by Donna Mccay

Created on: March 28, 2008

20 TIPS TO GET RID OF TENSION HEADACHES.

But first just what is a tension headache. It is a band like tightness around the head with mild to moderate pain affecting the whole head. about 90% of headaches are classified as muscle contraction or tension headaches with pain lasting 30 minutes to 7 days. Tension headaches are not worsened by physical activity, light, sounds, or smells and have no nausea and vomiting. Tension headaches start several hours after awakening and rarely wake a person from sleep.

SO HERE ARE 20 TIPS TO RID TENSION HEADACHES

1. Take 2 extra strength Tylenol at the beginning of your tension headache. Don't delay.

2. Exercise by walking, swimming, biking to release all that tension you have stored up.

3. Some people put ice cap on your head and it helps.

4. Others take hot showers or put heating pad or hot water bottle on the neck.

5. Check out your body where you are tensing up contracting your muscles. do you have hunched shoulders, clenched fists, clenched teeth, or feel like a tight band around your head.

6. Massage your neck with your thumbs from each ear to center of your neck.
Massage area between thumb and pointing finger with pressure.
Massage the base of your big toe next time you get a headache.

7. Seek a quiet room, chair, place away from screaming children and noise of TV or radio.

8. Don't chew gum as the repetitive chewing motion tightens muscles bringing tension.

9. Keep Caffeine intake down as that dilates the blood vessels and give you headaches.

10. Go easy on nuts, cheeses, and chocolate as they contain tyramine that cause headaches.

11. Eat on time. Skipping or delaying a meal can cause a muscle tension headache.

12. Hot dogs, lunch and cured meats all contain nitrates that dilate blood vessels.

13. Take small bites of ice cream to prevent a tension headache.

14. Relax with imagery. Just imagine the muscle fibers in your head and neck all tightened up then picture them smoothing out in your mind.

15. Watch out for Chinese food and the fortune cookie that contain mono sodium glutamate (MSG)

16. Watch a funny movie and laugh a lot. It send endorphins out to heal the headache.
Laughter is good medicine they say. Have a sense of humor it will help you heal.

17. Watch the alcohol intake as some liquors contain tyramine that causes headaches.

18. Hang loose and go with the flow by decreasing your expectations of yourself and others.

19. Know your danger foods by trial and error. Keep a log on foods that trigger headaches.
Sometimes milk can be a trigger food that causes a tension headache.

20. Don't wear strong cologne as it can cause tension headaches.

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