Aches & Pains / Question
Published: March 26, 2008
Dear TeenHealthFX,
i am 16 and am constantly getting headaches. i usually get them after something stressing happens or if i get frustrated, but i also get them if i read too much or if i sit in front of the television or computer too long. They are really annoying and sometimes hurt so much i feel as though i can't even think anymore. is there something wrong?
Signed: Constantly Getting Headaches
Dear Constantly Getting Headaches,
Many people dealing with various kinds of emotional issues, such as feelings stressed or frustrated, find that the negative feelings impact their bodies in different ways. Some people clench their jaws and grind their teeth and others notice significant pain and tightness in the muscles in their neck and shoulder areas – both of which can contribute to the formation of headaches. And if you notice headaches after reading, sitting in front of the television, or being in front of the computer for long periods, it may be that your eyes are feeling strained or that your muscles in your body are tightening up from sitting still for so long – in which case you might also find that bad headaches occur.
There are many possible triggers of headaches. You may have no identifiable or consistent trigger, or have several obvious ones. Potential triggers include:
- Stress
- Depression and anxiety
- Lack of sleep or changes in sleep routine
- Skipping meals
- Poor posture
- Working in awkward positions or holding one position for a long time
- Lack of physical activity
- Occasionally, hormonal changes related to menstruation, pregnancy, menopause or hormone use
- Medications used for other conditions, such as depression or high blood pressure
- Overuse of headache medication
To reduce the intensity and frequency of your headaches, FX recommends that you look into the following:
- Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician so that he/she can assess what is causing the headaches – particularly to rule out whether or not there is any underlying medical condition causing the headaches that needs to be treated.
- Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor to have your eyes examined. If you are in need of glasses/contacts and are not using them, you will find that your eyes are going to be strained and headaches can subsequently occur.
- Consider scheduling a consultation with a mental health professional. Very often people who are dealing with anxiety disorders or mood disorders experience chronic headaches. To relieve the headaches, it is important that the anxiety or mood disorder is properly treated.
- Take note of how you are sitting when you reading, watching television, or using the computer – it is important that your back and neck and properly supported to avoid muscle strains. In addition, make sure you get up and stretch the muscles in your neck and shoulders at least every ½ hour to hour to avoid your muscles from getting too tight and tense. You can speak with your doctor about correct posture positioning and helpful stretches that you can do.
- Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming or biking, can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Exercise relieves stress, relaxes your muscles and increases the levels of one of your body's natural stress relievers, beta-endorphins.
- Find healthy ways of dealing with your stress and frustration – whether you exercise to relieve the tension, talk it out with a trusted adult, draw, journal, or whatever else – make sure that you have some outlet for these emotions. If you find you are having trouble dealing with stress and frustration, consider meeting with a mental health professional who can help you develop effective ways of dealing with these negative emotions.
- Make sure that you do something on a daily basis, as well as during the moments when you are feeling stressed, to relax. You could meditate, do some deep breathing, take a warm bath, do some relaxing stretching exercises or yoga, or get a massage.
- Make sure that you have a good support system in place for yourself for the times you are feeling frustrated and/or stressed out – your parents, school counselors, teachers, siblings, extended family members, friends, and private therapists are all people you can turn to when you need some support and guidance during difficult times.
If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
If you live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
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