Tips for Preventing and Treating Headaches

FACT: Headaches Affect Nearly 90% of Men and 95% of Women

All kinds of pains are bad. But there is nothing as mentally exhausting as a headache. It affects our well-being, our productivity and even our social existence. After a headache we feel mentally drained and physically exhausted. But then we come to the interesting question, should a bad headache keep a good man (or woman) down? To find a solution to this question, it is important that we understand more about headaches.

Headaches are of different types. They can be identified as headaches due to migraine, sinus and tension. Now these headaches are very different but they do affect the same part that is the head in general. So if we understand more about them we can reach an interesting conclusion.

And you know what that is? Headaches are largely preventable. Of course there are a lot of cures available over the counter now but do we really have to wait for the headache to start to resort to treatment? Isn't prevention better than cure? Isn't it better to be proactive than reactive?

I have 101 tips for preventing and treating headaches. I'll include the first ten here, and follow up with more in later articles.

1. Do not read when you are lying down. The lying down posture is clearly not the best position to read. It is a very common thing for a person to flop down on the bed with a book and read it while lying down. In fact, many people make it a habit to read for a few minutes before going to sleep. Let us say it once and for all; it is not good to read while you are lying down.

2. If you must read, prop up your head with at least two pillows. If you find it impossible to read while you are in bed, the best thing that you can do is prop up your head with a couple of pillows. Pillows give support to your head and neck so that your head is in a partially raised position. This will cause less harm to your eyes and your head in general.

3. You need a well lighted room to read. The lighting of your room too is very important. A properly lighted room is what is required if you want to read, do needle work or any other such fine activity. Again too much light is just as bad as a dimly lit room.

4. The source of light must preferably be behind your head. The source of light should not come in front of your eyes but must be behind your head. This is also true in the case of a computer as well. The source of light should be from behind.

5. Do not hold the book too close to your eyes. This is some thing that happens when you lei down to read. The book tends to move closer to your eyes than intended. This is something that is bad for your eyes. Your eye muscles have to strain a lot in order to focus on nearer objects. The book should ideally be at the level of your chest.

6. Do not hold it too far away either. Holding the book too far away is just as bad as holding the book too close. Remember to keep it at chest level. Many bookstores have reading stands that will enable you to keep your book position at the right level.

7. If you find it difficult to read, get your eyes tested by an eye doctor. If you find yourself squinting or your eyes watering while you read or do any fine work, then you might need glasses. So do not waste time, consult a doctor at the earliest time possible. Faulty vision is a major cause of headaches.

8. Be careful of the print size of the book you are reading. If the print of the book is too faint, or if the font size is too small, just toss away the book. Most libraries have large-print versions of books. If this is not available, use a magnifying glass or wear magnifying glasses.

9. Do not read in moving vehicles. Many people try to read while traveling by car to kill time. However, curves and bumps in the road can cause headaches and even motion sickness.

No matter how smooth the road is and no matter how good the shock absorbers of the car are, there is bound to be jerking motions. This will force your eyes to adjust and readjust to the print and this continuous adjustment and readjustment is very bad for your eyes. At the end of the journey you are bound to end up with a headache.

10. The light from your T.V or P.C monitor is not enough to read by. Some people tend to read in the light that comes from a turned on television set or a computer. This light is not enough for your eyes to pick out what is printed, and should be combined with lamplight or overhead light.