Five Headache Triggers You Might Not Expect

Headaches are so common that most of us don’t give a second thought to what might be causing them. Look behind the painkillers to what could be the root of your headaches. You may be able to nip them in the bud without visiting the medicine cabinet. We write down five headache triggers that we all might not expect.

Being Overweight

One study found that women with a body mass index of 30 to 40 had a 35 percent greater risk of getting headaches than women with a healthy BMI. For women with a BMI of over 40, the chances of being affected by headaches were increased by 80 percent.

Your Caffeine Habit

It can be confusing as research shows that caffeine can help soothe it if you already have a headache. If you’re a hard-core espresso drinker, though, and you’re prone to sore heads, you might need to curb your caffeine habit a little. If you suspect that you might be sensitive to caffeine, take it slow. Try cutting back slowly until you only have it one or two days a week.

Lack of Activity

The last thing you might feel like when you’ve got a bad head is a workout, but a Swedish study showed that if your lifestyle is sedentary, you’re likely to be more prone to headaches if you’re active. If you can manage 20-30 minutes of cardio five days a week, it should help relieve your headaches as working out helps reduce stress, improve blood circulation to your brain, and gets the endorphins flowing to make you feel good.

Sleep Deprivation

If you’re tempted to stay up late regularly, binge-watching box sets on Netflix, don’t! People who only managed six hours of sleep a night (on average) tend to have more headaches and more painful headaches than those who manage more sleep most nights.

Your Personality

Strange as it may sound, your personality type might dictate your headache status. If you tend to be rigid, reserved, or obsessive, you can also find more headaches than people with a more relaxed character.

But it is interesting to know that massage can help ease headaches. Regular massage can help regulate hormones that control your mood, sleeping pattern, and even your appetite. In addition, an excellent muscle tension easing massage can relieve headaches caused by not getting enough exercise or inactivity.

So before driving to the nearest drugstore and taking that pain reliever, why not give massage therapy a shot. Call us now or book online to secure an appointment with our certified massage therapist.

Brilliant Massage & Skin

Burlington, Vermont