From perfume to ponytails, the many causes of headaches may surprise you!
I’ve got to get that report done by noon, so I’ll just pull my hair back and focus on my computer screen. But that guy in the next cubicle must have marinated in his aftershave this morning. I’m hungry even though I ate bacon and orange juice an hour ago and the gray skies are making me blue. I should feel good since my husband and I made love this morning. Oh, why do I have such a headache?
If you’ve ever had a headache, you know how hard it is to get things done, or just enjoy life, when your noggin is throbbin’. Adding to the pain is not knowing why you’re hurting. The answer may lie in the description above.
While scientists theorize skull, neck and jaw muscle spasms may cause ordinary tension headaches, it’s common knowledge they can be triggered by stress, fatigue, eye strain, anger or lack of sleep. Headaches also can result from what you eat (or don’t) and what you smell, the weather and what you wear, even sexual activity or other strenuous exercise.
Dr. Dennis Noteboom, a family practitioner in Livingston for 35 years, said changing weather patterns can set off a headache. “There is a very commonly seen correlation between headaches and low pressure fronts, although that’s not found in medical texts,” he said.
Food and drink, or their lack, also can provoke headaches in some people. Tannins in red wine are a known culprit, Noteboom said, as are chemicals found in smoked meats, aged cheese, nuts and chocolate. “MSG is well known to trigger headaches, and orange juice also can trigger them,” he added. Skipping meals entirely causes a drop in blood sugar, and also can result in head pain.
Java junkies should refrain from cutting out coffee cold turkey, since caffeine withdrawal can cause tension headaches, Noteboom said. On the other hand, a small dose of caffeine can help those who suffer from migraine headaches, which are caused by blood vessel constriction. Caffeine may block the effects of visual disturbances such as light sensitivity that indicate the onset of a migraine and thus reduce its severity.
Some people are sensitive to perfumes, scented candles, cleaning products, air fresheners and even body lotions. Others get headaches from wearing a cap or headband, putting hair in a ponytail or wearing heavy earrings, which can irritate the scalp’s muscle systems. The cure? Avoid scented products as much as possible, and let your hair down!
While most headaches can be handled with ordinary over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen, some people are prone to “rebound headaches,” Noteboom said. These can occur because the headache triggers are still present when the drug wears off, or because the pain reliever is being used too often so the brain’s pain-control system is off balance.
And what about sex and headaches? “Orgasm headaches” are well documented in medicine, Noteboom said. Similar to an exertion headache you can get from hard-core running or aerobic exercise, the cause may be pressure built up in the head and neck muscles during arousal. Headaches also are a known side effect for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Cialis and Viagra, he added.
“Fortunately,” Noteboom said, “orgasm headaches don’t occur every time you have sex.”
Whew! That news certainly relieved my aching head!
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