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Headache Relief: The Best Ways to Find Relief

Headaches can make you feel sick. Whether from stress, lack of sleep, or dehydration, headaches can be a major hindrance to productivity and overall well-being. Luckily, there are remedies available to help ease the pain. If you’re experiencing headaches often, don’t hesitate to see your trusted primary care physician.

Here are ways to find relief from headaches:

Cope With Stress Better

Most headaches are primary, meaning they occur independently of any other underlying disease.Headaches start when nerves and blood vessels around the head send pain signals to the brain. Stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, and weather changes can trigger this condition.

The key to prevention lies in identifying the source of stress. Different people get stressed by different things, so self-reflection is necessary.

Strategies to reduce stress include:

  • Taking a break when you feel stressed
  • Testing your assumptions (thinking about gloom-and-doom scenarios can spiral into panic if left unattended)
  • Paying attention to internal dialogue (replace negative thought patterns with positive ones)
  • Taking control (addressing problems head-on)
  • Seeking help if stress is interfering with life

Avoid Triggers

Some activities, foods, and drinks can trigger headaches for some people. For instance:

  • Pent-up anger
  • Poor posture
  • Perfume
  • Bad weather
  • Teeth grinding
  • Bright lights
  • Ice cream

Keeping a headache diary can help identify any triggers and allow you to avoid them as much as possible.

Various fixes include:

  • Avoiding sleeping in at weekends
  • Deep breathing when feeling angry
  • Avoiding certain smells
  • Using fragrance-free products
  • Wearing sunglasses and polarized lenses when in bright environments

Take Over-The-Counter Medications

Over-the-counter pain relievers include ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen. Though their safety and efficacy are proven, make sure to follow the recommended dosage.

Not all drugs are suitable for everyone. Some medications can affect your thinking or cause side effects such as drowsiness.

If you take OTC pain relievers for more than ten days a month, you may suffer from medication overuse headaches. Check with your doctor, especially if you are pregnant or suffering from any other medical problems.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can cause headaches. Since dehydration can develop without a person knowing for quite some time, it is important to evaluate your water intake when you develop symptoms such as frequent headaches. It is important to drink enough water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated, so you can avoid discomfort and feel your best during the day.

Use Heat Or Cold Therapy

Using hot or cold pads on your head can help relieve headaches. Experiment with an ice pack, a heating pad, or a warm towel to see which works best for you. Finding the right combination for effective relief is key.

Massage Your Temples

Massaging your temples gently can help improve circulation. Doing this can also help reduce tension in the head, neck, and shoulders.

Get Adequate Sleep

Sleep deprivation is a common cause of headaches. Aim to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to prevent headaches. If you feel a headache coming on and you know that you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, try to get a nap in before symptoms get worse.

Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity has been shown to help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches.This helps alleviate stress, a common trigger for migraines, and aids in improving sleep quality and enhancing mood.

However, be careful, because while regular exercise can help, overexertion has been linked with exercise headaches, as well. It’s crucial to consult a doctor if you experience headaches during exercise.

Consider Essential Oils

Certain essential oils, like lavender and peppermint, have been shown to have a calming effect on the body and relieve headaches.Inhaling the scent or applying a few drops to your temples may provide relief.

Overall, it’s a good idea to keep track of what works for you when trying to relieve headaches. This also includes knowing and avoiding your triggers, such ascertain products, foods, stress, or environmental factors.

Types Of Headaches

Not all headaches are the same, and treatment differs depending on which one you have.

Migraines

Migraines can have sensory or visual elements, cause pulsating pain, and last from several hours to three days. Knowing and avoiding triggers can help prevent migraines. Avoiding loud and bright areas, getting some shut-eye, and taking medicine help alleviate migraines for most people.

Tension Headaches

This is usually triggered by stress and can be treated at home with the following:

  • Over-the-counter pain medications
  • Stress management
  • Relaxation techniques

Cluster Headaches

This is a severe and recurring headache that typically affects men more than women. It causes intense pain around the eye or temple and is accompanied by characteristic symptoms such as:

  • A red, watering eye (as if you’re crying in just one eye)
  • A runny or blocked nostril
  • A drooping eyelid

A cluster headache requires a prompt specialist referral, investigation, and treatment. Management includes fast-acting and preventive treatments prescribed by a doctor.

Treatment For Headaches In Royal Palm Beach, FL

If your headaches are affecting your daily activities, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention. Turn to your primary care doctor for a thorough evaluation of your symptoms. They can perform medical imaging tests and provide specialized care.

You can trust the best family practice in Wellington if you need treatment for headaches in Royal Palm Beach. At Advanced Medical, the husband-and-wife team of board-certified internist Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene can help you. We offer reliable and comprehensive treatment options for all urgent and non-urgent conditions, including headaches.

Don’t let your headaches hold you back from living the best life. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunawardene today by calling our clinic at (561) 434-1935 or using our online request form. Take the first step toward a headache-free life now, and visit the best primary care physician in Royal Palm Beach.

What Tests Can Be Done to Diagnose the Cause of My Headaches?

There are various ways headaches inflict their misery—from a dull pain accompanied by pressure or tightness as though a clamp is squeezing your skull, to severe or explosive pain as though a clap of thunder has stricken your head.

Almost everyone experiences headaches at least occasionally, but there are people who regularly suffer from a continuum of attacks. If you belong to the latter group, you want to get to the bottom of your headaches, so you can take the necessary steps to keep them from affecting your quality of life.

Let’s discuss the different tests that doctors typically use to diagnose the cause of headaches.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

A CT scan is a type of imaging test that uses special X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the inside of your head. Your doctor may order this test, if your headache is accompanied by other symptoms or has become frequent and debilitating, to confirm or rule out a tumor or other structural brain abnormalities.

During a head CT scan, the scanner’s X-ray beam rotates around your head, producing a series of images from different angles. The information then gets sent to a computer, which interprets the data and displays it in a two-dimensional (2D) form on a monitor.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

An MRI uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the structures in your head. Like a CT scan, an MRI creates detailed images of the internal structures of the brain as well as the brain stem. It checks for intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding), aneurysms, infection, stroke, tumors, and trauma, as well as congenital conditions and developmental abnormalities, among other problems.

It’s worth mentioning that these imaging tests are not always necessary. Unless your headache is disruptive, or occurs alongside other symptoms, such as sensory changes, nausea, fever, or confusion, your doctor may just review your medical history, diet and lifestyle, and current health condition in order to determine its cause or triggers.

Headache Treatment in Wellington, FL

If your headaches have become concerning, do not wait to seek medical attention. Turn to your primary care doctor, who can thoroughly evaluate your symptoms and determine whether or not you need medical imaging tests and specialized care.

If you’re searching for a reliable primary care physician within the Wellington area in Florida, visit us here at Advanced Medical. Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, our board-certified internal medicine physician, will carry out a comprehensive assessment to pinpoint the cause of your headaches and coordinate your care with a neurologist for effective management, if need be.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunawardene today. Call our clinic at (561) 434-1935 or use our online request form.