headaches
We all suffer from headache at one time or another. When the occasional headache strikes you need to ask yourself, "what is it that I have been doing to excess". The pain of headache is your body signalling you that something is out of balance. We can tend to reach for the aspirin too quickly. We'd rather tell the body to shut up with a pill, than look what it is trying to convey. Of course there's nothing wrong with the use of analgesics when a headache strikes at an inopportune moment, but if you find that headaches are becoming more frequent, there are lots of things that can be done that may lift your general health not just that of your head.
Here are some simple reasons:
Here are some simple reasons:
hydration
Are you drinking enough? You may be dehydrated. An sedentary adult requires 6-8 glasses (2litres) of liquid a day, not necessarily water alone. When you start to dry out and the body is unable to eliminate wastes that pollute and slow metabolic efficiency.
Constipation
Are you going (to the loo) every day? If you are not your are probably constipated, every second day is not good. Using your bowels in the morning after breakfast some time is the best. Increasing fluid intake will help as well as at least three pieces of fruit a day and the consumption of whole grain cereals and bread will also help. Adequate fluid must be taken with high fibre foods or else things like bran can contribute to constipation as the proverbial ‘hay bail’ becomes dry and gets ‘stuck’ in the works.
sleep
How are you sleeping? If it's not as good as you would like try a cup or two of Camomile tea before bed each night, though in many cases stronger herbs may be needed, professionally prescribed. A restful night's sleep gives the body a change to heal all the minute injuries we cause to the body during the day. Poor sleep patterns means yesterday's injuries get dragged over to today. In time this can be a real pain!
Blood sugar levels
If you find that you go for the sweets or tea and coffee for a lift during the day and suffer more energy ups and downs, you may be consuming too much fast sugar and or caffeine. (found in both tea and coffee). The secret of regulating blood sugar levels is to eat foods which are made up of more complex carbohydrates, that is foods which the digestive system has to work at getting the sugar out of. This will in turn slow the rise in blood sugar levels over a longer period of time so you have more stable energy throughout the day and headaches associated with energy slumps will occur less frequently.
read more on blood sugar levels...
read more on blood sugar levels...
Muscular tension
Muscular tension, particularly of the neck can be a major contributor to headaches. We can easily go through the day unknowingly holding tension in the neck which, over a period of time becomes spasmed and inflamed. Massage of the affected area will often help relax the tightened up muscles and also be a very useful tool in enabling the person to discover what it feels like to be relaxed. Over time the use of massage therapy will enable a person to more effectively feel when they are becoming tense and to consciously relax when the pressure is on rather than hold onto the the tension and start the tension-headache cycle all over again.
So when headache strikes consider it to be a tap on the shoulder to remind you that things are getting out of hand, and you can take yourself in hand.
So when headache strikes consider it to be a tap on the shoulder to remind you that things are getting out of hand, and you can take yourself in hand.