What to do for a headache?

Headache is not just an unpleasant symptom. When you have a headache, the world seems to stop – it becomes impossible to work, study, do household chores, even ordinary rest does not bring pleasure. Why does this happen, how to deal with it and what to do with a headache?

The causes of pain can often be excessive mental stress, muscle fatigue, osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, decreased tone of the cerebral vessels, sleep disorders, lack of nutrition and much more. Sometimes the headache is an irradiation of pain caused by otitis or dental diseases.

Abnormal blood pressure, nervous stress, migraines, increased intracranial pressure – there are so many factors that can trigger a headache.

What to do if you have a severe headache?

First, you need to find out the possible cause of the headache and eliminate it:

• colds and acute respiratory viral infections – you should take medications that relieve cerebral edema and analgesics (paracetamol, analgin, aspirin, tempalgin, sedalgin);
• diseases of the cervical vertebrae - massage of the cervical-collar zone, therapeutic exercises of the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle help well. Of the drugs, sigan, oxygan, nimesil, nimesulide will help;
• low blood pressure – sometimes it is enough to simply brew yourself a cup of coffee or strong tea, eat a chocolate bar or drink hot cocoa. If this does not help, you can swallow two tablets of citramon, askofen, kofalgin, pharmadol;
• high blood pressure - if you are convinced that you have high blood pressure, and this is the first time - you need to exclude coffee drinks, Coca-Cola and salty foods, alcohol from your diet. You should definitely lie down, put a cold compress on your forehead. It is good to drink some soothing tea, you can add motherwort, mint. Indapamide, captopril, enalapril, losartan will help from the drugs. Such a tablet should be taken once, you can start with half, but not more than one! If there is no effect and with recurring headaches, it is better to consult a doctor and not take any self-treatment. You can take tablets that lower blood pressure only after measuring blood pressure with a tonometer;
• stressful and psycho-emotional situations - in this case it is better to lie down, try to calm down and relax, light a scented candle, turn on light music. You can drink a sedative: valerian tincture, corvalol, motherwort, novopassit, fitosed.

What to do if you have constant headaches?

What to do if you have a headache that is constantly bothering you? The answer to this question is clear: you should see a doctor to determine the underlying cause of the problem. After all, your head does not just hurt, but is the result of something. The doctor can measure your blood pressure, examine the fundus, and check your intraocular pressure. In addition, he can ask you a few leading questions that will help him clarify the situation:

• How frequent are headaches?
• specification of pain: in which part of the head is there pain?
• daily dependence of pain: when does it hurt? In the morning, in the evening, at night?
• What other symptoms appeared along with the headache?
• Do you feel nauseous during an attack?
• Are there any simultaneous vision problems?
• Do you feel weak or dizzy?
• Does the harsh light cause irritation?
• What medications have you taken recently or are you currently taking?
• Have you had a cold or flu recently?
• Have you ever had any head injuries?
• maybe you were nervous or in conflict?
• Do you have depression?
• What do you think could be the cause of your headache?

In unclear situations, when it is not possible to determine the cause of the headache, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography may be prescribed. These are photographs of various parts of the brain that provide complete information and help identify the problem.

What to do if you suffer from headaches?

Periodic and severe headaches can be caused by migraine attacks. Migraine is often hereditary, it can occur in several people in the same family.

Migraine pain can be pulsating and one-sided, reaching its peak during physical and motor activity. Attacks can last for one or several days.

A person with migraine becomes sensitive to light, strong taste, smell or sound. Sometimes nausea and even vomiting may occur.

Migraine attacks can be triggered by lack of sleep, the peculiarities of the menstrual cycle in women, changes in weather and atmospheric pressure, stressful situations or overwork.

Recommended medications for migraines:

• Sumamigrene is an effective remedy for migraines, it helps within half an hour after taking it. Take half or a whole tablet (100 mg), but not more than two tablets per day;
• Immigran is an anti-migraine drug based on sumatriptan. It can be used in tablets and spray. Single dose is 50 mg or 100 mg, taken no more than twice a day;
• Aspecard - sold in regular tablets of 0.1 g, or in effervescent soluble tablets. Take half or a whole tablet up to five times a day, dissolve the effervescent tablet in a glass of water and drink;
• Zolmitriptan - take 2.5 mg, once a day. If there is no effect, you can take 5 mg, but not earlier than 2 hours later. The drug is periodic: the greatest effect is achieved at the first symptoms of migraine.

