Almost anything can cause a headache or migraine, and sometimes it becomes harder to address if you can’t identify the trigger. Having an idea about these triggers can help you narrow down what measures and treatments you should take to alleviate the pain and avoid future episodes.

Inadequate And Irregular Sleep

When you sleep, you help your body renew itself and build muscles. The brain also uses this time to rest and regenerate, so it’s vital to allow at least 7 to 8 hours of slumber each day. However, if you fail to give yourself adequate rest or sleep at shortened periods, this interrupts the regeneration process and gives you a headache. You can start fixing your sleeping schedule by downloading applications that help remind you to sleep early or plot a specific time in which you want to sleep.

Drinking Coffee

Drinking coffee is like holding a sword with two sharp ends. You drink caffeine to alleviate headaches by constricting the blood vessels. However, once the effects wear off and the blood vessels start dilating again, a problem instantly happens yet again. Most of the time, the headache that occurs after drinking coffee ends up bringing more pain than before. Try to find alternatives for coffee instead of relying on this drink each time you feel a sudden throbbing in your head.

Not Drinking Enough Fluids

When you become dehydrated, water levels in your cells decrease and may cause dramatic effects in the body’s system, especially on the brain. It may cause dizziness, confusion and even pain with unknown origins. Keep track of your water intake by listing down how many glasses you’ve drunk for the day. You may also download applications that specialize in water intake.

Hormones (For Women)

When women have their menstruation, there is a surge in the hormones estrogen and progesterone. While this increase in hormones is healthy to sustain the process of menstruation, it can cause pain and headaches. Ask your doctor for medications that can lessen the pain overall, or you may use a hot compress instead.

While there are numerous triggers to headaches, knowing some of them is a big step towards proper management and treatment. Being knowledgeable of these triggers helps you narrow down the things you need to do.