10 ways to beat headaches

In the Middle Ages, the Arab surgeon and medical writer Albucasis recommended one of two treatments for severe headaches: applying a hot iron to the site of the pain or inserting a piece of garlic into an incision on the temple. Thankfully, today's treatments are a lot easier to take-and a great deal more effective.

In the Middle Ages, the Arab surgeon and medical writer Albucasis recommended one of two treatments for severe headaches: applying a hot iron to the site of the pain or inserting a piece of garlic into an incision on the temple. Thankfully, today’s treatments are a lot easier to take-and a great deal more effective.

A doctor may recommend a prescription medication to treat migraines, and a number of over-the-counter remedies are available to relieve occasional headache pain. But if you’re having frequent headaches, you should make an effort to find and address their underlying cause. Try these suggestions:

1. Reduce stress.

Do you tend to keep your anger bottled up? No wonder you’re feeling stressed-and headachy. If confronting the source of your anger is out of the question, try venting your feelings by writing a letter. Make it as vehement as you like. You won’t be mailing it; the idea is to express your emotions. Exercise, massage, meditation and biofeedback are other proven ways to manage stress.

2. Ease muscle tension.

Soreness and tension can be caused by sitting in the same position for an extended period-even if you don’t feel particularly uncomfortable. If you spend a large part of your day seated at a computer, for example, schedule a five-minute break at least once every 40 minutes: Take a brief walk or give stiff muscles a mini-workout by tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. And remember to maintain good posture.

3. Avoid foods that trigger headaches.

If you’ve noticed that eating chocolate frequently leaves you with a pounding head, blame it on tyramine, an organic substance linked to headaches. If you think you may be tyramine-sensitive, stay away from aged cheeses, vinegar, organ meats, sour cream, soy sauce, yogurt and yeast extracts-they also contain the substance. Two other nutritional culprits to avoid are nitrites (preservatives found in smoked fish, bologna, pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs, corned beef, pastrami and canned ham and sausages), and monosodium glutamate, or MSG (a flavor enhancer included in dry-roasted nuts, potato chips, Chinese food, processed or frozen foods, prepared soups and sauces, diet foods, salad dressings and mayonnaise).

4. Drink plenty of water.

It’s the simplest strategy for keeping headaches at bay, since dehydration is a common culprit. To supply your body with all the water it needs to function properly, drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. And if you’re exercising on a hot afternoon, traveling by air, fighting a bout of diarrhea or running a fever, you’d do well to boost your intake.

5. Avoid alcohol.

Alcohol inflicts a double whammy when it comes to a pounding head: Besides causing dehydration, many alcoholic beverages, particularly red wine and brandy, contain tyramine.

6. Take a coffee break.

Too much caffeine can give you a headache, but so can going without it if your body’s used to getting its daily ration. (That’s why some people get early-morning headaches before their first cup of coffee.) Try eliminating it from your diet, or cutting back significantly, even if that means enduring withdrawal headaches for a few days. Enjoy a cup of cocoa (less than half as much caffeine as brewed coffee) or, better yet, decaffeinated coffee.

7. Don’t go hungry.

Letting more than five hours go by between meals or snacks wreaks havoc with blood-sugar levels, driving them down and causing blood vessels to dilate or expand-a natural setup for a headache. In fact, researchers have found that not eating for five hours or more can even trigger a migraine.

8. Avoid overusing pain relievers.

Ironically, too much reliance on pain relievers can cause more distress than relief, triggering chronic headaches doctors refer to as analgesic-rebound headaches. Several studies have shown that giving up pain medication can help frequent headache sufferers get back on an even keel- although they may have to survive two weeks of daily headaches first.

9. Get a good night’s sleep.

Too little-or too much-sleep can trigger a common, everyday headache, or even bring on a migraine. That’s why bedtime routines are not just for babies. Try establishing a nighttime ritual by going to sleep and waking up at about the same time each day. It’s not a bad idea to take a warm bath beforehand or drink a cup of herbal tea to help you unwind.

10. Take care of your eyes.

Few activities are as relaxing as reading-unless you’re doing it in semidarkness or for hours on end. In that case, you’re making yourself vulnerable to eyestrain, a leading cause of headache. Use common sense when it comes to lighting conditions, take frequent breaks if you’re on a long drive or reading for an extended period, and if you wear glasses or contacts, get regular eye exams to make sure your prescription is up-to-date.