Chronic headaches can seriously impact your quality of living. However, pain-killers will not solve the problem. Headache pain is not fun. However, it can make it difficult to think clearly. Even a mild headache can make it difficult to do your work properly, and even just getting through your day becomes difficult.
Headache
A severe headache can make it impossible to function normally and stop you in your tracks. If the pain is accompanied with typical migraine symptoms like nausea and vomiting, then you may be unable to function normally. It is often difficult to get sympathy or understanding from others, unless they are also suffering from headaches.
Our language can make headache pain seem trivialized, as in the expression “a real migraine” for a frustrating or difficult problem. A headache can be used to avoid responsibility or do something you don’t want to do, such as the old cliche “Not tonight, dear, I have headache” for not wanting to have sex with someone. It is easy to feel helpless if you have frequent headaches, especially if they are severe.
Did you know?
Headaches can strike at any time of the day or night. A headache may appear in the middle or late of a work day. Another headache could occur during a stressful deadline. It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of your headaches. This makes you a target for the pharmaceutical industry’s clever marketing campaigns, which promise “a quick fix” to your headache pain. It’s tempting to just reach for a painkiller to relieve the pain.
Take note
- You are only masking symptoms and not treating the root cause of your headache. These factors must be understood and corrected if you want to get rid of headache pain.
- Your headaches could actually get worse. They are now more frequent, often occurring several times per month, and the pain is much more severe and lasts longer. This is called a rebound headache, or medication overuse headache.
- Side effects are a part of all medications. Side effects can be serious, including damage to the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.
- You can only rely on a pill to keep you feeling helpless. It seems like your headaches are taking control of your life. There is nothing you can do. You can reduce your headaches by identifying the causes. It is encouraging that there are real alternatives to painkillers. These include trigger point therapy, diaphragmatic breath and reducing stress levels.