Terrible Headaches! Help!

Question:

So…everyday when I come back from school I get a really bad headache...I actually have a headache now! I don't know what it's from - my classes aren't noisy.  Does anyone know what this headache is from, and can you tell me like what I can do to help it?

Thanks.

My Reply:

Hi,

Take a look at what you eat.  

When I was in high school, I was diagnosed with migraine headaches.  While researching their cause, we learned that I also had several food-allergies.  And though my allergies didn't affect me immediately, they did later.  As I began to stay away from the food I’m allergic to, my migraine headaches became less frequent.  So you may be allergic to something you're taking in and just not realize it.  Try doing some research: if you get a headache after some particular food, don't eat that food for a while and see if the headaches stop.

Also, do you take the same way home? Maybe someplace you pass by after school has fumes or something that are causing them.  Taking another route may resolve this.

Stress and lack of sleep may also cause headaches (common among students).

As for treating them, if you don't mind pills, take some Aleve (the Aleve may knock you out though, but sleep during a headache is good).

If you'd prefer to go the natural way, then take an ice pack, place it behind your neck at the base of your skull, and lay on your back (once again, falling asleep is good).  The coldness of the ice does something with the flow of blood to your brain, which helps the pain subside (this works real well, too).