, they can cause stress, anxiety and depression in sufferers. Prevention : 'Keep a regular routine, stay hydrated and exercise,' says consultant neurologist Dr Salwa Kamourieh, from London's The Headache Centre and The London Clinic. The NHS recommends yoga and massage for relaxation and changing sleep habits if you think insomnia is the culprit. Breathing exercises can also help reduce stress - try inhaling for four seconds, and exhaling for four for a minimum of a minute. Monitor your caffeine intake but brace yourself: giving up caffeine may also trigger short-term withdrawal headaches. Pain relief: Take over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin. Hot and cold compresses on your head and neck can help. Mindfulness meditation can reduce the intensity of the pain, according to a 2018 Chinese study. People who suffer from migraines are all too aware of how much it impacts their life. Affecting one in five women and one in 15 men, migraine is the second highest cause of disability, according to the WHO, with no cure. It){kind=link}
Suffer from headaches? Discovering the type you experience is key to solving the problem – here’s our guide to the most common headaches, tips to prevent them, and ways to see them off once they kick in
Headaches are so common it would be hard to find anyone who hasn’t experienced one.
Some have a clear cause, such as eye strain, thirst or hormones, others, called primary headaches, include migraines, tension-type headaches and cluster headaches and can be trickier to explain.
This common headache can feel like a band of constant mild to moderate pain, sometimes on both sides of the head, face or neck. The discomfort can last from half an hour up to several days and potential causes include tightness in the back of the head as well as issues with sleep, stress and caffeine. When chronic (occurring more than 15 days a month, which is the case in up to three per cent of people according to the World Health Organisation), they can cause stress, anxiety and depression in sufferers.
Prevention : “Keep a regular routine, stay hydrated and exercise,” says consultant neurologist Dr Salwa Kamourieh, from London’s The Headache Centre and The London Clinic. The NHS recommends yoga and massage for relaxation and changing sleep habits if you think insomnia is the culprit. Breathing exercises can also help reduce stress – try inhaling for four seconds, and exhaling for four for a minimum of a minute. Monitor your caffeine intake but brace yourself: giving up caffeine may also trigger short-term withdrawal headaches.