Hi there! I was wondering if you had any tips for relieving headaches? Random I know, but I've been having constant headaches for months now, and every time I go to the doctors they just say it's stress and tell me to just take painkillers until they pass. Problem is I'm not stressed and the painkillers aren't helping, so I was wondering if any of you knew of other ways to relieve headaches? I've been chugging water like crazy but no luck there either. Thank you, hope you all have a good week
Hello, Anon-san! Long time sufferer of both headaches *and* migraines here! So you’re in good(?) company. Here are a few things:
- Good job with the water! Staying hydrated is important, and even more important is staying hydrated *while* the headache is going on. I am really bad about making myself eat and drink while I have a migraine, even though I know it makes it worse. Get Carnation Instant Breakfast or something that’s dense with nutrients that you can get yourself to ingest.
- Make sure you’re getting plenty of good sleep that is on a consistent schedule. This sucks and it’s hard, but I find a big trigger of headaches can be shifting my sleep schedule dramatically. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, if you can, and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
- Keep a headache journal. If it’s not stress, there may be something else that is triggering them. For example, mine can start up after eating specific things, when I’m close to my period, or if I sleep in a different bed (who knew that hotel pillow cases could cause headaches? NOT ME).
- Cold compress over the forehead, temple and eyes (not ice, though -- cold enough that you can tell and keep it comfortable). Darkness. Get away from your computer and your telephone until it dies down, as the light from the screen can make it worse.
- I say this with some degree of caution, but try different pain killers. The ones you use may not be the most effective, depending on what kind of headache you have (for example, for migraines, I can *only* use Excederin -- acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. If it’s related to muscle aches and inflammation, use ibuprofen.).
- There’s a pressure point between your thumb and your index finger bones. I know it sounds crazy, but if you hold your hand to put pressure on both sides, it actually can relieve the pain. It’s called the “Union Valley Pressure Point” (see #1 here for a diagram). I use this pretty regularly.
Hope this helps! Headaches are the bane of my existence.
- Paper