Headaches can affect anybody regardless of gender, race, or age. You can even say no one is immune from this condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 50% of adults worldwide would experience at least one headache in any specified year.
Why do people get headaches? Here are some of the general factors that can cause it:
Some people experience headaches whenever they get exposed to the sun's scorching heat during summer. Often, in many cases, most people feel that extreme heat gives them migraines or head pain. Can the summer heat actually cause migraines? Let's take a more in-depth look into this particular subject.
Most people experience headaches when they get exposed to the scorching summer heat. True, it can be a real pain in the head. However, is it causing headaches? According to one Baylor College of Medicine expert, problems during the summer months are more likely due to dehydration.
How can dehydration cause headaches then? When you become dehydrated, your blood vessels narrow as your body loses electrolytes and water. Thus, you become more vulnerable to suffer from a heat stroke. As a result, a headache becomes a symptom of that. Other symptoms of a heat stroke include:
If you are prone to getting migraines and headaches, dehydration can be the trigger. Therefore, doctors recommend that you try to drink lots of water before you go outdoors and while you spend time at the scorching heat of the sun. Also, it would be good to take short breaks from doing strenuous activities to prevent dehydration.
Doctors also caution people against ignoring their headaches if they become recurrent, especially when accompanied by the following:
If these symptoms accompany your headaches, it could be a warning sign of a more severe health issue. If your head pain suddenly changes in frequency and severity, please seek help from your family doctor as soon as possible.
You must be aware that over-the-counter medications can help temporarily. However, if you take them too often, they can start to give you worse headaches. These headaches are called rebound headaches, and these are more severe than migraines. Whenever a patient takes pain medication of any kind for more than 15 days in any given month to deal with headaches, medication overuse headaches (MOH) are sure to follow. MOH or rebound headaches are one and the same.
Therefore, staying hydrated is still an excellent idea when dealing with most headaches. Also, getting plenty of sleep helps a lot. Finally, try to identify your headache triggers so you can avoid them; exercise regularly; and eat healthy daily.
Here are 10 of the most common reasons for headaches or migraines to occur:
Stress is one of the leading reasons for headaches. Always aim to relax and refocus on positive thoughts. Also, try your best to keep your stress levels low by doing any of these activities:
Keeping a sedentary lifestyle is not good. Therefore, getting up and moving around helps decrease the risk of headaches. Also, light exercise helps keep you healthy and feel better overall.
It is a valid point for women. Right before a menstrual period, the estrogen levels drop, and this is what causes headaches in females.
When you are hungry, take a minute to get something to eat. Too little sleep is not good. It’s a good idea to keep a regular and consistent schedule for sleeping and eating. Doing so helps you prevent headaches and migraines.
Slouching or keeping a lousy posture is terrible. How so? It strains the spine and the neck. Also, proper blood flow becomes hindered.
In this case, it’s not just about hearing loud or repetitive noise. It also includes continuous sound at a lower pitch or level. Ultra-low frequency can also cause headaches and migraines. Therefore, calming or soothing music may give you relief.
Avoid glare from the sun, a bright computer screen, overhead lights, and car lights. Start wearing sunglasses or anti-glare glasses; take a break from the computer screen exposure; and use a desk lamp (with a shade) instead of overhead lights.
Doing an intense workout at the gym can cause the blood vessels in your neck, head, and scalp to swell, leading to headaches. Mild to moderate exercise would be enough. Too much is bad.
Certain medications list headaches or migraines as a possible side effect. Please check with your doctor first before taking any medication.
Some specific foods and drinks can release neurotransmitters that cause some people to have headaches. Beware of such substances such as:
Trying to get the help that works naturally for headaches and migraines can often leave you disappointed and frustrated. However, checking out the results of a study conducted by Dr. Erin Elster, a researcher, and upper cervical chiropractor, can give you much-needed hope.
This case study involved 101 patients. These patients experienced a variety of different headache types, including migraines. The results showed that 87 of the participants recalled at least one traumatic experience that involved injury to the head or neck before the start of their headaches.
All patients showed misalignment in the top bones of their neck after thorough examinations. The misalignment was either the C1 (atlas) or C2 (axis). Later, the patients all received personally tailored adjustments from an upper cervical chiropractor. Out of the 101 patients, 85 of them reported complete resolution of their headaches and migraines. Twelve patients said they had significant improvements. Only four patients reported they had little to no changes in their symptoms.
A misaligned axis or atlas vertebra can create pressure on the brainstem because they share the same spot. Misalignment leads to a malfunction of the brainstem, causing it to send improper signals to the brain. Also, it causes disruption in the proper flow of oxygen-rich blood and cerebrospinal fluid from the brain. All of these cause headaches.
Upper cervical chiropractors use a safe, gentle, and precise technique to realign the atlas bone accurately. As a result, this is all that is required to see an improvement in migraines and headaches. In some cases, they are also entirely gone for good. How’s that for natural and long-term relief from migraines and headaches?
Find an upper cervical chiropractor near your area now.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.