Medical practitioners usually classify headaches into two categories.  The first category,  primary headaches, are those headaches that are not caused by some sort of underlying disease.  These include the more common headaches like migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches.  Secondary headaches, the second category of headaches, are usually caused by some sort of associated disease such as strokes, brain tumors, meningitis, or by a chemical dependency, such as caffeine withdrawal.

This article will cover the top 5 causes of primary headaches, since these tend to be the most common, and will discuss simple things you can do to prevent these triggers from ruining your day.

It’s estimated that Americans spend more than $4 billion a year on various types of headache treatments.  Everything from over-the-counter drugs and pain relievers to more exotic treatments like magnetic headbands and robotic scalp massagers.  Believe me, once you’ve got a pounding headache, you’ll try anything to make it to go away.

But rather than trying to “cure” a headache once it’s taken control of you, doesn’t it make more sense to try to prevent it from occurring in the first place?  One way of doing that is to become aware of the common things that trigger most headaches – and then take a couple of simple steps to prevent them from growing into a major problem.

Here’s a list of the 5 things that trigger most headaches and what you can do to reduce their effect:

1.  The Stress in Your Life.

You’re probably saying “duh” to this one.  When your nerves are on edge due to stress, it can trigger migraines as well as “tension” headaches.  Unfortunately, stress seems to be a routine part of daily life and can be caused by everything from your kids fighting with each other to rush hour traffic.  Please take note of the first part of the last statement:  “stress seems to be a routine part of daily life.”  In other words, stress is always there and even though you can try to “de-stress” by doing something you enjoy, in the back of your mind, you’re probably still stressing over all the problems that are going to be waiting for you when you get back home.

So what’s the answer?  The answer isn’t in constantly trying to de-stress, although it definitely helps to do that every once in a while.  But let’s face it, you can’t spend all day “hiding” from the world in whatever “stress-free” zone you’ve built for yourself.   For example, I love to meditate but it’s unrealistic to spend the entire day in meditation.  If you do, you’ll miss all the wonderful things life has to offer.  You’ll miss out on life itself.

The best solution, in my opinion, is to learn how to become better at handling stress. I’ve found two things that have helped me beat stress over the years.  The first is physical exercise. Every one or two hours, take 5 minutes and do something physical.  It can be as simple as getting up and walking around the office to the copy machine and back.  My favorite is to climb up a flight of stairs and then come back down.  Anything that gets your heart beating a little faster will help to melt stress away.

The second is your mental attitude. I’ve learned to live with the attitude that no matter happens, “this too shall pass.”  And believe me, with the business I’m in, I’ve been in some serious positions (IRS problems, for one) that should have driven me to drink.  But I’ve trained myself to have faith, to believe that somehow, we’d get through it, and we always have.  A good mental attitude will prevent stress from taking over your life.

Stress is the number one trigger of most headaches.  Because it’s a part of our routine lives, you need to have a strategy in place ahead of time in order to reduce its damaging effects.

2.  Eyestrain While Reading or Watching.

Most of us nowadays spend some portion of our day staring at a computer screen.  Emails, instant messaging, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, all seem to be part of the modern workplace.  When you spend several hours hunched over a computer, something that’s easy to do when you’re surfing the Net, your eyes can get strained and trigger a headache.

You can easily prevent that from happening by taking frequent breaks to change your eye’s range of focus.  If you’ve spent the past hour starting at your computer screen (close or short-distance focus), spend a minute or two looking at something on the opposite wall (mid to long distance focus).  Give your eyes a “workout” by switching from focusing on something close, to something distant, then to something in between.  Doing this a couple of times only takes a minute and will go a long ways towards reducing eyestrain.

If you find that you’re still getting headaches after reading or working at a computer, consider having your eyes checked to determine whether or not you may need reading glasses.  If you already use reading glasses, an eye exam will determine whether or not your prescription needs to be adjusted.  By the way, even if you don’t wear glasses (or contacts), having your eyes checked every two years should be a routine part of your health maintenance plan anyway.

Oh, I mentioned that you might be “hunched” over a computer screen so don’t forget to add a couple of slow neck turns and shoulder shrugs in order to reduce any muscle tension in those areas (see number 4 below).

