There are two kinds of headaches. The first is called the tension headache, which may happen for a few minutes to a few hours. It usually goes away by drinking some water or taking a break from whatever the person is doing. Those who are experiencing this for more than 15 days in a given month has something worse which is the second kind called a chronic headache. Research shows that there are very few people that have this problem. This often occurs to women than men perhaps because of hormones and other chemicals in the body.
Scientists do not yet know the real cause of a chronic headache. Some attribute it to stress or not getting enough nutrients in the diet. Believe it not, the type of medicine being taken may also be the cause of this problem. Should this occur for more than two days, it is best to consult with a doctor immediately for proper treatment. Doctors will not be able to tell that the patient has a chronic headache. This can only be done after answering some questions such as how long the headaches have happened including one's medical history.
To narrow down the problem, a blood test and a neurological exam will be done on the patient. Two of these tests are the CT scan and the electroencephalogram or EEG. If the brain activity is normal and there are no problems inside like a broken blood vessel or tumor, only then can doctors say it is a chronic headache.
There are various drugs in the market that are there to help treat chronic headaches. Unfortunately, there have been instances where it just got worse after taking it. Should this happen, the patient should stop taking the medicine and try something different.
Some researchers have pointed out the getting help from a chiropractor can make chronic headaches go away. This is because the techniques used by these professionals are not only to relieve any pain or tension in the spine because this comforts the whole body. Another eastern technique that is used to treat chronic headaches is acupuncture. This works by applying needles to sensitive spots to relieve tension in the body.
Other serious causes may include development of brain tumors and other neurologically-related disorders. But, among these factors that trigger the problem, one factor is considered as the hardest to manage varying stress levels.
STRESSING OUT ON STRESS
Stress is nothing but a part and fact of nature. It is one of those factors that affect individuals caused by the ever-changing forces in the environment. Through the years, experts have found out that stress is one of the most common factors that trigger headaches that can either be physical or emotional.
One of the common forms of headaches caused by emotional stress is migraine headache. People who suffer from migraine usually experience stress cause by anxiety, worrying too much, shock, depression, over excitement, and overall mental fatigue.
Aside from drastic mood changes, repressed emotions can also lead to stress headache. Experts agree that stress also plays a big role in developing tension-type headache that are directly related to specific instances of increased worry and concern and can lead to more complications such as sleep disturbances.
In order to know if you are experiencing headache due to stress, check if you have shallow breathing, elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline. Stress headache can also be characterized by tightening of the tensioned muscles in the upper back, shoulders, neck, and head, lowered tolerance to pain, and ineffective painkillers.
Stress headache is indeed considered as the most common type of headache because two out of three people in the world have at least experience one tension headache in their lifetime. Since stress headaches are caused by too much stress a person goes through, the best way to combat it is to avoid a lifestyle filled out with stress.
Other treatment may include taking in medications such as over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin or paracetamol, indulging into relaxing activities such as a massage, diet changes and alterations eating habits, and taking in alternative therapies like acupuncture or chiropractic.
Other short-term treatments include indulgence to microcurrent (TENS) and magnetic therapy, heat treatment like hot baths, facial ice packs, soothing massage especially to the scalp, neck and shoulder areas, getting involved to stress-relieving activities like meditation or hypnosis, regular physical routine and winding up.
Long-term treatments may also include getting involved to aerobic exercises like cycling, swimming or walking, regular relaxation techniques, consultation with a registered psychologist to improve stress management, and taking in antidepressant medications. Aside from taking in prescription medication, you can also undergo stress management under licensed doctors, neurologists, chemists, and other professionals.
Chronic stress, many of us are experiencing it in today's fast paced and rapidly changing society. So much has been written about it lately, and for good reason . Chronic stress is being named as the # 1 cause for many of today's degenerative dis-eases. Why is stress so bad for us? What can we do on a daily basis to not only feel and perform better, but to also effectively counteract the deleterious effects of this silent killer?
Chronic stress can be defined as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous. The word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure, or negative emotions such as anxiety and anger. Others view stress as the response to these situations. This response includes physiological changes - such as increased heart rate and muscle tension as well as emotional and behavioral changes. However, most psychologists regard stress as a process involving a person's interpretation and response to a threatening event.
Stress is a common experience. We may feel stress when we are very busy, have important deadlines to meet, or have too little time to finish all of our tasks. Often people experience stress because of problems at work or in social relationships, such as a poor evaluation by a supervisor or an argument with a friend. Some people may be particularly vulnerable to stress in situations involving the threat of failure or personal humiliation. Others have extreme fears of objects or things associated with physical threats - such as snakes, illness, storms, or flying in an airplane - and become stressed when they encounter or think about these perceived threats. Major life events, such as the death of a loved one, can cause severe stress.
If not managed appropriately, chronic stress can lead to serious problems. Exposure to chronic stress can contribute to both physical illnesses, such as heart disease, and mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders.
The field of health psychology focuses in part on how stress affects bodily functioning and on how people can use stress management techniques to prevent or minimize disease. A person who is stressed typically has anxious thoughts and difficulty concentrating or remembering. Stress can also change outward behaviors. Teeth clenching, hand wringing, pacing, nail biting, and heavy breathing are common signs of stress. People also feel physically different when they are stressed. Butterflies in the stomach, cold hands and feet, dry mouth, and increased heart rate are all physiological effects of stress that we associate with the emotion of anxiety.
When a person appraises an event as stressful, the body undergoes a number of changes that heighten physiological and emotional arousal. First, the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is activated. The sympathetic division prepares the body for action by directing the adrenal glands to secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). In response, the heart begins to beat more rapidly, muscle tension increases, blood pressure rises, and blood flow is diverted from the internal organs and skin to the brain and muscles. Breathing speeds up, the pupils dilate, and perspiration increases. This reaction is sometimes called the fight-or-flight response because it energizes the body to either confront or flee from a threat.
Another part of the stress response involves the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, parts of the brain that are important in regulating hormones and many other bodily functions. In times of stress, the hypothalamus directs the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone. This hormone, in turn, stimulates the outer layer, or cortex, of the adrenal glands to release glucocorticoids, primarily the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol helps the body access fats and carbohydrates to fuel the fight-or-flight response.
Researchers have clearly identified stress, and specifically a person's characteristic way of responding to stress, as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The release of stress hormones has a cumulative negative effect on the heart and blood vessels. Cortisol, for example, increases blood pressure, which can damage the inside walls of blood vessels. It also increases the free fatty acids in the bloodstream, which in turn leads to plaque buildup on the lining of the blood vessels. As the blood vessels narrow over time it becomes increasingly difficult for the heart to pump sufficient blood through them.
Stress also appears to influence the development of cancer, but the relationship is not as well established as it is for cardiovascular diseases. There is a moderate positive correlation between extent of exposure to life stressors and cancer - the more stressors, the greater the likelihood of cancer. In addition, a tendency to cope with unpleasant events in a rigid, unemotional manner is associated with the development and progression of cancer.
What can we do on a daily basis to effectively counteract this silent killer?
There are several things that can be done. Not in any particular order, these are exercise, meditation, talking to someone about chronic stress seems to help. You can also look into using proven vibrational medicine techniques to reduce chronic stress 24/7.
We cannot avoid stress. It is a daily reality. Yet, when your mind/body is consistently placed in a vibrationally balanced state signalization frequencies (vibrational medicine methods), you are able to deal with and effectively counteract the many negative effects of daily stress. Stress seems to almost roll off of you.
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