THE SUN DOCTOR

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Dear Sun Doc

I usually have headaches almost every day so I have been taking a lot of painkillers. I am wondering if this is harmful to my health and if there is any other way to deal with the pain?

Dear reader,

Almost everybody gets headaches at some point, and the causes are very diverse. In many cases, headaches are a symptom of an underlying issue.

The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Usually, the pain is on both sides of the head and it may feel as though there is a tight band around the head. It occurs due to tightening of the muscles around the neck and the scalp.

It may be triggered by fatigue, dehydration, hunger, light exposure (too little or too much), noise, congestion, stress, too little or too much sleep, or even poor posture. Tension headaches are usually not very severe, and resolve within an hour or so, with or without painkillers.

To prevent them, then you need to figure out what your triggers are and address them e.g. rest, take enough water, eat regularly, get adequate sleep, avoid noisy or congested surroundings, wear ear muffs if you work in a noisy place, reduce screen time (computers, tablets and phones), make sure you work in well lit areas, practice good posture and stress management. Sometimes taking a warm bath may also reduce the headache. There are cluster headaches, which occur for several weeks at a time, and are very severe and do not respond very well to painkillers. The pain is usually concentrated around one eye, and there may be redness and tearing from the eye or a blocked or running nose. There are also migraine headaches, which are severe headaches, usually affect one side of the head, and may be accompanied by increased sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting.

Headaches may also be caused by hormonal changes, medications, too much alcohol, exposure to carbon monoxide, flu, sinusitis, and almost every illness, especially those affecting the head and neck region. In most cases, headaches are not a serious problem, but if they persist or become worse with time, if they are very severe, if they are as a result of a head injury, or if they are associated with other symptoms like fever, drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, stiff neck, vomiting, convulsions etc, then you need medical attention so that the exact cause may be identified and dealt with.

For most headaches, taking an over the counter painkiller that addresses headaches will clear the pain. However, if the headaches are recurrent, then it is good to be examined and treated for any underlying problems. There are also medications that are taken daily for several months to prevent headaches, and there are much stronger medications given to treat headaches if necessary.