H EA LTH
better
continued from page 202
H e re are a fe w sim ple steps to help
avoid these aggravations.
STAY ON ROUTINE
“I t ’s in c re d ib ly com m on fo r people to
have headaches on the w eekend, and
w ith good reason,” says K aniecki.
“T u rn s out, b a ckin g o ff y o u r regular
schedule is cou n terp rod u ctive .”
O ve r- or u n d e r-d o in g a n yth in g in yo u r
ro u tin e — from sleeping in on the
w eekend to sk ipp in g exercise— can
b rin g on a headache. K anie cki, w h o
suffers from m igraine headaches
him self, says reg ular exercise has been
the great equalizer in his treatm ent.
T h irt y m inutes o f exercise a d ay fo r
him goes a lo n g w a y to w a rd offsetting
other changes in his routine.
RELAX
M ana ging stress th ro u g h m editation,
yoga, prayer, reading, and other
rela xa tio n techniques can help break
the headache cycle. In co rp o ra te some
sort o f rela xa tio n ritu a l into each day.
W ATCH W HAT YOU CONSUME
Stay aw ay from h ig h ly processed
foods w h e n e ve r yo u can, advises
K aniecki. A lso, som e people are
sensitive to aged cheeses, alcohol
(e specially red w in e ), chocolate,
artificial sweeteners, and m onosodium
glutam ate (M S G ). Y o u also w a n t to
w a tch y o u r caffeine intake. Sm all
am ounts o f caffeine can be h e lp fu l in
re lie v in g a headache, b u t yo u should
d ra w the lin e at one o r tw o servings o f
caffeinated beverages a day.
DIAL UP YOUR DISPLAY
T o o m uch tim e spent at a com puter is
one o f the biggest headache triggers.
E v e n th ou g h yo u m ig h t no t be able to
see it, older m onitors flicker, eventually
causing a headache fo r som e people
(th is doesn’t happen w ith laptops and
n e w e r L C D flat screens). A sim ple fix:
R econfigure the d ispla y co n tro l panel
to refresh images m ore ra p id ly (8 0 H z
o r higher, a speed at w h ic h y o u r eyes
can no lon g e r process the flicke r).
KEEP ALLERGIES IN CHECK
A lle rg ie s cause m any headaches, once
called sinus headaches because o f the
pain th e y cause in the cheeks or
forehead. “W e don ’t call them sinus
headaches anym ore, because m ost are
a ctually m igraines,” says K aniecki.
T h is is a significan t d istin ction , as
sinus infections re q u ire antibiotics
and m igraines don’t. So take yo u r
allergy m edication faithfully.
POP TH E RIGHT PILL
P la in old a sp irin is effective fo r m ost
headaches, especially if taken at the
first signs. I f a sp irin irritates yo u r
stom ach, try acetam inophen
(T y le n o l). I f n e ith e r w orks, consider
E x c e d rin , w h ic h com bines three
d rug s— aspirin, acetam inophen, and
caffeine— and can be m ore effective
th an a single drug. Ju st be careful—
reg ular use can lead to a phenom enon
called reb o un d headaches w h e n you
tr y to stop taking it. T h is is tru e o f
all these drugs, b u t m ore so w ith
ca ffein e -co n ta in in g pills. ffl
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use a scale of 1-10.
II to a wait-and-
see approach. “If you are able to catch a headache in its early stages, the
simplest remedies are often highly effective,” says Dr. Elizabeth Loder of
Brigham and Women's Hospital. “People often think their headache might
go away, or they are busy and not in a position to easily get some aspirin or
lie down for 10 minutes.” But that°s a path to unnecessary suffering. Loder
suggests rating headache pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Start treating it when
your headache is a 1 or 2.
If you're not completely
satisfied, call 1.866.360.3226
for your money back.
drscholls.com
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS JULY 2009
2 0 5
©2009
Schering-Plough
Healthcare Products, Inc.
