Listen to what your body is saying

Our body is like machine. Machines give us a sign when they are not functioning properly. Like there are fumes, smell, or disrupting noise etc. same alike machine our body too gives us signs indicating towards health related problems in your body. And you must heed to these warnings so that there can be quick decisions taken regarding what is to be done.

But most important is when the signs given by the body are common ailments. People at times do not pay attention or pay too much attention. Both things can be harmful. When you don’t pay attention, it might make diagnosis of disease problematic when it becomes worse or when there’s too much attention people end up becoming panicked. Such people think they have some dreaded disease and end up searching on internet where the results are ten different health problems one severe than another.

Rebound headaches

Headaches most of the time are caused by stress. When you’re not able to get proper rest and when you’re energy levels may be low. These headaches usually go away quickly. But the rebound headaches just refuse to go. Rebound headaches keep coming back, even though you may have taken pain killers. In this case don’t blame the headache but the real reason behind these headaches is usually the painkillers. Over usage of the painkillers or medications makes one’s body resistant to the effects, and people take stronger doses of the medications. This desensitizes body and triggers another rebound headache again.

Expert’s Advice: Avoid painkillers as much as you can. This will help in breaking vicious circle of rebound headaches. Don’t take painkillers for more than two consecutive days and still if the symptom is persisting then consulting a doctor is essential for your wellbeing.

What helps with tension headaches, cluster headaches, etc. – and when should you see a doctor?

You can treat most types of headaches yourself – on the one hand with medication, on the other hand through lifestyle changes. The following guide is intended to help identify the type and cause of your headaches and relieve them on your own. 

Headaches may be a signal of high blood pressure.

Women often suffer from hormone-related headaches or migraines.

Caffeine withdrawal or overuse of painkillers can also trigger headaches.

If you suffer from headaches regularly, you’re not alone. About 50-75% of us have had a headache at least once in the past year. In most cases, headaches are not cause for concern. Once you find out what type of headache you suffer from and what triggers it, you can usually avoid it easily or treat it yourself.

However, contact a doctor if your headaches don’t subside, you’re worried, or if your headaches are so severe that they interfere with your daily life.

In this guide, you’ll find the most common types of headaches, as well as tips on how to help yourself:

1. tension headaches

How they feel:

• You have mild to moderate pain in both halves of your head.
• Your neck muscles may be tight.
• You may also feel pressure behind your eyes.

They come from: Stress, poor posture, squinting, overuse of computer screens, fatigue, dehydration, skipped meals, lack of physical activity, bright sunlight, noise, and certain smells.

What you can do about it: Tension headaches are usually well treatable with over-the-counter pain medications. With lifestyle changes, you can even make sure tension headaches don’t happen in the first place. Anything that reduces stress, such as yoga, meditation, massage or exercise, is helpful. Also, make sure to take screen breaks, eat regular meals, and drink enough water during the day.

2. cluster headaches

What they feel like These headaches come on suddenly, and the pain is severe, usually a sharp, stabbing, or burning sensation in one side of the head.

Cluster headaches are more common in men than in women. The pain often occurs in the eyes, temples, and sometimes the face. One or more other symptoms may also occur, such as a red, watery eye, a drooping or swollen eyelid, a smaller pupil in one eye, a sweaty face, or a stuffy or runny nose on one side. Seizures usually last between 15 minutes and 3 hours and may occur in daily episodes over 4-12 weeks.

Where they come from: The exact causes are not known. However, it is thought that a genetic factor may play a role. Smokers are also more at risk. The seizures can be triggered by alcohol and strong odors such as perfume, paint, or gasoline.

What you can do about it: Always consult a doctor if you think you’re suffering from cluster headaches. This type of headache often requires specialist treatment by a neurologist.

3. migraine

What it feels like: Migraines affect 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men, and the main symptom is a moderate to severe, throbbing headache on one side. Migraines may also cause other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, visual disturbances, light sensitivity, and sound and smells.

Some sufferers experience visual disturbances (flashes of light) before the migraine occurs (migraine with aura), but usually, there are no warning signs. Ocular migraines cause visual disturbances such as flashes of light, flickering, and other symptoms, but there is typically no headache. The attacks last between 4 and 72 hours.

Where it comes from: Some people have a genetic predisposition to migraine attacks. Migraines might result from abnormal brain activity that temporarily affects nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain.

Possible triggers include:

mental factors (e.g., stress, anxiety, tension)

physical factors (e.g., fatigue, neck and shoulder tension, or low blood sugar)

dietary factors (e.g., alcohol, dehydration, or certain foods containing the substance tyramine, which is found in cured meats, smoked fish, and strong and aged cheeses)

hormonal and environmental factors (e.g., bright lights, noises, odors)

medications (such as hormone replacement therapy and the combined contraceptive pill).

