Headaches are very common conditions that most people will experience many times during their lives. The main symptom of headache is a pain in the head or face. This can be throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull.
Up to 75% of adults worldwide have had a headache in the past year. Headaches are a major cause of absenteeism from work and school. Most kids have a headache by the time they get to high school. For about 20% of them tension headaches and migraines are reoccurring problems.
Headaches have a tendency to run in families, especially migraine. Children who have migraines usually have at least one parent who also suffers from them. In fact, kids whose parents have migraines are up to 4 times more likely to develop them too.
CAUSES
Not known. But some triggering factors are there
- Alcohol use
- Changes in eating or sleeping pattern
- Depression
- Emotional stress related to family and friends works or school.
- Excessive medication use
- Eye, neck, or back strain caused by poor posture
- Lighting
- Noise
- Weather changes
SYMPTOMS REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION
- 3 or more headaches per week
- Headaches keep getting worse and can’t go away.
- Need to take a pain reliever every day or almost every day for headaches
- Need more than 2 or 3 doses of over-the-counter medication per week to relieve headache symptoms.
- The headache is triggered by exertion, coughing, bending, or strenuous activity.
- A history of headaches but have noticed a recent change in headache symptoms.
SELF CARE TREATMENT
- Applying heat or cold packs to head
- Doing stretching exercises
- Massaging head, neck, or back
- Resting in the dark and quiet room
- Taking a walk
AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO AYURVEDA
According to Ayurveda head is the substratum of prana (élan vital) and all the sense faculties. So it occupies the first place amongst the vital organs of the body.
These are different types of headaches explained by ayurvedic scholars based on dosa predominances like Vatika, paittika, kaphaja, and sannipatikasirorga
CAUSES
- Suppression of natural urges
- Sleeping during day time
- Vigil during night
- Intoxication
- Speaking aloud
- Exposure to frost
- Over sexual indulgence
- Inhalation of undesirable smell
- Exposure to dust, smoke, snowfall and sun
- Excessive intake of cold water
- Injury to head
- Improper digestion and metabolism
- Suppression of tears
- Anxiety
- Advent of cloud
- Intake of heavy and sour food and rhizome-like tubers
- Overindulgence in water sports
- Severe sweating
- Exposure to heavy breeze
- Drinking too much water and wine
- Avoiding pillow cleanliness and anointing the body
- Looking down continuously for long periods
TREATMENT
Initially need to know about the dosa predominance of headaches.
Next prevent the triggering or causative factors of headache
Plan diet and lifestyle according to the condition.
Some of the treatments in Ayurveda will help to reduce the intensity and frequency of headaches.
- Nasya
- Sirodhara
- Sirovasthi
- Siravyadha
- Snehapana
- dhoomapana