Did you know there are about 150 types of primary and secondary headaches? Headaches are one of the most common issues that the general population faces. Statistics tell us that between 1% and 4% of the world’s adult population suffers from headaches 15 or more days of the month. Headaches are something that cuts across region, age, income and other differentiating factors.
Now while many types of headaches do need proper diagnosis and medical intervention, yoga for headaches can help a lot as well. Even if a headache doesn’t have a serious underlying reason, the chronic nature of it can negatively impact productivity, well-being, and quality of life.
Reasons for headaches
The reasons for headaches can range from the harmless to the life threatening. Headaches occur when a person experiences pain on their face, head or neck. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache – also known as stress headaches. Migraine and cluster headaches are the other types of headaches we see most commonly.
While stress is a major component of the common tension headache, according to experts, there is often no one single cause for a headache. It can be a combination of environmental and personal factors, and the “alteration of peripheral and central pain pathways.”
Viral infections or physical trauma can cause headaches. Often it can be dehydration that results in a headache. Being overly tired can result in a headache as well. Sleep deprivation is another common reason. In some cases, overuse of certain medications or use of recreational drugs can also cause headaches. Dental and sinus issues, and grinding of the teeth during sleep can also be a causal factor. Digestive disorders such as IBS, celiac disease, intolerance of some foods can cause headaches. Something as innocuous as eating or drinking something that is too cold can trigger a headache.
Diagnosing the cause of your headache
While a lot of headaches do not have any worrisome underlying causes, many could actually be a symptom for a serious health issue. Meningitis, internal bleeding, an aneurysm, brain tumour, inflammatory disease, acute glaucoma, and seizures can be some of the more serious reasons for headaches.
However, in a majority of cases, headaches are not a cause for worry. The important thing is to figure out the reason for the headache – whether acute or chronic – and then try to find effective solutions.
Treatment for headaches
The treatment for headaches will depend upon the underlying reason for it. Typically, treating the infection or underlying cause will help to resolve the issue. So for instance, when someone with a diagnosis of depression suffers from headaches, treating the depression itself can help.
Many types of chronic headaches cannot be ‘cured’ and can only be managed or prevented. In such cases, most of us would prefer to reduce reliance on pain medications and prevent the pain. Also, there is evidence to show that long term use of some pain medications can actually make the situation worse.
It is a good idea to find out why you’re getting headaches; try to identify triggers that set them off. Do some social or professional situations, pent up anger, some scents, or some specific times of the year (season) cause them? It could be sitting for long periods with a poor posture that is causing your headaches. Even harsh lights and certain foods can trigger headaches.
So try to find out what it is that is causing your headaches. While it is always a good idea to get a proper medical diagnosis for headaches, you can also manage and prevent headaches with the help of yoga. In my experience yoga for headaches does really work – it helps soothe and relax muscles to reduce the pain. To know more, follow me on Instagram.