What you can do about it: You should see a doctor if your migraines are particularly severe or occur regularly. Several prescription medications for migraines can help relieve symptoms or prevent them from occurring. Plus, of course, it’s essential to know and avoid your migraine triggers.

4. sinus headaches.

How they feel: You feel pressure or throbbing in your cheeks, eyes, and forehead. You may also feel pain in your face.

Where they come from: Sinus headaches are usually caused by sinusitis – a swelling of the sinuses usually caused by an infection. Other symptoms could include a stuffy or runny nose, decreased smell, fever, toothache, and yellowish or green nasal discharge.

What you can do about it: Sinus headaches are usually easy to treat at home, such as getting plenty of rest, inhaling, taking pain medication, and drinking enough fluids. However, you should see a doctor at the latest if you have been suffering from sinus headaches for more than three weeks. There are prescription medications that can help you.”

5. medication-induced headache (rebound headache).

It feels like: It is often a dull ache reminiscent of a tension headache. However, more severe pain may also occur.

Where it comes from: Drug-induced headaches can occur with regular overuse of pain medications, usually over-the-counter analgesics (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen). It is thought that the headache suppressed by the medication “returns” as soon as the effect of the medication in the bloodstream wears off. In addition, the more often you take the drug, the less effective it becomes. As a result, pain-free periods become shorter and shorter, and headaches become more frequent.

What you can do about it: Stress reduction can help you stop headaches. However, you must stop taking pain medication. If you need help with this or are not yet sure whether medication is the cause of your headaches, you are welcome to contact our doctors.

6. pain due to caffeine withdrawal

What they feel like: You have a severe, throbbing headache. You may also experience irritability, anxiety, and nausea.

Where they come from: If you regularly consume coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages and then stop, you may experience symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, which include headaches. This is because caffeine constricts blood vessels. When you stop taking caffeine, the blood vessels dilate again – and the increased blood flow can trigger headaches. Other caffeine withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, nausea, and muscle aches.

What you can do about it: Symptoms usually subside over a few days as the brain gets used to the change in blood flow resulting from reduced caffeine consumption. If you want to reduce your caffeine intake or give up caffeine altogether, you should reduce it gradually for six weeks instead of stopping abruptly.

7. Hormonal headaches.

How they feel: Moderate to severe headaches or migraines may occur during certain phases of your cycle.

Where they come from: Many women get headaches when their hormones change. Menstrual migraines, for example, can occur a few days before and during your period. The trigger is often the falling estrogen level. In addition, the hormonal changes that occur as menopause approaches or in the first weeks of pregnancy can also trigger headaches.

What you can do about it: Keep a headache diary to help you track your headaches. Record what stage of the cycle they occur, such as before your period starts. Lifestyle changes, such as balancing blood sugar levels with regular meals that include healthy proteins and complex carbohydrates, stress reduction, and regular exercise, can help rebalance hormones.

Talk to your health care provider if you feel that a hormone medication such as birth control pills is making your symptoms worse.

8. Pain due to high blood pressure

How they feel: You usually feel a pulsating, throbbing pain in both halves of your head.

Where they come from: Most people don’t know they have high blood pressure because there are no apparent symptoms. However, headaches can indicate high blood pressure. Other symptoms might occur, such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, and nosebleeds. Ideal blood pressure is a systolic value below 120 mmHg and a diastolic value below 80 mmHg. Values above 140/90 mmHg are considered too high and may indicate disease.

What you can do about it: For headaches triggered by high blood pressure, the cause must be treated. Weight loss, moderate exercise, stress reduction, and a healthier diet can be helpful. However, if your blood pressure is too high, your health care provider will prescribe medication. Get medical help if you suspect that high blood pressure is causing your headaches.

9. stress headaches

How they feel: You suffer from moderate to severe throbbing pain during or after physical exertion.

Where they come from: Stresses that can trigger these headaches include running, bending, and lifting, as well as coughing, sneezing, and even sex.

What you can do about it: A new-onset exertion headache can be a sign of an underlying problem in the brain in some cases. So if you’re suddenly experiencing stress headaches, you should get them checked out by a doctor – especially if they’ve never happened before.

When to see a doctor

We recommend seeing a doctor in the following cases:

For any new-onset headache that has persisted for several weeks without improvement or that is particularly severe and interferes with your daily life.

If you suffer from headaches that cause you to wake up in the middle of the night, that gets worse when you lie down, that makes you vomit, or that occur when you cough or exert yourself physically.

When is it an emergency?

In these cases, you should call an emergency doctor or ambulance right away:

If you have a sudden headache that occurs along with neurological disorders (hemiplegia, neck stiffness, pulling in the neck, numbness, loss of consciousness).

