Five Poor Habits that Trigger Terrible Headaches

LifeStyleOctober 28, 2018

Headaches are one of the most common illnesses we experience. Though they may come and go every now and then, we can’t deny how incredibly painful they are when they strike. Sometimes the pain is so much that we want to slam our heads into a wall, just to stop the throbbing.

Dealing with severe chronic headaches is extremely annoying and hinders productivity. When your head feels like it has been split in two, medication is a temporary fix that may make you susceptible to an addiction. Surely, there’s a better way?

Here are the top 5 bad habits you need to stop committing to prevent recurring headaches.

1. Drinking Too Much Coffee

Most of us may think that drinking coffee helps keep us jittery, alert, and attentive, but it’s the main culprit why we’re having recurring headaches. Consuming too much caffeine not only kills your metabolism but also gives other dreadful effects such as headaches. This is because caffeine alters your hormones by increasing the cortisol level that helps out your body in a stressful state.

Have you ever noticed when you miss just one day of drinking coffee, you’ll start feeling like your head is throbbing painfully?

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Yes, that’s a caffeine withdrawal kicking in! You’ve become so addicted to drinking coffee that when you miss your Cup of Joe, you have low energy and you get nasty headaches.

Solution: We suggest you start decreasing the cups you’re drinking gradually, rather than going cold turkey. Once you do that, you can then opt for healthy substitutes like herbal tea, milk, and water.

2. Stressing Yourself Too Much

Whether it’s hectic work schedules or personal problems, whenever we are pushed into a stressful state, our health is dampened. Stress can cause disruptions to metabolism as well as interrupt our brain processes.

Solution: When you feel a terrible headache is looming, take some time to breathe and calm yourself. Relax by doing light activities like listening to music, walking, or a simple stretching exercise. You can also apply some stress-handling tips.

3. Skipping Meals

With a busy life schedule, it can be easy to take eating for granted. But really, skipping meals can be very detrimental to your health, causing your blood sugar to go down and light-headedness. Then there are the nasty headaches that come when you’re incredibly hungry.

Solution: Try schedule time to eat your meals. In fact, you need to eat every 2-3 hours in order to stabilize your blood sugar. If it helps, set a reminder on your phone to notify you when it’s time to eat. Also, try to prep your meals the night before so your day runs smoother. Another alternative would be to carry an energy bar, a cup of yogurt, fruit or nuts in a carry-bag for instantly ready food that has the right nutrients and calories.

4. Poor Posture

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Having a proper posture is necessary for your body to function properly. Good posture evenly distributes the stress and tensions in your muscles, allowing you to work efficiently. However, if you have a bad posture, it increases the tension in your body and makes it unbalanced. This causes neurotic reactions like headaches and back pains.

Solution: Maintain good posture. Sit straight with your shoulders back. Bend your knees at a right angle and keep your feet flat on the floor.

5. Dehydration

We all know that the human body is 70% water, so it’s important to keep it hydrated in order for it to function efficiently. If you’re not taking in enough water, the tissues in your brain lose its moisture, causing them to shrink and pull away from your skull. Aside from that, dehydration cannot maintain the equal transportation and distribution of nutrients to your body. And when you are dehydrated, nutrients cannot reach your brain. Once your brain starts to suffer from lack of nutrients like oxygen, it activates its receptors that cause your headaches.

Solution: Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. A good idea would be to carry a water bottle with you. If water tastes too dull, then flavor your water with lime, lemon, cucumber, or other fruits and vegetables. Also, avoid alcohol since it causes dehydration.