How to Deal With Stress Headaches
Stress headaches are a common symptom in this fast paced society, and while you can always pop an aspirin or other pain reliever in your mouth, it’s better to find longer term solutions. Only suffering from the headache every once in a while isn’t that big a deal, but if stress headaches happen all the time, you should try to figure out what is causing them. If your headaches are really severe, you should visit your doctor but you might also find some relief from the following remedies.
Cold Therapy
A quick and easy way to ease a stress headache is to use an ice pack. You can make your own ice packs with a cold towel and a bag filled with ice (in a pinch frozen veggies will do). Lie down and do your best to relax and move the ice pack every few minutes from the top of your head to the back of your neck to your forehead. Leave the ice pack for the longest amount of time on the area where you feel the most pain. Ice numbs the pain and reduces the inflammation that is making your headache happen. This won’t address the underlying cause of your stress headaches but it will offer you some good relief.
Hydrate
One very common cause of stress headache is dehydration so it is important to drink water. You may not always realize it when you’re dehydrated, especially if you’re distracted by work or another activity. Try to remember that you don’t just want to drink more caffeinated drinks like soda or energy drinks because those can actually cause headaches. The best way to rehydrate yourself is with pure water, fruit juice, or some herbal iced tea. When you eat too much salty food your dehydration can get worse so cutting back on the salt is a good idea.
Get Away from Stress Source
If you’ve been having to deal with headaches from stress or tension you can do quite a lot to cure them by controlling how much stress you let into your life. This is easier said than done but if you focus on it you will accomplish it. You can reduce your own stress levels by learning yoga and mediation. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing do more than help you relax, they help combat stress headaches and sometimes even keep them from happening at all. If you are under lots of stress you might not be able to get rid of all of it at once, but you can take measured steps toward this goal.
In conclusion, stress headaches aren’t anything that people typically want to deal with. They can be brought on by anything from illness to complex internal issues to wearing a hat that is too tight. You might try one (or more) of the remedies we have suggested here but if they fail to prove useful, it is time to call your doctor.
