How to Get Rid of Headaches

If it’s one thing that I have a lot of experience with, albeit a bad one, it’s having a headache.

I have them quite often, and it has always been like that; not every day, maybe not even every week, but sometimes I might even have a slight ache. I’ve heard of some unfortunate types that suffer from them constantly, maybe due to an accident of sorts.

In this article, I’ll cover different reasons that people suffer from headaches, and then best of all, I’ll tell you some secrets I’ve learned over the years to make them less harsh.

• The warning headache

Sometimes, I’ll get a very minor ache, and it’s a warning; warning me that I need sleep urgently and that I should stop writing.

• The getting out of bed headache

You might wake up with this during the night, or first thing in the morning when it’s time to get up.

• Brainfreeze

You'll get this after eating ice cream or drinking something cold, usually if you ingest it too quickly.

• The tension headache

Literally comes from being too tense, thinking about things non-stop.

• The ‘average’ but very painful headache

This can build up over time until it really hurts

• Migraine

The most dreaded of aches, as it is usually very intense and may make you feel nauseous and suffer from disturbed vision.

Facts:

• American Indians used willow bark as an early form of aspirin for headaches.
• Asian practices include using acupuncture for headaches.

Reasons for getting headaches

• Lack of sleep

Sometimes you just need to go to bed; it’s like a warning, like I wrote above. You might need to take a painkiller to ease it a little bit.

• Activity

When you run or jump around a lot, you can start to feel an ache.

• Sugar rush

I notice sometimes after eating too much sugar I get slight headaches.

• Noise

Some people are very sensitive to noise, and they can suffer from headaches due to the dog barking or children crying.

• Sensitivity to bright lights or colours, flickering light bulbs.

• Staring at a screen

When you watch TV or look at a computer screen for too long, especially up close, it can give you a headache or even a migraine. It’s also not good for your eyes.

• Crying

When I was younger, if I cried too much, I would suffer from headaches as well as a stuffy nose and sore eyes.

• Stress

These can come about because of something that’s always on your mind.

• Tension

This is related to stress, but when you actually start physically showing signs of stress, like clenching your jaw, which can lead to a headache.

• Constipation

This might sound odd, but sometimes all you need to do is let go…

• Hangover

A lot of people complain about having very bad aches and sensitivity to light in the morning after a night of heavy drinking.

• Sickness

Sometimes when you're sick, especially something like sinusitis which gives you that stuffy feeling, you get a headache along with blocked ears, a sore throat and other things.

• Accidents

There are those that get into accidents, such as falling off of horses and such that lead to head trauma, and are left with suffering from headaches almost every day.

Treatments

• Take a painkiller or two, or three

You should be careful to read the dosage instructions, but these will ease the pain, and the paracetamol contained in some medications will put you off to sleep for a while.

• Wear a beanie

This puts a light pressure on your head and keeps your head warm, which brings blood to the area, and this will help to ease the pain.

• Have a hot bath

I find this works the same way as a beanie. Combine the two; have a hot bath, wash your hair and then wear the beanie after getting out.

• Massage the scalp

You can do this while washing your hair, or when lying down. Also try to massage around the temples as well, as it relieves a little pressure.

• Try listening to some relaxing videos. You might experience ASMR while doing so, and this is wonderful for helping ease the pain.

• Hit the lights

Migraines are made worse by bright screens and bright lights being on in rooms. Turn them off and just lie still in the dark for a while.

• Visit the bathroom

You'll be surprised how having a motion really does relieve a headache.

Prevention is better than cure

• Relax more.

• Meditation can help, and is a good alternative to sleep.

• Take up a hobby.

• Get rid of stress before is builds up to an unmanageable amount.

• Get enough sleep.

• As alluring as it might be to get drunk all the time, try to cut down on bingeing. No one likes an alcoholic.

• Some food substances can lead to headaches, like too much sugar.

• Reduce the glare on your screen by using a program called f.lux.

• Get the proper medical help if headaches are constant. Dependency on drugs isn’t good, as painkillers can become addictive.