No one likes headaches. They’re painful, frustrating, and in some cases can be debilitating and cause a whole afternoon on the couch with a pillow over your face, wishing everything would just be quiet.
Headaches can come in many flavours ranging from tension or sinus to hormonal or migraine – each variety with their own set of common causes.
Here are some of the most frequent causes of headaches, and what you can do to prevent them.
Bad posture
It’s an unconscious force of habit for many people to stoop forward sitting at a desk, bow their head for long periods while looking at mobile devices, and walking hunched over. Put all these habits together throughout a day, and you have the perfect recipe for a tension headache, sore muscles, and misalignment.
Set yourself 30-60-minute reminders to adjust your posture, stand up and stretch, and always be conscious of how much screen time you’re getting and how your body is positioned for these periods. It’s a great idea to regularly see a practitioner in this area who can give you the maintenance care you need when you inevitably forget!
Diet
No surprises here! Your body is designed to function on key vitamins and minerals mostly found in the food you eat. If you’re not getting enough of the good stuff and consuming too many processed foods that lack vital nutrition, it’s a guaranteed way to give yourself persistent headaches. It’s your body’s way of telling you what it’s not getting, and what it desperately needs. On the flipside, certain food sensitivities and allergies can also be headache triggers.
Write down everything you eat in a week, and start weeding out processed foods, refined sugars, and high sodium items, replacing them with a healthy dose of fruit, vegetables, proteins, and legumes. If you notice a pattern of headaches after a particular meal or food type, try a process of elimination to find any potential sensitivities or allergies that could be the root cause of your headaches.
Liquids (the right kind)
We know that when it comes to our survival, water is the star player. We also know that the vast majority of people simply don’t drink enough of it! Dehydration is one of the most common and obvious causes of headaches, and fortunately, one of the easiest to rectify.
Next time you feel a headache coming on, try drinking a glass or two of water and wait 10-20 minutes. You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly this works!
Your environment
Next time you start to get a headache, think about what potential environmental triggers are around you. Do you have allergies that set off your sinuses? Are you exposed to a lot of polluted or recycled air? Is your space filled with noise pollution? Are you around electronic devices and screens all day that could be straining your eyes?
Sometimes, the answer to your mystery headache could be as simple as some fresh air, an antihistamine, or a break from technology. Pay attention to your environment and limit any known headache triggers as much as you practicably can.