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Shoot for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise for week, the U.S. Working out with a pounding head doesn't exactly sound ideal, but hear this out: "Exercise can help because exercise releases endorphins, which are natural pain killers," Dr. “If you can’t have three meals a day, at least have small, healthy snacks like almonds or raisins throughout the course of the day,” Dr. Fueling your body from sunup to sundown can also help keep headaches at bay. If you’re not already eating breakfast, now’s the time to start. In any case, that means avoiding sleeping in on the weekends or vacations (sorry!) and sticking to a consistent bedtime and wake time. "But those healthy lifestyle tips work for any type." "Tension-type headaches are different than migraines in that they’re not as severe they don’t have the nausea, vomiting, and light, sound, and smell sensitivities," Dr. "Because of that, any change can induce migraines."įor example, sleeping too much or too little can induce migraines, but keeping a more regular routine can help with occasional headaches, too. "The gene for migraines gives us basically a hyperactive or overly sensitive brain," he says. Newman tells his patients to follow the mnemonic SEEDS: sleep, eating, exercise, drinking, and stress reduction.
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With that in mind, here’s what you can do at home to prevent and reduce headaches: 1.
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Just take note that you should always see a doctor if you’re experiencing headaches once per week or more, or if they’re occurring with certain red flags (more on that below). Drinking more water or even adjusting your sleep schedule can legitimately help ward off a throbbing head. This most often happens when chronic headache or migraine sufferers use OTC medicines more than a few times a week, but even the occasional, run-of-the-mill tension headache can benefit from a more holistic approach. "It can induce something called medication overuse headaches, where too much medication actually induces more frequent headaches and makes the patient resistant to other treatments," says Lawrence Newman, MD, a neurologist and director of the Headache Division at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen: Any number of over-the-counter medications promise to make a painful, distracting headache disappear, but reaching for a pill time and time again can have the exact opposite effect when it comes to getting rid of head pain.
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