Some great ideas for headaches.
Brew Up Some Rosemary – Rosemary helps keep blood vessels dilated. Use 1 teaspoon of rosemary per cup of hot water, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and sip a cup three times a day. Or Try Ginger. Ginger inhibits a substance called thromboxane A2 that prevents the release of substances that make blood vessels dilate. In other words, it can help keep blood flowing on an even keel, which is essential in migraine prevention. Grate fresh ginger into juice, nosh on Japanese pickled ginger, use fresh or powdered ginger when you cook, or nibble on a piece or two of crystallized ginger candy daily.
Even if you’ve never had a migraine, you’ve almost certainly encountered other kinds of headache. Tension-type headaches are the most common variety. Marked by tightness in the head, neck and shoulders, they affect more than 75 percent of all headache sufferers, according to the American Council for Headache Information.
Sinus headaches are notable for pain or pressure in the cheeks, forehead or brow area and almost always accompany a sinus infection. Most people who assume they have a sinus headache, however, actually have migraines or tension-type headaches.
Cluster headaches (so named as they arrive in groups, or “clusters” with attacks lasting weeks or months, then stop and start again weeks or months later) are relatively rare, affecting only about one percent of the population. Of those, only 15 percent are women.
- During the past year, nearly 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women have experienced at least one headache, according to the American Council on Headache Education.
- Tension-type headaches are usually a steady ache rather than a one-sided throbbing. They can occur frequently or even every day.
- Although tension-type headaches can occur at any age, they are most prevalent between the ages of 30 and 39 and are more common in women than in men.
- Nearly 90 percent of people with sinus headache symptoms are likely suffering from migraines, according to the National Headache Society.
- The pain of a cluster headache has been described as far worse than childbirth.
Headaches, coming in clusters, or feeling like a sinus headache is nothing to let go. Pay attention to your body, pay attention to how often your headaches occur. Keep a journey or log for your doctor. There are other causes of headaches and only you can describe best what you are experiencing.
