What does your headache mean?
Whether it happens right before a very important meeting or while you’re in bed, headaches can be painful and extremely frustrating. As unlikely as it may seem, the location of your headache may point to the fact that something in your life is adversely affecting your health and may also help to identify the right course of action for you to achieve headache relief.
What are the most common headaches and what are they trying to tell you?
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Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are one of the most common types of this malady and can be felt on both sides of the head, forehead, and the back of the head – it may feel like an elastic band is squeezing around your head. The constant pain and pressure, caused by a tension or strain of the muscles in your neck and face, can be dull and achy.
Tension headache relief may be needed when any variety of lifestyle factors- stress, anxiety, poor posture, or injury- cause a headache. A stressful work week, an upcoming presentation, slouching at your desk over a computer screen, or a fall are all potential hazards that may bring on a tension headache.
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Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are caused by pressure in the sinuses behind your cheekbones, forehead, and nose. This type of headache can feel like a dull ache behind your eyes or pain in your face.
The main cause of people searching for sinus headache relief is a sinus infection. A cold, allergies, or a deviated septum may all contribute to sinus infections and can be more common during certain seasons of the year. If you feel you are suffering from a sinus headache, be on the lookout for a cold or allergies that might be around the corner!
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Migraines
Migraines are intense headaches that can feel like pulsating or throbbing on one or both sides of the head. Unfortunately, these headaches don’t tend to have an initial cause that can be avoided in the future but can be triggered from environmental changes. Migraines can be associated with nausea and vomiting as well as other side effects.
When you first feel like you will need migraine relief, take note of the changes in your environment that may have triggered the pain. These triggers can come from a variety of factors: sleep, stress, hormonal changes, sensitivity to light and sound, certain medications, or changes in the environment (weather, seasons).
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Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches will usually be felt behind or around one eye and can be described as a severe stabbing, penetrating, or burning pain. Similar to migraines, these headaches do not have a specific cause and varying factors may trigger the pain.
To better understand what may be causing your cluster headaches, it’s important to take note of the environmental factors surrounding you, so as to identify possible triggers. Some triggers that may cause the need for cluster headache relief include problems in regulating temperature, blood pressure, sleep, hormones, or substances such as tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.
Understanding headaches, why they happen, or what may cause them is helpful in preventing and treating them. If you’re unsure about what type of headache you might be experiencing or how to get headache relief, contact our chiropractors at Absolute Chiropractic Wellness Centre! We’re here to help.