subject: Headache Relief - What Kind Of Headache Do You Have? [print this page] A headache is a complete waste of a good dayA headache is a complete waste of a good day. The usual response is to reach for the painkillers. If you are happy to do that then fine, the problem is that for a large number of people, when the pain killers wear off then the headache returns.
The trick to treating headaches is to know what kind of headache you have. There are many kinds of headache such as from sun exposure, stress, poor posture, neck strain et etc.
For simplicity we can reduce the headache categories to three kinds. Hot headaches, cold headaches and hot/cold headaches.
A hot headache is one that responds to heat. If your neck muscles are strained and in spasm then we know that heat is the solution. A hot pack applied to your neck will reduce the spasm and therefore remove the trigger of your headache.
Another hot headache example: You fall asleep on the couch and wake with a jinked neck which becomes a headache. Again apply the heat pack, but first you will want to do some gentle stretching and perhaps lie down for a while with your neck in a comfortable position.
A classic cold headache is: you spend a few hours in the hot sun playing sport, working or gardening. This type will respond to a cold application. The best thing is to have 2 or 3 cold packs in your freezer. You need at least 2 as these cold packs become ineffective once they thaw out. You may need to apply the cold pack to both your foreword and your neck.
Another cold headache type is from glare> the surf, working on outdoor concrete surfaces, sailing, driving etc. A cold pack on your forehead will get the best result.
The third type is a hot/cold headache. Basically you have two things happening at once. Your neck might be spasming which requires a hot pack but you are experiencing cold symptoms which will also require a cold pack on your foreword.
As you can see this is not rocket science, but you do need to get it right. If you do it back to front you will aggravate your headache.
So you can elect to take the painkillers but apply the hot or cold packs as well, or just use the hot or cold packs.
Some self massage and relaxing your head and being in a quiet and darkened space will enhance your speed of recovery.
The main thing to remember is to get started with the packs as soon as possible after the onset of the headache. Many headache sufferers know their own patterns well. So you may elect to use the packs as a preventative even if you don't feel the headache coming on yet.
