4 Habits That Might Be Triggering Your Headaches

Headaches are a common pain condition that affect people in different ways. Often, underlying medication conditions are at the root of recurrent headaches, but your routine can also play a big role in the frequency and severity of your headaches.

At AABP Integrative Pain Care, our skilled pain management team offers comprehensive care for all types of headaches. We use advanced technologies to learn more about the cause of your headaches and provide nonsurgical treatments to relieve existing pain and prevent additional complications.

Our team also empowers people to improve their physical health and quality of life by making better choices. When it comes to headaches, we can recommend changes you can make to your usual habits to lower your risk for ongoing headaches and other pain conditions.

4 common lifestyle habits that may trigger headaches

Headaches can result from many lifestyle habits you may not even realize you have. Learning more about possible headache triggers makes it easier to be mindful about your activities to lower your risk for ongoing headache pain.

Here are four habits that may play a role in your headaches:

1.Getting dehydrated

Not drinking enough water every day can lead to levels of dehydration that affect how your body functions. When you’re dehydrated, tissues in your brain can shrink and pull away from your skull. This leads to increased pressure on nearby nerves that causes head pain.

Aim to drink six to eight glasses of water every day. If you’re physically active or outside in the sun, drink more fluids to prevent dehydration headaches.

2. Working under bright lights

Some people are especially sensitive to bright lights. If you work in an office or at home under bright lights or the glare of your electronics screens is strong, it can strain your eyes and trigger a painful headache or migraine.

Try dimming the lights in your work environment or opt for a space with more natural light. You can also protect your eyes with an anti-glare screen cover or invest in eyeglasses with blue-blocker lenses.

3. Ignoring your posture

If you slouch on the couch for too long, it can cause tension in the muscles that support your spine. Poor posture can also shift your spinal vertebrae out of alignment, which triggers persistent neck pain, back pain, and headaches.

Being mindful of your posture when sitting, standing, and walking can lower your risk for headaches and other chronic pain conditions. You should also limit your time spent slouching in front of the television and bent over your phone.

4. Not getting quality sleep

Good sleep is vital to your overall health. If you’re getting too much sleep or not enough sleep, you may be at increased risk for headaches and migraines.

Establishing a healthy sleep routine can go a long way in getting high quality sleep every night. Commit to shutting down your electronics at least an hour before bed every night, so your mind and body can truly relax. Also, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day with bedtimes set to ensure you get 8-9 hours of sleep nightly.

If you need help managing frequent or severe headache pain, you can meet with our team and learn more about our innovative headache management solutions.

Call AABP Integrative Pain Care in Brooklyn, New York, to schedule a headache evaluation or book an appointment online today.