15 Home Relief Tips For The Headache Sufferer Articles | Headache

By: Peter Rapport

Just about everyone will get a headache from time to time - at least 45 million of us! What's the quickest and easiest way to prevent and treat a common tension headache?

Try these tried-and-true techniques for relief:

1. Limit Your Salt. It can trigger migraines in some people.

2. Go cold. "Some people report that feeling cold against their foreheads or necks during a headache helps relieve some of the pain..

3. Stay Away From Tyramine, found in chocolate, nuts and some hard cheeses. It's a common headache-inducer chemical, affecting millions of people worldwide

4. Stop Tensing Up. Check to see if you are exhibiting signs clenched teeth, clenched fists, and hunched shoulders - they can all cause a headache

5. Wear a headband. It may be an old wives tale, but it works! Headbands decrease the blood flow to the scalp and lessen the throbbing and pounding of a migraine."

6. Watch Your Eyes. Bright lights from, television screens, computer monitors and even video systems can all cause squinting, eyestrain, and, finally, headaches. Wear sunglasses outdoors to avoid glare, and take lots of breaks when straining your eyes at work or home.

7. Avoid Gum. The repetitive chewing motion can tighten muscles and bring on a tension headache.

8. Seek quiet. Excessive noise is a common trigger for tension headaches.

9. Try Self-Massage or Acupressure. Both are proven headache relievers. Squeeze between your forefinger and thumb until you feel pain and under the bony ridges at the back of the neck to relive tension.

10. Avoid Processed Lunch Meats and Hot Dogs. They contain nitrates. These dilates blood vessels, leading to head pain.

11. Don't Starve Yourself. Going hungry, whether on a diet or just too busy to grab a bite can cause muscle tension, and, drops in blood sugar which causes the blood vessels in the brain to tighten. When you eat again, they expand, leading to headache.

12. Breathe deeply. Deep breathing is a great tension reliever. "

13. Watch The Caffeine. Not getting enough caffeine and your blood vessels dilate, causing a headache. Getting too much has a similar effect. Limit yourself to one or two caffeinated drinks per day.

14. Smile. Sourpusses who scrunch up their faces all of the time tend to have more headaches. Besides, laughter reduces stress, which reduces tension - and headaches!

15. Stand Up Straight, and avoid leaning or pushing your head in one direction.