Living with headache pain can be a debilitating condition that hinders a person from regular activities of work and recreation. However, the condition may be improved by executing a preventive treatment plan and aggressive relief of pain symptoms once they occur. Understanding why headaches are occurring and obtaining healthcare advice and treatment from a doctor are early steps for effectively reducing the painful symptoms of headache attacks.
Sufferers of frequent headaches can often minimize the pain in their lives associated with headaches through a combination of treatment factors. Depending on the type and cause of a headache, a person may reduce the frequency, severity and length of headaches by practicing preventive treatments, including medications that can be prescribed by a doctor.
It often helps the doctor determine the causes of recurring headaches if a headache sufferer keeps a record of his or her headaches.
This includes noting:
what day and time the pain begins
the last thing a patient ate or drank
recent sleep patterns
any activities that could have contributed to stress or tension
duration of the headache
what contributed to making the pain stop, if anything.
In order to alleviate the causal factors of headaches, a headache sufferer should reduce the number of risk factors present.
This may include:
quitting smoking
drinking less or eliminating alcohol
increasing exercise
weight loss
improving posture at a desk, in a car or other long-held positions
A chronic headache sufferer may also improve headache symptoms by improving sleeping habits, usually by getting more sleep, or reducing lifestyle stressors that may trigger headaches.