Pain or discomfort in your head or facial area is known as a headache. The unwelcomed sensation can be described as a pressure that’s throbbing, constant, sharp or dull. According to the World Health Organization almost everyone has experienced a headache occasionally. However, when they happen often, or develop a new pattern, they could be a sign of a more serious problem.
Effective headache prevention may vary depending on which type you’re trying to avoid (see below), but to jump to some general ways to prevent headaches, click here.Different types of headaches
There are many different types of headaches, which can last between half an hour and up to several hours. Some aren’t usually cause for concern and not a symptom of an underlying illness. These are sometimes referred to as ‘primary headaches’. Others can be a symptom of something more serious (sometimes called as ‘secondary headaches’).
The following are types of common headaches:1. Cluster headaches – Usually rare and non-life-threatening, these happen in patterns of cycles and often wake people in the night with intense pain in or around one eye or on one side of their head. Bouts of regular attacks can last from weeks to months, typically followed by periods of months, or sometimes years, where the headaches stop.
2. Migraines – These are a severe throbbing pain or pulsing feeling, typically on one side of the head that can last for days. They often come with sickness, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. In addition, they may come with a sensory disruption called an “aura”. These can include light flashes, blind spots, other changes in vision and tingling of the hands or face. There are well-known triggers.
3. Tension headache – The most common type of headache, these often appear as a mild-to-moderate pain commonly referred to as a sensation similar to having a tight band round the head.
Other types of headaches include:1. Chronic daily headaches – Should you experience headaches more than you have headache-free days, you may have chronic daily headaches, that are a mixture of headache types.
2. Cough headaches – Fairly rare, these are sparked by coughing and other sorts of straining like blowing your nose, laughing, sneezing, crying, singing, or having a bowel movement. Primary cough headaches aren’t usually serious, and are caused only by coughing, getting better quickly without treatment. They’re diagnosed only when a health provider has eliminated causes other than coughing. Meanwhile, potentially more serious secondary cough headaches can be triggered by a cough but are a result of other issues with the brain or structures near the brain and spine.
Unless cough headaches are something you’re familiar with and a clinician has given you the all-clear, contact your GP if you experience a new, persistent, cough induced headache.
3. Exercise headaches – These can strike while doing or following prolonged, strenuous exercise, such as running, rowing, swimming, weightlifting or tennis. Primary exercise headaches usually involve throbbing on both sides of the head. Secondary exercise headaches can involve the same symptoms, along with vomiting, neck stiffness, double vison and loss of consciousness. Whilst primary exercise headaches are often nothing to worry about and can last between five minutes and 48 hours, secondary exercise headaches often last at least a day, but sometimes for several days more.
If you develop these symptoms, please take them seriously and contact your GP.
4. Sex headaches – Rarely, sexual activity, especially involving orgasm, can cause a headache, either in the form of a dull ache in the neck and head that builds as sexual excitement does, or a severe headache just prior to orgasm. This can also sometimes be a side-effect of Viagra or similar medications.
Tips for preventing headaches
- Keep a headache diary – If you’re no stranger to regular headaches, maintaining a record of when they start, duration and what you were doing at the time they began can help you spot your unique headache triggers, so you know what to avoid or minimise. You can find a headache diary template to get your started here.
- Prioritise sleep – The Sleep Foundation advises adults aged 18-64 get seven-nine hours of sleep, whilst the recommended sleep time for those aged 65 and above is seven-eight hours. Some studies suggest that seven hours could be the optimum amount of sleep time for those who are middle aged and older. Stick to the same wake-up and bedtime even on weekends, where possible. We’ve shared 15 tips for better sleep, to get you started.
- Stay clear of overdoing the medication, specifically painkillers like paracetamol and codeine – Although you may think over-the-counter medications for headaches can help, taking some more than twice a week can actually make your headaches more intense and frequent. Ask your doctor for advice about how to ease up on the medication, as not doing so correctly can have serious consequences.
