Hysterical about Headaches?
Headaches are one of the most common health grievances of students, adults and even children, Headaches are very common and usually do not point to a serious illness. But even a mild headache can disrupt your daily activities.
What Actually Happens in your Body to Cause a Headache?
The skull bones and brain tissues do not have pain sensitive nerve fibres. But muscles of the face, mouth, throat, neck and scalp, and blood vessels on the surface and base of the brain are sensitive to pain as they contain pain sensitive nerve fibres.
The ends of these nerve fibres are stimulated by various things, like stress, muscle tension, lack of sleep, and so on. The stimulated nerve ending sends a message up the length of the nerve fibre to the related nerve cells of the brain. The brain locates the region that sent the signal, and we feel the pain or ache.
Headaches may be mild, chronic or severe depending on the underlying cause and pain bearing capacity of the individual.
Our body produces natural pain killing proteins called endorphins. One of the theories suggests that people with low endorphin levels suffer from severe headaches and other chronic pains in comparison with people having high endorphin levels.
What Triggers Headaches?
In both Ayurveda and Western medicine, headaches can be caused by:- Anger.
- Muscle tension.
- Missed meals.
- Vigorous exercise.
- Sexual excitement.
- Infections like the common cold, flu, fever, ear infection,tooth infection, sinus infection, pneumonia, etc.
- Coughing - too much coughing can cause a form of traction headache.
- Lifestyle causes include hangover, excessive alcohol, stress, fatigue, tension, tiredness, and excessive smoking.
- Dyspepsia.
- Eye conditions.
- Systemic or metabolic conditions. For example, hypertension, thyroid disease, anemia, kidney failure, uremia.
- Brain or head conditions. Including meningitis, encephalitis, head injury, heatstroke, and sunstroke.
- Headaches may occur before, during, or after menstruation.
- Hunger.
- Medications. (Many drugs designed to relieve pain can actually cause headache when the drug is stopped after a period of prolonged use.)
- Alcohol and caffeine withdrawal.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- Reading for long periods of time, or eyestrain.
- Doing repetitive work.
- Staying in one position for a long time, such as working at a computer.
These causes stimulate all the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). The vitiated doshas cause tension, migraine, sinus and other headaches.
Tension Headaches
Tightening of the muscles of the face and neck cause tension headaches. It is characterized by a dull ache in the forehead or back of head and pain in the neck and shoulders which travels to the head. Causes like lack of sleep, stress, reading for a long time, and working in front of a computer for long hours can precipitate tension headaches.
Home Remedies for Tension Headaches
-
For tension headaches massage a few drops of peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil on temples.
- Massage the scalp with slightly warmed sesame oil. This relieves the tension headache and induces sleep.
- Regular exercise, yoga and meditation reduce the stress levels and keep tension headaches at bay.
- Persons of vata type can use hot water bags on aching parts and a hot shower will be helpful.
- Persons of pitta type can use cold or ice packs on aching parts and wrap a wet cold cloth around their neck.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are caused when the blood vessels of the head get too dilated or constricted. Females are more prone to this type of headache than males and migraine tends to run in families.
A person suffering from a migraine feels like vomiting, becomes too sensitive to light, sound and other activities. A few people experience spots or flashes before the headache starts.
Menstruation in females, caffeine, alcohol, aged cheese, cured meat, stress, changes in sleeping patterns, and strenuous exercise can trigger migraine headaches.
Home Remedies for Migraine Headaches
- Make a note of any conditions which trigger the headache and also any foods. Try to avoid these.
- Avoid spicy foods, coffee, tea, alcohol, onion and garlic. Avoid citrus fruits except lemon.
- Try muscle relaxation exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga are definitely going to help. Relax at least for half an hour everyday by doing your favourite activities like listening to music, gardening, taking a hot bath and so on.
- Stick to a regular sleep pattern and get enough sleep but don't oversleep. Avoid sleeping during the afternoon.
- Rest
in a dark, quiet room when you feel a migraine coming on. Place an ice
pack wrapped in a cloth on the back of your neck and apply gentle
pressure to painful areas on your scalp.
Sinus Headaches
A sinus headache surfaces when fluids in the nose are not able to drain well and pressure builds up in the sinuses. A cold, dust allergies, dirty or polluted water, and air travel may cause this type of headache. Sinus headache causes pain in the forehead, cheek bones, and nose as well as a stuffy nose. The headache increases when face is bent or touched. The symptoms are worse in the morning.
Home Remedies for Sinus Headaches
- Breathe in warm, moist air.
- Moisten the nasal passages with the help of saline nasal spray. A saline spray can be used up to six times per day.
- Do not smoke. If you smoke, quit.
- Avoid second-hand smoke and polluted air.
- Avoid exposure to anything that triggers allergy or sinus symptoms.
- Wash your hands frequently to avoid colds.
- Seek treatment for a persistent cold before sinusitis sets in.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks. Alcohol can cause swelling of the nasal and sinus tissues.
Although headaches are very common, it is recommended to consult a doctor about your headache.
Go to an emergency department if any of the following symptoms occur:
- Pain that develops very rapidly.
- A change in concentration or ability to think.
- A change in level of alertness.
- Altered speech.
- Weakness, numbness, or difficulty in walking.
- Changes in vision.
- Headache with a stiff neck or neck pain, or if light hurts your eyes.
- If you feel that this the worst headache of your life.
- Headache with dizziness, or a feeling that you are falling to one side.
- Headache from an injury or blow to the head.
- Headache with fever.
About the author
Dr. Savitha Suri has been an Ayurvedic practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in Ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising Ayurveda . Her articles about Ayurveda have been published in newspapers and on websites, and she is a regular health columnist to a regional newspaper.
Dr. Savitha Suri lives in Mysore, Karnataka, India. She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.
Send an email to Savitha Suri
www.ayurhelp.com
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