Over-the-counter pain relief usually helps to ease your headache, and sometimes even fresh air and a glass of water can be beneficial, or a quick nap. However, if you are experiencing headaches more frequently than usual, you will need to find out what the cause is to resolve the issue. Below are 4 possible causes for your headache (there could be many more!) that are quite common.
1. Dehydration
It can be easy to let hours pass by without taking a sip of water or another refreshing beverage, particularly if you’re busy at work or running errands. Always make sure that you have a bottle of water with you and remember to hydrate throughout the day.
2. Lack of Sleep
Another common cause of headaches is simply a lack of sleep. You might also find that you’re irritable, feeling dizzy and your weight might be affected. You could also potentially harm yourself or others if you were to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or take part in another potentially dangerous situation when you’re sleep-deprived.
3. Stress
This might also be the reason that you’re not getting enough sleep, but stress is a big contributor to headaches. You carry tension in your body, often people might find this is most prevalent in their shoulders, neck, and upper back, but you can also find it in your head, too. If you’re under a lot of pressure at the moment, think about how you can ease that stress and hopefully, your headaches will start to become less common, too.
4. Strained Eyes
When your vision is strained this often causes headaches, which is why getting an eye test when you are experiencing frequent headaches is the first thing you should do. If you do need prescription lenses, your headaches should stop almost immediately once you get them. You might also find that staring at computer and phone screens a lot throughout the day is causing eye strain, and you can get blue-light glasses that aren’t prescription to help with this.
None of the Above the Issue?
If none of these causes appear to be the problem, don’t panic. There are many reasons why you might be getting headaches, but you must see a doctor if you can’t figure out what the issue is. They can carry out further tests to rule out any serious problems or tackle those problems sooner rather than later if they are the issue. You can also look into getting an MRI scan yourself by using services such as Express MRI if you don’t want to wait for a doctor’s referral or would like a more affordable option.
Headaches can be very irritating and even distressing sometimes if they are causing significant pain, but they are a symptom of another issue which is usually simple to explain and nothing to worry about. Always seek medical advice if you’re unsure but think about the common causes above and whether or not they could be contributing to your discomfort.
