Headaches
Eight
ways to stop them before they start
Last
year, Americans spent more than $4 billion on headache remedies,
roughly $16 for every man, woman, and child. That's a lot of pills—and
a lot of headaches. Too many, in fact, because most of them could
have been avoided in the first place.
Headaches
come in several varieties, but the most common types are tension
and migraine. A few simple strategies can help you steer clear
of either.
- Drink
lots of liquids, especially when it's hot. Dehydration can
bring on headaches.
- Get
regular, moderate exercise. Exercise helps in three ways: It
relieves the stress than can bring on tension headaches; it
increases the production of the body's own painkillers, endorphins
and enkephalins; and it improves the ability of blood vessels
to dilate, which reduces the likelihood of migraine headache.
Don't overdo it though. Going too hard or trying to lift heavy
weights can bring on an exertion headache.
- Try
not to skip meals. Headaches are more likely when your blood
sugar drops because of lack of fuel.
- Avoid
certain foods. The National Headache Foundation suggests that
people who get migraines watch out for red wine, beer, excess
caffeine, foods with MSG, aged cheese and meats, nuts, chocolate,
citrus fruits, yogurt, and other foods that are pickled, aged,
or fermented. Experiment with these foods to see if any trigger
your migraines.
- Take
time to acclimate to altitude. Skiers often suffer headaches
when they go from sea level to 8,000 feet or more in a few
hours. You'll feel better if you can spend a day at an in-between
altitude before hitting the slopes.
- Sleep
more. You're much more likely to get headaches if you
burn the candle at both ends.
- Quit
smoking. Add headaches to the list of reason to abandon
the butts.
- Don't
drink alcohol to relieve stress. You may enjoy an hour
or two of oblivion, but the stress will still be there when you
sober
up—along with a whopper of a headache.
Despite
careful precautions, life will be a headache from time to time.
As long as it isn't too often—frequent headaches are a message
to see your doctor—go ahead and do your part for the economy.
Reach for those pills.
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