3.  What you Eat and Drink.

A lot of foods contain chemicals (either naturally or through additives) that can trigger headaches so it’s important to be aware of the effects of what you eat and drink on your body. Items like coffee, tea, sodas, cocoa, and most chocolates contain caffeine, a natural chemical that is pretty addictive.  If you’re a 2-3 cup a day coffee drinker, or if you drink 2-3 sodas a day like I did, try going a day without drinking coffee or sodas and see what happens.  Instant headache.

Other foods may contain additives that can trigger headaches.  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and some artificial sweeteners (aspartame) are just two examples.

Lastly, missing or skipping a meal, either because you’re trying to diet or because you’re just too busy to eat, can trigger a “hunger” headache.

The best way to prevent headaches caused by your diet is to try to eat a balanced one that’s high in fiber and nutrition and low in fats, sugars, and additives.  Here’s another tip:  make sure you drink plenty of water during the day.

4.  Sitting for Long Periods.

If you work in an office, sitting for long periods is probably part of your job.  But sitting hunched over a computer screen or talking on the phone can quickly lead to tension headaches caused by tight shoulder, neck, and back muscles that are spending too much time in one position.  The best way to prevent these types of headaches is to take frequent short breaks to loosen these muscle groups.

It’s easy to loosen these muscles and you don’t even need to leave your office or cubicle.  Simply sit back in your chair and relax your shoulders.  Bring them down as low as they’ll go.  Now move them forward as far as they’ll go.  Now back.  You get the idea.  Slowly work them back and forth, then up and down until they feel lose and relaxed.

Now do the same with your neck muscles.  Relax your neck and slowly let it drop forward so you chin is on your chest.  Now slowly move it as far back as you can until you’re looking up at the ceiling.  Now try to put your left ear on your left shoulder, followed by moving your neck in the other direction.  Lastly, look forward and then slowly move your neck all the way to the left, and then all the way to right as if you’re trying to see someone over your shoulder.  The key is to move your head slowly and to focus on staying relaxed.

Your back is just as easy to stretch and loosen.  Push your chair back and then just lean as far forward as you can.  Try to touch your toes.  You can also do this standing up.  Just feel your back muscles stretch and begin to relax and loosen.  Now stand up, put your hands on your waist, and slowly rotate your hips in a big, wide circle feeling your lower back stretch as you do so.  Now, slowly rotate your hips in the other direction.

These exercises shouldn’t take more than a minute or two and can be done right at your desk.  They’ll prevent your neck, shoulder, and back muscles from triggering a tension headache.

5.  The Quality and Amount of Sleep.

Not getting enough sleep, not getting good quality sleep, or in some cases, getting too much sleep, can all trigger headaches.  In all of these cases, your brain just isn’t getting enough down time (or REM sleep).  All of us go through a natural sleep cycle when we sleep.  If that cycle is disturbed, either because the alarm goes off too soon (or too late) or because of some sort of physical problem (like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome), it can lead to waking up tired, listless, and with a headache.

To prevent this headache trigger from ruining your day, try to plan your activities so that you get a full night’s sleep.  Try to make sure your sleep is restful by not eating a heavy meal or drinking alcohol too close to bedtime.  Also make sure your sleeping “gear” (your bed and mattress, your bedroom, your pajamas, the temperature in your bedroom, etc) is in good shape and is not preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Conclusion.

There are other headache triggers but these 5 cover the ones that cause the majority of headaches.  Fortunately, these are also the easiest to defend against.  Although I’ve given you a variety of ways to prevent these triggers from creating headaches, most of them boil down to a few basic steps that should be part of your health plan anyway:

• Exercise where and when you can, even if its stretching for a minute or two at your desk;
• Have a positive mental attitude;
• Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of water;
• Get a good night’s sleep.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: headache, diet, stress, tension, head, pain, sleep, mental attitude, eyestrain, relaxation, meditation, stress relief, destress, de-stress

No related posts.

