times in my life where I have been plagued by regular headaches and I can tell you it is no fun. Thankfully I have been able to identify where the source of my headaches was coming from and fix the problem. For some people, it isn’t that simple; they may have migraines that come on out of the blue with seemingly no triggers or they may experience a dull headache pretty much 24/7.
I thought it may be helpful if I share some of the causes of headaches that I am aware of that you may want to discuss with your health professional to see if any of them may be the cause of your headaches. Please know that this is not a complete list and that I am not a medical professional. Always seek the advise of a health professional to diagnose and treat your particular symptoms.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way…causes of headaches:
- Dehydration: This is likely the number one cause for headaches in the world. Many of us are walking around dehydrated on a daily basis and we don’t even realize it. If the majority of your fluids come from coffee or other caffeinated beverages or carbonated beverages, you are likely dehydrated. If you feel a headache coming on, try to consume a full glass or two of water and wait fifteen minutes to see how you feel before taking any medication.
- Blood Sugar: You don’t need to be a diabetic to suffer from fluctuations in blood sugar. A very common response (besides moodiness) is headaches. We can all follow the same advice that diabetics receive which is to consume regular meals and to include good, absorbable sources of protein at each meal; avoid simple sugars and simple carbohydrates; include a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.
- Brain Tumors: Not a pleasant consideration and a lot more complex than drinking more water, brain tumors can most definitely cause headaches and anyone who experiences headaches consistently needs to get tumors ruled out as a possibility.
- Aneurism: There was a man I worked with back in the mid-90’s and his wife died very abruptly of a brain aneurism. The primary sign was terrible headaches that came on regularly in the days leading up to her death. Sudden, serious headaches are nothing to ignore.
- Physical Stress: This is my number one cause of headaches. Sitting in front of the computer too long (while hunching over the cat so he can sit in my lap while I reach for the keyboard) is the most likely reason for me to get a headache. Stretching, massage, regular exercise, and practicing good posture will all help to avoid these headaches. I can identify the cause of mine because the tightness starts in my shoulders and works its way up.
- Emotional Stress: We can all relate to the pressure of reaching a deadline or having a family crisis and that resulting in a headache. Meditation, relaxation techniques, and good communication skills coupled with effective boundary-setting are all tools that can help you to deal with and avoid headaches from emotional stress.
- Lack of Sleep: Here is a good reason to fit a nap in or get a few extra hours on the weekend. If you suffer from sleeping challenges, there are a variety of suggestions to create an excellent night’s sleep. I will do another blog in the future on creating great sleep.
- Eye Strain: Make sure you have adequate lighting for the tasks you are doing. I have also found that consciously thinking about relaxing the muscles around my eyes makes a huge difference when I am focusing on a very visual task. Also, take regular breaks and focus your eyes on a variety of distances to reduce eye strain.
- Food or other allergies: I found that when I discovered gluten was an itolerance of mine that my headaches went away when I removed gluten from my diet. For seasonal allergies a tremendous amount of help can come by increasing water consumption and strengthening the immune system.
So there you have it…some of the most common causes of headaches. Do any of them ring true for you? A headache can really take you down a peg or two so if we can avoid them, we will all be better off. Take good care of yourself!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys helping others to live healthier lives naturally. You can visit her website at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com to find out more about the products and business opportunity of Shaklee. Donna is paid a commission by Shaklee for sales done through her organization.
