Common causes of headaches include stress, tension, anxiety, allergies, constipation, eyestrain, hunger, dehydration, sinus pressure, hormonal imbalance, TMJ, nutritional deficiencies, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, fever or exposure to pollutants.
Headaches can also be the sign of an underlying health problem such as hypertension, hypoglycemia, vitamin deficiencies, or sinusitis.
Because there are so many possible causes, for true relief, it is important to identify and treat the cause of the headache not just the symptoms.
Drug Free Strategy #1: Drink two glasses of water and call me in the morning.
Slight dehydration can cause headaches especially in dry or hot environments.
Drinking water can relieve headache symptoms, rehydrate the body, and help the digestive system.
Drink two glasses of water every three hours until symptoms subside.
Water purified through reverse osmosis is the best; distilled water is a good second choice.
Drug Free Strategy #2: Feed your brain.
Eat a high protein, low fat, low carb, low sugar snack.
Instead of soda and a candy bar, raise your blood sugar with one tablespoon of natural peanut butter spread on a slice of whole-wheat bread and top it with banana slices for an energy boost.
Other high protein snack ideas: natural beef jerky sold in health food stores, instant oatmeal, tuna packed in water, or half a cup of 2% cottage cheese mixed with fruit or a tomato.
Hunger can cause headaches as well as insufficient protein or too much sugar.
Keep your blood sugar steady by eating small high protein snacks/meals throughout the day.
Don't skip breakfast or lunch.
Drinking water and eating protein seem simple enough, yet are often overlooked in our hectic, on-the-go lifestyles.
The result can be a real pain in the brain-a headache.