1. Boom Boxes. For some insane reason, some people just love to crank up their radios or boom boxes when they’re out camping.  I just don’t see the logic of leaving the noise of the city – and  then bringing it with you to the campground.  Inconsiderate people who play loud music is one reason to hate camping.
2. Loud People. You know the type.  Even when these people whisper, it sounds like a fog horn on a stormy night.  Apparently, these people don’t need much sleep because they’re always the last ones to go to bed keeping everyone else up with their loud jokes, comments, and laughter.
3. Door Slammers. I happened to be up before daybreak one morning and watched my “neighbor” in the campsite next to me crawl out of their tent, open a car door, not find what they were looking for, then slam the door shut, open another door, SlaM it closed, walk over to the other side of the car, open a third door, then SLAM it shut.  If the entire campground wasn’t already up, they were after this person opened and slammed 3 out of the 4 doors on their vehicle.
4. Car Alarms. Why some people deem it necessary to set their car alarms when they’re camping is beyond me.  Invariably, one of them goes off in the middle of the night when someone in their party opens a door looking for something (see item # 3).
5. People Who DRIVE to the Bathroom. In most state parks, the showers and bathrooms are usually within walking distance from the campsites.  However, there are some people who insist on driving the 40 or 50 yards.  Waking up in the middle of the night because someone is starting their car to go to the bathroom is no fun — especially since they usually set off the alarm (see item # 4), slam the car door (see item # 3), and then tell their spouse where they’re going (see item # 2).
6. Irresponsible Dog Owners. This one’s a pet peeve of mine.  I love dogs but would never take one camping.  Most of the time, the poor dog spends the entire weekend tied to the picnic table or barking at everything in their strange surroundings.  I especially hate people who don’t obey lease laws or those who leave their dogs at the campsite while they go off hiking or into town.  Irresponsible dog owners is a reason to hate camping.
7. Irresponsible Parents. For some reason, parents assume that they can let their kids run wild like they do at home.  I’ve seen kids get hurt running into briar vines and falling off of rocks.  The outdoors is not at all like a manicured back yard.  Kids need supervision, especially when outdoors.
8. People Who Bring All the Conveniences. One of reasons to go camping is to get away from all of the TV and radio chatter.  It’s difficult to relax when your neighbor is watching the game on his portable TV in the next campsite and has the sound cranked all the way up.  I’ve seen people set up satellite dishes in a campsite!  Geez!  These are people who just don’t understand the whole concept of camping in the first place – and a reason to hate going.
9. Mr. Fire Bug. One of my earliest camping memories was watching a bunch of fishermen trying to build a campfire.  One of them dosed a stack of wood with what must have been at least a gallon of gasoline.  It was kind of breezy so he struck a match and held it close to his body in order to shield it from the wind.  Then he slowly moved it towards the gasoline soaked wood.  The fireball literally blew the fishing cap off of his head – and I’m sure singed his eyebrows off as well.  Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to play with matches.
10. Alcohol. Why is it that some people think camping is a reason to drink?  They’ll stand around a campfire and chug beer after beer for most of the night.  Of course, there’s always a boom box, loud talking and laughing, car doors being slammed, and a barking dog or two!

Although I love being out doors, any or all of the above can really ruin a great weekend.  Most of these come down to a basic lack of consideration for others.  I was brought up to be considerate of others, to try to be quiet when we came in late so as not to bother people who might be trying to relax or sleep.  In this “me, me, me” world, I guess such things get left by the wayside.  It’s a real shame.

However, don’t let these things rob you of the joy of being outdoors.  Nothing will heal your mind and spirit like a weekend sleeping under the stars.  You’ll feel a strong spiritual connection to Nature that you just can’t get anywhere else … that is until someone slams a car door …

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: camping, outdoors, mental, balanced health, spirituality, nature, relaxation

Related posts:

1. 10 Reasons to Love Camping

What is it about camping that makes us want to go so often?  Here are 10 reasons I came up with as we were warming our feet by a cozy campfire:

