Your health care provider can advise you on how best to treat your headache. You can help most headaches by taking these steps:
Avoid triggers. Triggers are events that can cause headaches. These tips can help you avoid triggers.
If you have migraines:
- Wear tinted glasses in bright light.
- Do not skip meals.
- Avoid alcohol, meat with added nitrates (such as cold cuts), and aged cheeses (hard, dry cheeses such as parmesan).
If you have tension headaches:
- Avoid getting over tired.
- Hold your back and neck straight when you sit or stand.
- Keep your jaw relaxed (not clenched).
Quit smoking. Smoking can bring on either kind of headache.
Manage stress. Try meditation, yoga, stretching, or other activities that can help you relax.
Get plenty of sleep. Aim for six to eight hours of sleep each night. Set a regular time to go to bed and to wake up. Avoid watching TV or using a computer just before you go to bed.
Get plenty of exercise. Regular exercise, such as swimming, brisk walking, or cycling, can reduce stress and ease both kinds of headaches.
Non-prescription pain medicines such as the following can help:
- Tylenol (or generic acetaminophen), Advil (or generic ibuprofen), or Aleve (or generic naproxen). You can buy all of these without a prescription. The generic versions, including store brands, cost less and are just as safe and effective as the brand-name pills.
- Try not to take any of these pills more than once or twice a week. Overuse can make headaches worse and cause side effects.
If your headaches are severe or happen often, there are medications which your health care provider can prescribe to help lower the pain level and/or reduce how frequently you get them.