I Have a Pounding Headache!
So we may as well talk about it.
I have a bunch to do today, I was up too late and then too early this morning, and now I have a pretty bad headache coming on. Writing is not what I feel like doing at the moment, but my laundry is going, I have no people in my house, and it’s nice and quiet, so I may as well take a stab at some writing :)
I have been a headache sufferer for as long as I can remember, even as a child. In my teen years and early 20s (basically, as long as I went to school), I also got frequent migraines. Those improved almost immediately when I moved to my property and de-stressed my life. Well, I de-stressed it as far as being finished university and changing the scenery of my life altogether, which did wonders for my health and well-being at the time.
But over the years, I still suffered from semiregular headaches and when I was in an accident about 18 years ago, my neck got messed up and ever since, I am back to being super sensitive and get headaches quite a bit, with a resurgence of migraines as well. Thankfully I now only get them a few times a month, if that, and not a few times a week. But they still really take me out when they hit.
A question I get regularly is, what is the difference between headaches and migraines? So here is the answer…
The easiest way to distinguish a headache from a migraine is by the severity. Unlike headaches, which range from dull to acute pain, migraines are often so debilitating that the acronym POUND is sometimes used to summarize key migraine signs and symptoms.
Pulsating Pain
One-day duration of a severe attack
Unilateral (one-sided) pain
Nausea and vomiting
Disabling intensity
Photophobia (light sensitivity) is another common migraine symptom.
(nkch.org)
So what do I do when I get a headache or migraine? Depending on what is going on and where I am, I try a few things.
First, I drink water. Often dehydration can be a forgotten cause of headaches.
Lately, I take a chunk of raw turmeric with some ground pepper. This is a natural anti-inflammatory (which is the main cause of headaches for a myriad of reasons) and I have been trying to get away from meds as much as possible in the last 6 months, and this has been surprisingly effective. It has likely reduced my need for ibuprofen by about 50%!
I rub Peppermint Halo on the back of my neck, which is a headache remedy made of essential oils from a company I love - Saje.
I do yoga or some stretching. Given many of my issues stem from neck pain, working on releasing that tension physically can help a lot.
I use a heat pack on my neck quite often. I have a simple bean bag I warm up in the microwave, and it feels lovely. When power is low, I use a good old-fashioned hot water bottle.
My last resort is ibuprofen. But I use it on occasion and I use it if I have a busy day when I know I need to function optimally or if I can feel my headache turning into a migraine, to try and prevent it.
If a migraine hits, I go to bed. There is little else I can do at that point. I often bring a heat pack with me for my neck, but it is important I can warm up or cool down quickly, as I am usually very nauseous. It needs to be dark and quiet, and I need a few hours when I can try and sleep. Thankfully, my migraines only last about 3–6 hrs and then typically go back to a less intense headache for the remainder of that day.
Headaches and migraines can be frustrating and debilitating, but there are things we can do to aid in the relief and frequency to some extent. As much as these issues still haunt me, I am also grateful I don’t suffer from the frequency I used to. Most days, they don’t impact my ability to function normally, and that is a gift.
I will keep this theme up next time and get a bit more into inflammation and essential oils that can help with the pain that results from inflammation. Stay tuned!