You know that pain. It’s the one that feels like it is part of a bass stereo system that is trying its best to thump its way into your skull. The pounding and pounding seems endless and you feel as if you might be sick. It wasn’t this bad until you got a call from your boss telling you he needs you back at the office after you have just worked the past twelve hours straight on a last minute project. Odds are you are now experiencing a stress headache.
The pain might have started out somewhat mild like having light pressure on the sides of your head. Soon it feels as if you have your head in a vice and someone is doing their best to tighten it all the way down. Stress headaches such as this are extremely common. The unfortunate side effect of an overstressed society these stress headaches can be downright debilitating.
Who Is At Risk?
As common as they are it is estimated that more than nine million people a year seek treatment for stress headaches. It is thought that most people will have their first one before they even reach adulthood. While there are no true litmus tests to determine who is at risk and who is not it is safe to assume that anyone that may be either high strung or who deals with stressful situations on a daily basis is more prone to have stress headaches than others. With this being the case if you are having many episodes of stress headaches you might want to consider a change of pace.
Available Treatments
The treatments available tend to be based on the severity of the headache and how many you have in a certain time period. If they are only an occasional occurrence then your doctor may recommend that you take an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. OTC’s must be used with caution. Many of them have the potential to cause some nasty side effects such as liver trouble and ulcers.
If you are having stress headaches on a more regular basis then your doctor may prescribe you something a good deal stronger. Some medications can be taken at the onset of a headache while others may be a one time a day type pill. Either way make sure that you follow the doctor’s orders so that you will get the maximum benefit out of the medication.
After you have found a way to treat your stress headaches you should then work on a way to prevent them. Prevention will allow you to not worry about downtime from these debilitating headaches. You might consider one of several stress busting techniques as a way of keeping your stress level low and keeping away from those headaches that go along it. Also, make sure you are getting plenty of rest and stay well hydrated. Suffering from constant dehydration can cause your stress levels to be skewed as can sleep loss.
You do not need to suffer from stress headaches unnecessarily, taking simple steps can reduce the tension very quickly.
