No two headaches are created equal. It would seem that drug manufacturers spend an awful lot of money on television advertising trying to convince us that we are suffering from migraine or sinus headaches. If you have migraines no one has to convince you, you just know it. There are no other headaches like them. They not only involve head pain but they affect your entire body. There are a lot of medications for sinus headaches but how do you know it’s really your sinuses that are bothering you? Many headaches are mistaken for sinus when they are really brought on by things we do in our daily life.
Your Computer
Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time can leave your head aching. A computer screen is much like a television but you sit much closer to it. The light coming from the monitor can cause eyestrain if you stare at it for too long. This can lead to a headache.
To avoid eyestrain and the ensuing headache there are things you can do even if you must use your computer all day for work. The most important thing you can do it take frequent breaks from your monitor. Get up at least once every fifteen minutes and focus your eyes on something that is at least twenty to thirty feet away. Adjust the brightness and the contrast on your monitor so that the glare is not hard on your eyes. You should also have your monitor set up so you are viewing it at eye level and keep it at least a foot and a half from your face. The closer you are to your monitor the worse the strain on your eyes.
Prescription Expired
If you have glasses or contacts you need to keep your appointments with your eye doctor. Prescriptions for contacts are good for one year and glasses are good for three. Your eyes are constantly changing and if your eyes change and your prescription glasses or contacts don’t you will end up with a headache.
Your Home Lighting
Your choice of illumination and paint can give you a headache. I once lived in an apartment with glossy white walls and severe overhead lights. I had headaches from this for a long time before I realized what was happening. The severe light was reflecting off of the glossy paint finish and hurting my eyes. I opted for floor lamps with softer bulbs and my headache problem went away. A few softer lit lamps are much better than one very bright overhead light. If you have the choice it is better to choose a softer finish like ‘satin’ when you paint your rooms.
Caffeine
Too much or too little caffeine can also cause headaches. Being the coffee addict that I am, I found this out the hard way. If you are not used to caffeine in your system drinking a lot of it in one day can lead to a headache. In the same manner severely cutting down on what you are used to having on a daily basis will lead to a withdrawal headache. Try to keep your caffeine amounts the same day to day to avoid this problem. If you think you need to cut back do so slowly to avoid withdrawal.
Tension
Tension headaches are marked by pain that reaches down into your neck and shoulders. These can be caused by mental or physical stress. This type of headache is another side effect of prolonged computer use. If your neck and shoulders remain in the same position for too long they strain from the position causing a headache. Mental stress can also have the same effect. To lighten the effects make sure you stretch repeatedly during the day. If you are sitting at your computer get up and walk around periodically.
Medications
Read the inserts for your medications carefully. Oddly enough some headache medications warn that a side effect might be a headache. Many medications have side effects and headache is a very common one. Be sure to read all literature that comes with prescription and over the counter drugs to be aware of the side effects. If something you are taking is causing headaches you may want to talk to your doctor about an alternative.
Dehydration
If you aren’t drinking enough water each day your headache may be caused by dehydration. It is recommended that you drink at least eight cups of water per day. If you are getting headaches and can’t figure out why you should consider your water intake. Try drinking more water each day and see if that helps alleviate the problem.
Are you getting enough sleep? Lack of sleep can affect your entire system. You can also get a headache from sleeping too much. If you get up everyday at six AM and then sleep in on Saturday morning until ten you may wake up with a whopper of a headache. If this is a problem for you consider getting up the same time each day, even on the weekends. If you want to sleep in, limit the time to an extra hour instead of an extra three hours.
Something More Serious
If none of the things listed above seem to be causing your headaches you might want to consider something more serious is wrong. My brother suffered debilitating headaches for years. No one seemed to be able to help him until one doctor finally realized his sinuses were mangled and this was causing his pain. A sudden and severe headache can indicate something serious like a stroke or aneurisms. If you are experiencing headaches more than three time a week it is strong suggested that you tell your doctor. Other signs you should visit your doctor are sudden and severe headaches or ones that develop after an injury.
Reference:
- Help For Headaches www.headache-help.org/ Help For Headaches and Migraine www.helpforheadaches.com/ National Headache Foundation www.headaches.org/