When headaches occur abruptly and with unusual intensity (often described as annihilation headaches), as this type of headache may be caused by a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.

Bloating

Though your periods are not expected and still you get feel bloated. Well it’s not your body mistake that it is making you feel so horrible. Well it’s your drinking pattern or habits that is to ultimately be blamed. First Alcohol is liquid but it dehydrates the body, drinking as much as two glasses is also risky to proper hydration. If you’re drinking too much, then kidneys of your body panic and start instead conserving water which leads to water retention and bloating. Also same thing apply if you drink excessive tea and coffee. Also having foods which are excess in salt makes more water retention in body.

A possible cause of the complaints is an upset stomach. Behind it can be consuming sugary and fatty foods or foods that have gone bad. The stomach squeeze is then often a harbinger of

Nausea,
vomiting, and
diarrhea.
Toxins in the food cause what is known as food poisoning. These toxins occur naturally, as in toxic mushrooms, or are released by bacteria that have increased in spoiled milk.

A food infection can also be the trigger for a stomach bug. Typical triggers include salmonella, listeria, and norovirus. Foods particularly susceptible to germs include:

Poultry, fish, and meat
Eggs (also in dips, ice cream, and cake fillings)
Raw milk and cheese made from raw milk
Before eating the food, please pay attention to its smell and appearance, bloated packaging, and canned food before eating food. If in doubt, it is better to dispose of them.

When the stomach objects after eating
If the eyes were once again more enormous than the stomach, you usually regret this immediately: the rebellion in the stomach begins, perhaps you even curl up on the sofa. The pressure in the abdomen arises in this case from the fact that the stomach wall expands. But even if the consequences of overindulgence can be very unpleasant, as a rule, the feeling of pressure in the stomach disappears after some time.

Moreover, flatulence can lead to a pressing feeling in the intestines and the stomach area. Flatulence is caused by an increased accumulation of gas in the intestines and various causes. For example

a disturbance in the movement of the intestines,
increased swallowing of air,
eating too quickly or
carbonated drinks increase the pressure in the intestine.

Serious diseases as triggers of gastric pressure
Although rare, more serious diseases such as stomach or duodenal ulcers cannot be ruled out. These are usually due to an infection with the pathogen Helicobacter pylori. The bacterium can cause chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis), which can develop into an ulcer.

In the case of stomach cancer, gastric distress can also be a warning signal and other symptoms such as lack of appetite, heartburn, lack of performance, or abdominal pain. However, this condition is relatively rare.

Another unpleasant clinical picture is Roemheld syndrome, which can also cause stomach pressure. In addition, the bloating causes symptoms similar to a heart attack, including Heart palpitations, tightness in the chest area, shortness of breath, hot flashes, and dizziness.

What is the diagnosis of gastric distention?
Due to the many causes of gastric pressure, a quick diagnosis is not easy for the attending physician and must be made in part according to the principle of exclusion. Therefore, the physician asks the patient extensively about lifestyle and eating habits as a first measure. It is also of interest whether and which medications are being taken or any underlying diseases.

Afterward, the abdomen is usually palpated and listened to. An easy-to-perform diagnostic method is ultrasound examination (sonography), in which the liver and bile duct, in particular, are visible. On the other hand, a stomach ulcer is often not one hundred percent detectable on ultrasound since the stomach cannot be appropriately seen due to air or intestinal loops. To rule out serious diseases, a gastroscopy or colonoscopy is therefore usually necessary, during which the doctor can look inside the affected person with the help of a probe. If there are any abnormalities, tissue samples are taken and examined in more detail in the laboratory. A blood test can easily detect inflammations in the stomach.

How can gastric pressure be treated?
The treatment of gastric pressure depends on the doctor’s diagnosis:

If gastric pressure is accompanied by constipation, the specialist usually recommends changing lifestyle and eating habits. Excellent are dietary fibers, which are contained, for example, in legumes or whole-grain products. In addition, laxatives can also be used, preferably in consultation with the doctor.
In the case of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines and ulcers, the administration of so-called proton pump inhibitors is possible. These stomach acid blockers are usually prescribed with antibiotics, which are supposed to kill the bacteria.
An irritable stomach is difficult to treat. However, sufferers can use a pain diary to help identify personal triggers. Stress reduction is also helpful.
In addition, people who frequently suffer from gastric pressure should avoid alcohol and high-fat foods, as these are not metabolized well.

Expert’s Advice: drink water- every two hour one glass of water. This helps kidneys to function regularly. Avoid foods which are sodium rich and salty like the processed foods, like chips etc. as these foods will cause to hold water for long. The bloating will subside in two days.