- Eat regular healthy meals – A study suggests that missing meals are linked with headaches. So, it’s best to eat nutritious meals at around the same times each day.
- Be caffeine conscious – Despite some headache medications containing caffeine as it can reduce headache pain, caffeine overload may lead to rare migraine episodes becoming more of an ongoing issue (chronic). Sudden withdrawal of caffeine can also prompt a migraine attack. If you experience migraines, be mindful of the amount of caffeine you have, and avoid having more than 200mg each day. Should you still wish to have caffeinated drinks, keep your daily intake as consistent as possible.
- Hone your hydration – Headaches can stem from dehydration, though often being dehydrated can worsen underlying medical conditions like the primary headaches discussed above. So, it pays to keep well hydrated throughout the day, which you can learn more about here.
- Minimise stress – This isn’t always as hard as it sometimes first appears and may alleviate headaches. Try and do things you enjoy and that relax you, such as yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, or a physical activity. Planning ahead with a schedule and getting organised in advance can also reduce feelings of overwhelm.
- Embrace regular exercise – With so many benefits, including headache prevention, frequent aerobic activities like walking, swimming or cycling can boost your physical and mental wellbeing and reduce stress.
Note that exercise headaches mentioned above usually happen more when in hot and humid weather or if you’re exercising at high altitudes. If you’re susceptible to these types of headaches, you may wish to avoid exercising in these conditions. When it comes to demanding workouts, a warm-up beforehand can help prevent exercise headaches.
Keeping a headache diary as suggested previously, can help you pinpoint if certain types of physical activity trigger exercise headaches for you. Once identified, you may like to avoid these activities.
- Explore cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), should you live with tension headaches. CBT has been cited as a type of talking therapy that may equip you with skills to manage stress and aid in minimising the frequency and severity of your headaches.
- Consider biofeedback training – Whilst we’re on the topic of tension headaches, biofeedback training, a technique whereby you control certain body responses that help curb pain, is sometimes a proposed tension headache prevention method. A biofeedback session entails being connected to devices that track and provide feedback on body functions like muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure. Afterwards, you master how to minimise muscle tension and slow your heart rate and breathing yourself.
- Improve your posture – There’s a proven association between the common forward head posture and tension headaches. Forward head posture is where your head and ears are in front of your body’s vertical centre line. In regular posture, your ears align with your shoulders and centre line. There are exercises you can try to help improve your posture.
- Take screen breaks – Spending a lot of time in front of screens can cause Computer vision syndrome or Digital Eye Strain. Since Asthenopia, the formal name for eye strain, can lead to headaches, particularly behind the eyes, having regular screen breaks can be an effective headache prevention strategy. Resting your eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of non-stop screen use, plus looking into the distance for 20 seconds for every 20 minutes of computer viewing can help, as can these other prevention techniques around screen positioning and lighting.
- Preventing migraines – Stress and food triggers can be among the culprits for migraines. Using a schedule and preparing ahead of time may help minimise unnecessary stress, whilst doing things you enjoy and that you find relaxing, for example arts and crafts or playing an instrument, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, or a physical activity can also alleviate feelings of overwhelm – see what works for you. Certain foods, such as chocolate, citrus fruit and cheese can be typical triggers too. Keeping a headache diary as mentioned above will familiarise you with your unique triggers so you know what to avoid.
There’s some evidence that supplements and vitamins may help. Magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), Co-enzyme Q10 (COQ10) and the herbal remedy feverfew, which should be avoided if you’re taking medications which may cause bleeding as it may increase this risk, and is a rare cause of liver toxicity, have all proved helpful. You can find out more here.
Contact your GP if your headache persists and just gets worse despite treatment, or if you vomit and are sensitive to light with it. Get advice if you have weakness in your arms or legs with your headache, or if it is triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down. Click here for more guidance on what to do in different headache-related circumstances.
Reviewed by:
Anna Keeble MA BA Head of Content and Wellbeing Expert
Dr Brian Fisher MBBch MBE MSc FRSA – Clinical Director
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