Stress Headaches

We all get headaches from time to time, but do you know why you have those headaches? If you merely have a headache from time to time, once every few of weeks or so, it is not much of an issue, but if you dread your next headache, then you probably do have a problem.

Tension headaches are the most prevalent and tension can be related to stress, but there are also purely stress-related headaches. This type of headache can also be driven away by a tablet or two from the medicine cabinet, but it is better to get rid of the reason for the headache. Attack the cause not the symptom. The remainder of this article is about what to do with the various sorts of stress headaches.

In essence, a stress headache occurs when the obstacles that are presented to you engulf your ability to deal with them. Some people get on well with stress others handle stress less well. Some people even thrive on it and others have learned how to de-stress quickly.

When a person comes across stressful situations, a little bit of our mental resistance against stress is eroded. This is fine and is standard practice, but then as other stresses happen there is less and less defence left to carry on. Attempting to cope when you are beginning to feel weaker and weaker will often bring on a stress headache.

Another reason why a stress headache is the most common form of headache, is because other types of headache can bring on a stress headache as well. The best news is that almost all types of headaches can be prevented or cured and a stress headache falls into this category.

There are, of course pharmaceutical medications to cure headaches and there are natural, home remedies as well but there are also non-medicinal methods of treating a stress headache. These other ways include: cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and physical therapy.

These ways can be learned from books, night school classes, the local library, the Net or by arrangement with your clinic or GP. It is well-worth learning how to use these techniques because taking drugs or treatments can lead to headaches anyway.

Cognitive Therapy: seeks to 'redirect' stress headaches. In this method, the patient is taught to recognize what begins the stress indications and what the onset of a stress headache feels like. Then they are taught how to modify their response to these conditions.

Behavioural Therapy: is a method of switching your life style to prevent the occurrence of a stress headache. For instance, many people reach for comfort foods or alcohol once they get stressed, but it might be better for you to do something else, |when you feel a stress headache coming on.

Physical Therapy: strives using bio-feedback responses, so that once a stress headache begins, the sufferer attempts using relaxation techniques (perhaps yoga) in order to reduce their stress and possibly prevent the stress headache from occurring. Meditation, deep breathing and prayer are some of the other techniques that can be tried.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on numerous subjects, but is currently involved with school First Aid kits. If you have an interest in First Aid too go over to our site now at First Aid Courses Online.