What In The World Is Causing My Headaches?

If you’re like most people with access to the Internet, you turn to your computer to help you diagnose your medical concerns. Sometimes this just aids in your becoming a hypochondriac, but other times you can actually find some useful information. Of course, it’s not comparable to actually going to a Doctor and getting yourself checked out, but when you’re in a pinch, you can find just about any information you need online. Most of the time a headache doesn’t mean there’s anything seriously wrong with you. Depending on how often they occur and to what level of severity they are, seeking emergency help may be best. But for the less severe but annoying headaches, is it possible to cure them by yourself? It’s possible that your headache is caused by something so simple, you’ll laugh about it when you figure it out. Here are a few, but not all, possibilities. 

Dehydration 

You don’t have to be extremely thirsty to be suffering from dehydration. You might feel really tired, dizzy, confused, and even have a pounding headache. Your body needs water to function and therefore when you lose more water than you retain, it starts to cause problems. Often, people who spend time outside when it’s hot out and forget to bring water with them will start to feel the affects of dehydration. You don’t have to be hot for it to affect you however. If you’re sick with diarrhea, vomiting, or a fever, you can lose a lot of water that way as well. It’s important to drink water periodically throughout the day and do your best to replace sodas, juices, teas, and coffee with water instead. 

You Forgot Your Coffee

Have you ever heard people talk about how they’re addicted to coffee? Well, caffeine addiction is a very real thing. Whether you just forgot your morning brew or you’re trying to cut back, you might find yourself experiencing some withdrawal symptoms. This usually doesn’t happen unless you typically drink 5 cups or more per day. Quitting caffeine cold turkey could end up being quite miserable. You might either want to cut back slowly, or find other ways to get your caffeine so you can kick the coffee habit and then tackle the new one. 

You’re Spending Too Much Time Looking At Screens 

Computer screens, tablets, TV’s, and cellphones all play major roles in our lives. Even as adults we have to use these tools to navigate directions, catch up on the news, and even perform our day to day jobs. Some of us spend our leisure time looking at screens, which isn’t the best idea, but nobody’s perfect. For those of us who can’t seem to get away from the screen, as our 9-5 job involves sitting at our desk, we may find ourselves going home with a pounding headache. If that sounds familiar, it’s most likely due to eye strain. When you look at a screen for too long, it does a number on our eyes and therefore causes our entire head to hurt. One way to prevent this is to start using computer glasses. These will block blue ray light emitted from the screens and help reduce those headaches. 

Sinus Pressure 

Acute sinus pressure is another low-risk reason you didn’t even take into account. When there’s pressure due to a blockage or inflammation, a headache will develop. Often these headaches are misdiagnosed for migraines, but can easily be treated with a prescription from your doctor. 

TMJ Headaches

Your TMJ is the joint that opens and closes your jaw. If you tend to grind your teeth together or bite down really hard on nothing, you can put a lot of strain on this joint and consequently give yourself a headache. You might even be doing this in your sleep and not even know it. If that’s the case, it’s an easy fix!