POUND THE PAIN
Tracking and resolving regularly occurring headaches.
Patients frequently visit their doctor regarding headache-related discomfort. Ninety percent of these cases are due to a migraine, tension or a combination of the two. Although their causes are different, both can be managed using similar strategies.
Anyone suffering from regular headaches needs to look at their habits in regard to sleep, diet, stress management and exercise. It’s important to start a headache calendar to record when the headache starts, its symptoms, including any relevant lifestyle information from that day, and a corresponding food diary.
Some headaches prompt more urgent attention than others. The following symptoms require medical care: Headaches that wake you from sleep or get worse over several weeks, double vision, explosive start of a new, severe headache, a change in mental status, weakness, numbness, passing out or seizures.
Migraine headaches generally occur suddenly and intensely. Some people may experience a certain feeling, vision or sound (known as aura). Often felt on one side of the head, migraines are described as a throbbing, disabling headache often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound, lasting hours or days. Often migraine sufferers have family members who experience these types of headaches as well. The cause is related to the dilation of blood vessels feeding the scalp and lining of the brain. Certain factors, like stress, a change in the weather, menses or fatigue, may prompt a migraine.
Thought mostly to be due to stress of the neck and scalp muscles, tension headaches usually cause a band-like pain across the forehead and temples and around the back of the head, and tenderness to the touch.
A third type of headache, making up much of the other ten percent, is withdrawal headache. Many people go to over-the-counter medications for relief of their headaches. For some, this works and the headache doesn’t return. For those who have not realized the root of the problem and worked to correct it, the headache will return. Using over-the-counter pain medications too frequently can often lead to headaches caused by withdrawal from the medication. Caffeine is frequently a cause of withdrawal headaches as well. Those using caffeine or any over-the-counter medications daily with the continuation of headaches, should gradually wean off of both over a couple weeks.
Headache management:
1. As mentioned above, it’s important to document headaches and their timing, symptoms, your location, diet and other significant issues of that day. Review it regularly, looking for any common threads that can clue you into what is causing your headaches.
2. Get a good night’s sleep.
3. Make certain your blood pressure is under control.
4. Eat at least three meals a day, and ideally five or six. Try to incorporate carbohydrates, protein and fats into every meal. Limit the intake of chocolate, dark beer, yellow cheeses and processed meats, like hot dogs or pepperoni. Adopt a more natural diet, heavy in fresh fruits and vegetables, and limit processed foods and soda.
5. Eliminate intake of all artificial sweeteners.
6. Exercise at least three times a week. Make sure that your exercise gets you winded and you do it for at least 30 minutes. For those with tension-type headaches, yoga is a very beneficial and relaxing exercise.
7. Identify stresses in your life and work on managing them. Find 30 to 45 minutes to yourself everyday to do something you enjoy.
8. Consider using biofeedback (consciously observing involuntary body processes), especially for tension-type headaches.
9. Soaking in Epsom salts exposes the body to magnesium, which promotes muscle relaxation.
10. Tension-type headaches respond well to the topical application of peppermint oil. Apply a small amount to the forehead, temples and back of the head.
In addition to working on lifestyle changes, supplementation can be an important part of headache control. Consider these supplements:
• Magnesium. Start with 400-500 mg daily. Gradually increase by one capsule every 5-7 days until symptoms are relieved. If you experience loose bowels, lower daily intake by one capsule.
• Riboflavin (vitamin B-2). 200 mg twice a day. Riboflavin should be taken as part of a B complex vitamin, although you may have to take extra riboflavin to achieve the recommended dosage. This vitamin will turn urine bright yellow.
• Coenzyme Q-10. 100-150 mg daily, with food.
• Fish oil. 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined. Read ingredients to ensure proper dosing.
