Here are some causes for headaches. Hope this helps

Taking too many pain meds

Just when you thought you’d found relief, it turns out that the pain was caused by the very pills you’re taking to ease it. Here’s how the vicious cycle works: Your muscles ache, so you take aspirin. Or ibuprofen. Or acetaminophen. You may even take them to get rid of a headache. Again and again. Before you know it, the meds are causing your headache, not healing it. This can happen with both over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers. “If you start taking a lot on a regular basis, that can cause a rebound headache, where the medication you are taking for a headache, perpetuates the headache,” says Dr. Merle Diamond, the associate director at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. “Your body starts to get used to the medication. It searches for it, and if it doesn’t see it, it gives you a headache.” Diamond says people who get migraines are especially susceptible.

Too much caffeine

You may think the coffee you drink helps your headache and it can, in moderation. But if you drink too much, you’ll get the opposite result. “A lot of people think caffeine helps headaches, but if you have too much, it causes headaches,” says Diamond. Just how much caffeine is too much? “Anything more than a cup-and-a-half of coffee, or one can of soda pop,” is too much, he says.

Blood sugar imbalance

It’s the holidays. It’s your birthday. It’s donut-in-the-office day. Whatever. Too many sweets or carbs paired with not enough protein can create a climate in your body rife for headaches. “Hypoglycemia is a really common trigger of headaches and people don’t think about that,” says Erin Stokes, a naturopath on staff at Pharmaca Integrated Pharmacy, where a team of alternative practitioners is available to assist shoppers. “Stabilizing glucose levels can really help people.” Stokes suggests eating adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, starting with breakfast, because “protein encourages stable blood sugar levels.”

Eating the wrong foods

Several foods can trigger headaches, especially for people prone to migraines. “About 30 percent of migraine patients will have a food trigger,” says Diamond. Peanuts, chocolate, and red wine are common-known triggers. “We believe some of these foods have a lot of tyramine, an amino acid that is sometimes a headache trigger.” Processed meats that contain nitrates, such as sausages, hot dogs, and salami, can also trigger headaches. Dairy and wheat are a lesser-known cause of headaches, and are worth checking out if you have chronic headache pain.

Not drinking enough fluids

You remembered to eat. You forgot to drink. If your head hurts and your skin feels as if you’ve aged 20 years in half a day, take stock. Your fluid intake may be low. “Headaches are a major symptom of dehydration,” says Helen Joffe, a clinical herbalist who works at Pharmaca. Watch out for the effect of having too much coffee, says Joffe, because drinking too much caffeine and not enough water leads to a headache for some.

Long-term chronic stress

Often, a headache takes a long time coming and then sticks around for a while. Acupuncturist Candace Cahill, who has a private practice in Boulder, Colo. and is also part of the Pharmaca team, sees many headache patients who’ve been stressed for a long time. “A majority of headaches occur in women and there is usually a long-term stress component,” says Cahill. “It’s usually a person who’s pushed themselves beyond their limits. They may get tired, but keep going anyway. The stereotypical picture is a working mom scenario. They are pushed to the max.”

Fragrance overload

The woman in the elevator may think she smells like a movie star, but to you she smells like a headache. Fragrances in perfumes, lotions, soaps, candles—anything with a specific smell—can trigger headaches. “We don’t know how this happens, but patients with migraines are susceptible,” says Diamond.


Weather and altitude change

Climb high, sleep low, and go even lower if you get a headache. Every mountaineer knows this about acclimating to high altitude. Cahill knows headaches can happen at high altitude, so when clients complain of a headache in the more-than-mile-high town of Boulder, she asks if they are visiting or recently moved there. “We see a lot of elevation-induced headaches,” she says. Cahill suggests taking a chlorophil supplement to help oxygenate their blood. A change in the weather can also cause a headache, so if a front is moving in, or out, or sideways, take note. “Changes in barometric pressure can do it,” says Diamond, though we don’t know why.