1. Seeing Stars. Getting out away from the city allows you to see a sky full of stars.  At Wolf Creek Park, you can even see the Milky Way, something you’ll never see living around the streetlights of Houston.  One night at Pedernales State Park north of Austin, we even saw a low orbit satellite go by.
2. Hear the Birds Sing. Without the sounds of city streets nearby, you can actually hear the birds sing.  We heard a woodpecker looking for bugs long before we actually saw him up in a tree.  Another treat is hearing the trees “talk” to each other (actually, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees).
3. Falling Asleep to an Outdoor Lullaby. At night, the sounds of frogs and crickets can lull you into one of the most restful nights of sleep you’ve had in a long time.
4. Fresh Air. Nothing smells as good as being outdoors.  You can take a deep breath and smell nothing but clear air -  no diesel fumes, no perfumes, no factory exhausts.
5. Exercise is Built-in. Our campsite at Tyler State Park was at the bottom of a hill.  The bathroom was at the top of the hill.  Get the picture?  Part of the fun of camping is hiking, walking, or biking everywhere you need to go – all of which provides a little exercise at no additional charge!
6. Campfires. Nothing is more relaxing or hypnotic than staring into a campfire.  You can sit and stare at the flames for hours.  The smell of the burning wood, the smoke curling to the sky, the crack and pop of the fire beneath a star-filled sky is a unique experience.
7. Getting Away from It All. Camping lets me get away from the “grind” of city life.  No TV, no radio, nothing to remind me how twisted things can be in the big city.
8. A Renewed Spiritual Connection. To me, being in a forest is like being in church.  My spirit forms an immediate connection with Nature and is instantly renewed.  To use a term from the 60′s, I “mellow out.”
9. Communication. Although many of the places where we camp have electricity, we choose not to bring portable radios, TV’s, or iPods.  Since there’s no readily available mindless entertainment or distractions going on all the time like there is in the city, we’re forced to actually talk to each other.  The result is real communication.
10. Appreciation of Modern Conveniences. OK, I admit it.  After being out in the woods for a couple of days, I really do miss checking email or reading Google News.  Camping does give you an appreciation for all of the modern conveniences that have become a part of our lives.  However, camping also gives me the confidence of knowing that I can do without them, if I have to.  This was readily apparent after Hurricane Ike when most of Houston was out of power for 1-3 weeks.  Teri and I treated it like we were camping and did just fine.

For me, there’s nothing better for the health of my mind and spirit than to get away from the city for a couple of days and spend them next to a mountain stream or under a forest canopy.  Give it try and you’ll see what I mean.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

PS.  For the other side of camping, see my companion post, “10 Reasons to Hate Camping.”

Technorati Tags: camping, relaxation, mind and spirit, balanced health, relationships, mental state, sleep

No related posts.

This is a short, 5 minute animated video on how to meditate.  Now, I know that there are many people that believe that meditation is anti-Christian or an “instrument of the Devil” but that’s not true.

Meditation is simply a way to reduce the “mental noise” created by all of the thoughts, worries, and frustrations that are part of our everyday, hectic lives.  The volume of this “mental noise” is turned down to the point that God’s love and wiscom can actually starting coming in.

I believe that there’s nothing better than meditation to help you deal with life’s ups and downs.  And when it comes to worship, meditation helps get you closer to God, however you may define Him (or Her).

It’s my hope that you’ll give meditation a try.  This short video will get you started.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: meditation, God, worship, relaxation, mind and spirit, how to meditate

Related posts:

1. Being Present in a Relationship

Ever wonder why just being by a waterfall instantly soothes your spirit and makes you feel relaxed and energized?

There are actually several reasons for this. The first is the rhythmic sight and sound of the rushing water as it gathers speed, spills over the falls, and crashes into a pool below. The motion of the water is almost hypnotic and the sound is like a lullaby that sings directly into your soul.

The crashing water of a waterfall also creates quite a bit of mist, increasing the humidity and cooling the surrounding area. A lot of mist in the air tends to create rainbows when the sun is at the right angle, another item that is pleasing to the eye and that helps to calm the spirit.

Waterfalls also create significant levels of negative ions. Negative ions not only clean the air (which is why the air around a waterfall always smells fresh and clean), they make you feel relaxed, refreshed, and energized.

Lastly, waterfalls are just plain cool. Who can watch water come crashing down from a high cliff and not be moved to amazement? Who can feel the cool mist on their face and not experience a deep connection with the Earth? Who can possibly come up with a better way to describe a waterfall than to just stare at it and say, “Cool!”?

Balanced health means more than just diet and exercise. Although diet and exercise take care of your physical body, you have to also balance your mind and spirit. Sitting near a waterfall is a great way to do that.

So whether you’re sitting near a waterfall as massive as Niagara Falls or one as small as a tabletop waterfall, take the time to really watch the water flow over the edge. Hear the water splashing on the rocks and hitting the pool below. Then take a slow, deep, cleansing breath, and say, “Cool!”

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: balanced health, waterfalls, negative ions, water, mental health, spirit, relaxation

No related posts.