Many Houstonians are letting headaches stand in the way of their summer fun. Little do they know that stress, sleep deprivation and unhealthy eating habits could be the culprit. All too often, chronic, painful migraines interfere with the lives of many headache sufferers who do not receive the treatment they need.
The National Headache Foundation has marked June 6 to 12 as National Headache Awareness Week. Dr. Ninan Mathew, director of the Houston Headache Clinic and former president of both the American Headache Society and International Headache Society, provides his top tips on how Houstonians can ward off headaches as summer gets underway:
- Stay away from too much caffeine, in any form. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks can make painful headaches more chronic. Also, avoid drinking too many diet drinks that contain sweeteners such as aspartame or Equal; these ingredients can also trigger frequent headaches.
- MSG, which is found in essentially in every type of packaged food, is a significant cause of chronic headaches. Avoid eating too many “heat-and-eat” foods to decrease the frequency of painful headaches.
- Sleep deprivation and getting too much sleep are both major contributors to migraine headaches. Maintain a regular sleep schedule of 7 to 8 hours per night, and avoid sleeping long hours on the weekend; you may risk waking up with a painful headache.
- Skipping meals causes your blood sugar level to plummet, which also triggers migraines. Keep up regular eating habits and consume three meals a day.
- The key to treating painful headaches is to relax. Exercise may help ward off headaches through the release in the brain of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Also, engaging in relaxation therapies, such as yoga or biofeedback training, may also help headache sufferers cope with migraines.
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