Getting Fast Relief
Rub your temples firmly with your fingers to release tense muscles. Temple pain is sometimes the result of tense muscles in your neck and head. Use the index and middle fingers on each hand and rub your temples in a circular motion. Apply firm pressure, but don’t press hard. This motion can release tense muscles and help with the pain. Try rubbing other areas as well. Muscles in your neck may be pulling also, so massage the back of your neck to relax them.
Take a 20-minute break from looking at a screen to reduce eyestrain. Tension headaches can occur after looking at a screen for a long time. If you’ve been working on the computer, playing video games, or staring at another screen for some time, take a break. Get up and don’t look at any screen for 20 minutes. This can help ease your eyestrain and reduce your pain. Rubbing your temples during this break can also help release muscles and reduce the pain. If you work on the computer often, rest for 10-20 minutes for every 2 hours you work to reduce eyestrain. Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen and focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Apply a cold compress on your forehead to numb the pain. Take an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables and wrap it in a towel. Then lay back and press the compress onto your forehead. This constricts blood vessels and helps numb headaches. Alternatively, you can also wet a towel with cold water and wrap it around your head. Re-wet it as needed. Don’t use an ice pack without a towel wrapped around it. This can damage your skin.
Use a heating compress on your neck to relax tense muscles. Rather than just numbing the pain, a warm compress can loosen muscles and relieve headaches. Take a heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm towel and apply it to the back of your neck. Loosening these muscles can prevent them from pulling on your head and causing headaches. If you use an electric heating pad, set it to a low-medium heat. Always touch the compress with your hand before using it to make sure it isn’t too hot.
Take OTC pain relievers for occasional headaches. If none of these home remedies fix the problem, then an OTC pain reliever can get rid of the pain for the time being. Use any pain reliever and take it according to the product instructions. All drug types are fine for relieving headaches. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen will all do the job. Most pain relievers can be taken for several days in a row. If a week has gone by and you still need medication, contact your doctor for an examination. Take the medication exactly as directed. Taking too much pain medication can cause a rebound headache, defeating the purpose.
Preventing Pain with Lifestyle Changes
Reduce your daily stress with relaxation exercises. Stress is a major cause of tension headaches. If you live a high-stress life, then this may be behind your headaches. Taking steps to reduce your stress can help relieve your pain and stop it from reoccurring. There are many ways to do this. Relaxation exercises like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga are excellent stress-reducers. Make some time for techniques like these each day. Regular aerobic exercise, like running and walking, also helps reduce stress and keeps you in shape. If you have trouble controlling your stress levels, consider speaking with a therapist to learn more effective strategies.
Get 8 hours of sleep every night to avoid triggering a headache. Lack of sleep can trigger headaches or make existing headaches worse. If you don’t sleep for a full 8 hours every night, then commit to getting more sleep. Set a bedtime that will allow you to sleep for 8 hours and stick to it. Avoid caffeinated drinks for at least 4 hours before bed. These stimulate the brain and keep you awake. Develop a relaxing nighttime routine. Turn off the TV and read for an hour before bed to make yourself tired. If you can’t sleep, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel tired again. Don’t watch TV or play on your phone, because the light can stimulate your brain further.
Eat meals at regular times to prevent low blood sugar. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, occurs when your body doesn’t have enough nutrients. A headache is a common symptom. Keep your body nourished with regular, balanced meals. Don’t get into the habit of skipping meals, especially breakfast. This denies your body nutrients and can trigger a headache. If you eat meals at regular times and still get headaches, try spreading your meals out into smaller ones. Have 5 smaller meals instead of 3 large ones to keep your blood sugar more consistent. If you’re always on the move for work, plan ahead and bring food with you. Use a small, handheld cooler with prepared meals. Also carry small snacks with you, like a bag of nuts, so you can snack throughout the day to prevent a blood sugar drop.
Avoid foods that trigger headaches. Sometimes, individual food sensitivities can cause headaches, especially if you experience them regularly. Keep track of when your headaches start and make note of what you ate around that time. Over time, see if a pattern emerges and that you always get a headache after having a particular food. Then limit or cut out that food to see if your headaches reduce in frequency. Alcohol commonly causes headaches. For some people, red wine in particular triggers a headache while other types don’t.Tip: Cigarettes can also stimulate headaches, so try to avoid smoking or using tobacco products. If you have particular sensitivities to dairy, soy, or spices you may also experience headaches.
Wear blue tint glasses while looking at screens to filter out harmful light. Computers, phones, and TVs all emanate blue light, which strains the eyes and causes headaches. Blue tint glasses block this light and reduce eyestrain. If you often get headaches while working on the computer or looking at screens, then try wearing a pair of tinted glasses while you work. You don’t need a prescription for plain glass blue tint glasses. Any eyeglass store can make them. If you wear prescription lenses, then the eyeglass store can make tinted glasses with your prescription. Remember to take regular breaks when you’re working on the computer as well. Walking around for 10-20 minutes after every 2 hours of work helps avoid headaches.
Use good posture when you sit to avoid straining your neck. You might not think of posture when you think of headaches, but poor posture can indeed cause them. Slouching and looking down strains your neck, which tenses the muscles in your head. Review the way you sit. Make sure your back is up straight, your shoulders are pointed back, and your head is facing forward. Adjust your sitting position if you have to. Raise your computer so you can look straight ahead rather than looking down. Use a good chair as well. Make sure it has good lumbar support and maintains the natural curve of your spine.
Visit your doctor if you have headaches more than 15 days per month. Chronic headaches are sometimes the result of an underlying medical issue. If you’re in consistent pain and need medication more than 15 days during the month, then schedule an appointment with your doctor. They can examine you and determine if you need treatment for an underlying cause. If they don’t find other conditions causing the headaches, then you may be prescribed a daily preventative medication. For temple pain, the cause is sometimes a condition called temporal arteritis if you’re over the age of 50. This is an inflammation of the arteries leading to your eyes. It’s usually treated with a round of steroids to reduce the swelling. High blood pressure is another common cause of headaches. You may also be experiencing side effects from a medication you’re taking.
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