What to do if you have a terrible headache?

What to do when you have a headache, don’t feel like taking pills, and a simple cold compress doesn’t help?

You can try folk remedies, because they really help many people:

• if the headache is associated with PMS, you can apply slices of chopped onion to your temples, lightly massaging the skin with them;
• An aroma lamp with lemon oil helps a lot: you can simply place lemon peels around the apartment and breathe in their aroma;
• you can brew mint or lemon balm tea and make a cold forehead compress from it;
• brew and drink thyme tea;
• pour equal amounts of hawthorn flowers and lemon grass into a thermos and pour boiling water over it. Drink 0.5 cups of this infusion several times a day;
• Ginger tea gives a good effect, you can add oregano and lemon to it;
• By the way, lemon can also be used separately: cut off the “humps” of the lemon and apply them to your temples with the soft side for at least 20 minutes;
• a relaxing and pain-relieving effect is provided by taking a hot bath with the addition of lemongrass and lemon balm oils. To enhance the effect, you can brew a cup of special oriental tea before the procedure: pour a glass of boiling water over a star anise, half a cinnamon stick and a pinch of cumin. You can drink the tea immediately or directly while taking a bath. After the procedure, do not immediately run off to do your business: relax and rest for at least half an hour to consolidate the effect;
• It is useful to get rid of headaches by drinking freshly squeezed juice from carrots, spinach and dandelion (3:1:1);
• Carrot and cucumber juice is also effective;
• elder flowers can be poured with boiling water at a ratio of 1:10, left for half an hour and drunk a third of a glass before meals, possibly with honey;
• For high blood pressure, it is useful to brew 2 tablespoons of viburnum berries in a thermos per 0.5 liters of boiling water and drink as tea throughout the day. You can also make viburnum jelly;
• It is good to apply a fresh cabbage leaf to the head, you can fix it and leave it overnight.

Folk remedies can be used both separately and in combination with traditional therapy methods, as well as for the prevention of attacks.

What to do if you have a terrible headache?

In addition to analgesic drugs, headaches are well relieved by distracting procedures, namely physiotherapeutic methods.

Depending on the form of migraine, you can use hot or cold compresses. Good reviews from the use of hot baths: foot and hand, you can gradually heat the water to 45 ° C. The duration of such baths is about 20 minutes. A contrast shower also relieves attacks.

During the period of pain relief, it is possible to use diadynamic currents on the upper cervical sympathetic nodes. The effect is used daily for four days, then every other day.

The use of electrophoresis of the collar zone with antispasmodics or sedatives is carried out in a course of 10-14 sessions.

Darsonvalization is a therapy method performed by high-frequency pulsed current. The effect lasts about 8 minutes, the treatment lasts for two weeks.

A good effect is observed from hirudotherapy procedures and from manual massage sessions of the cervical-collar zone. Professional massage provides relaxation of spasmodic muscles and relief of fatigue, stops headaches, relieves nervous tension, normalizes blood supply to the head. It is useful for destabilization of blood pressure, osteochondrosis, has a beneficial effect on blood flow in the collar area.

A positive effect on headaches is provided by the use of acupressure, which has a calming effect. Each specific point is massaged for five minutes; symmetrical points are massaged simultaneously. Here are the most important points for impact during headache attacks:

• the first point is located on the outer side of the forearm, slightly above the wrist. This point should be massaged while sitting, alternately on the left and right hand;
• the second point is located in the temporal region, near the hairline. The point is massaged simultaneously on both temples;
• The third point is located near the outer corner of the eye and is also massaged on both sides.

During the massage session, it is recommended to turn on light music and close your eyes.

If the headache occurs only occasionally and is not very intense, then you can use regular pharmacy drugs or folk remedies. Constant and long-term headaches require a doctor's consultation, who will find the cause of this not entirely pleasant condition. We hope that we have answered the question: "What to do with a headache?" Take care of your health!