I can’t even count how many times my wife gets to go on day’s off or have a weekend and a nice headache ruins it. Today she’s off and was planning to catch up on her homework, however she woke up with a headache again. It just makes me feel helpless. I get her aspirin, a cold washcloth and even rub her neck, but nothing really fixes it. Sometimes it’s a full on migraine and sometimes it’s just annoying.
Rather than resorting to Haitian Voodoo and goat sacrifice I found a pretty comprehiensive list of things anyone can do to alleaviate a headache. Check out the list below from WebMD.
- Apply an ice pack to the painful area of your head. Try placing it on your forehead, temples, or the back of your neck.
- Take a warm bath or shower; take a nap; or take a walk.
- Ask someone to rub your neck and back, or treat yourself to a massage.
- Apply gentle, steady rotating pressure to the painful area of your head with your index finger and/or thumb. Maintain pressure for seven to 15 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.
- Rest, sit, or lie quietly in a low-lit room. Close your eyes and try to release the tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.
- If you have excessive muscle contractions in the neck, physical therapy exercises performed daily are often helpful.
My wife has actually tried all of these at some point in time. Another one they didn’t mention is drinking caffeine. I’ve found that caffeine has a great affect on the blood flow in my brain and sometimes too much can give me a headache. However it has absolutely no affect on my wife. She could chug 44 oz of Mountain Dew and go to bed… I’d be walking on the ceiling. So the moral of the story is you just need to figure out what works best for you.
