Introduction
You can reduce how many
headaches you get and how bad they are when you do get them. Try
to:
- Find and avoid triggers
that cause your headaches. For a list of possible triggers, see:
- Carry your medicine
with you so you can treat a headache right away
when you feel one starting. This is especially important
if you get migraines.
- Don't take
pain relievers more than 3 times a
week, because you may get
. These
headaches usually occur after pain medicine has worn off.
This prompts you to take another dose. After a while, you
get a headache whenever you stop taking the medicine.
- Take drugs
that cause the fewest side effects, such as
(for
example, aspirin and ibuprofen).
- Exercise
regularly, eat well, and reduce stress.
- Work
with your doctor to find the best treatment for your headaches.
Return to topic:
References
Citations
Linde K, et al. (2009). Acupuncture for
tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1).
Lipton RB, et al. (2004). Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for
migraine. Neurology, 63(12): 2240–2244.
Pittler MH, Ernst E (2004). Feverfew for preventing
migraine. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
(1).
Evans RW, Taylor FR (2006). "Natural" or alternative
medications for migraine prevention. Headache, 46(6):
1012–1018.
Sándor PS, et al. (2005). Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 in
migraine prophylaxis: A randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 64(4): 713–715.