Ever had that feeling that headache is coming? Do you want to know how to stop it?
I don't think there is a more common problem for humans than a headache. Wait, do you think pets can get headaches? I watched a documentary on chimps where their leader was experiencing what we would call "headaches". He first rolled on the ground holding his head, then whined and cried, and finally fell asleep only to wake up completely happy and energetic an hour later. Sounds like a migraine to me.
Anyway, headaches are one of the most common symptoms that my patients mention on the initial questionnaire. Interestingly, most people do not know how to quickly stop a headache that is coming.
Headache as a Danger Signal
First of all, you need to know that not all headaches are the same. Some of them can be a symptom of another bigger problem, such as:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Leaky Gut
Anemia
Nutritional or vitamin deficiency
Autoimmune disease
Hormonal disfunction
Stress and overuse
Cancer or tumor
As you can see, almost any chronic, significant disease or condition can manifest as a headache. Why? The explanation is simple. Our brain is one of the biggest and most important controllers of life and the body. Naturally, there are many protection programs in place to safeguard the brain and neurons from damage. A headache, in this case, serves as a red flag, signaling the need to address something that poses a threat to the central nervous system function.
Chronic Headache or a Single Headache
There are two types of people - those who always have headaches and who never have it. Headachy people can have a variety on them at certain time of their life:
Tension Headache
Migraines
Sinus Headache
Stress Headache
Cluster Headache
High Blood Pressure Headache
Hormonal Headache
Wow, what an extensive list! It indicates that for these individuals, a headache is simply a reaction to any adversity in life. This suggests to me that these people experience headaches as a result of an inherent (genetic) deficiency in the body's stress-regulating mechanisms, using headaches as a means to prompt the body into a "rest and recovery" mode.
Is a Headache a Disease or a Symptom?
Based on what I just told you and my experience, a headache is a warning sign. You must listen to it and address what you are doing wrong at once to avoid getting really sick. So, here are the promised immediate actions to stop a headache (or whatever it is warning you of):
Stop. Really, stop what you are doing. Assess yourself to see if your activity was what caused you to have a headache. If in a minute your head stopped hurting, then go to #2.
Relieve. Massage the neck and the skull - get the blood circulation going. Do it in a circular motion to massage trigger (painful) points longer. Add some neck exercise - rotate your head to the left-right, up-down, and in a circle. Get your shoulders moving in a circular motion to relieve the stress and stagnation of energy and blood flow.
Analyze. What was the cause of the problem? Was it posture, sitting too long without motion, or staring at a monitor that is too high for your eyes? Some headaches are known to be triggered by a vision problem - farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism. So, maybe it's time to see an optometrist to get the right glasses. And you've probably heard about the harm of blue light? There are glasses that can fix that now.
Correct. Read about ergonomic chairs, move the monitor to the right height, take breaks between work, games, or study. Adjust the distance between your screen and your eyes, and don't lay on the wrong pillow if you are reading in bed.
If the headache does not go away - Stop again. Either you are not finding the reason, or it is time to see our Integrative specialists at ImmuneLine.
We can help you find the reasons for your headache and make it go away. We have done it for so many people - now it is your turn.
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