[My Personal Headache Management Method] Managing migraines, hypertensive headaches, and chronic headaches (Jangsu King) through diet and lifestyle habits

I think I've experienced almost all kinds of headaches.

Sometimes, I also experienced quite severe migraines.

I used to suffer from hypertensive headaches.

I frequently experienced ongoing chronic headaches.

 

Treating the various headaches that have come to me

[My personal headache coping method] I will try to explain.

 

✍[How to Manage Hypertensive Headache]

 

The most severe headache I experienced was a hypertensive headache.

When under extreme stress, my blood pressure would rise to around 160-180, and I would also experience headaches.

Is it because my blood pressure rises due to a headache?

I wasn't sure if the headache was caused by high blood pressure.

These symptoms mostly occurred at night.

 

✔When I have a headache, I take Tylenol.

If I have a headache like this, it's hard to even fall asleep~

Then, to find peace of mind, I listened to calming music and practiced diaphragmatic breathing.

Focusing on breathing and practicing diaphragmatic breathing helps me feel a bit more relaxed~

 

At this time, I was diligently managing my blood pressure regularly.

 

✔ To manage blood pressure, I needed to escape from stress, so I paid attention to stress management.

The method of diaphragmatic breathing was very helpful.

 

I diligently made efforts to lower my blood pressure through diet management (eating lightly, vegetables, brown rice) and walking exercise (weight loss).

 

One of the practices: eating a bowl of vegetables every day

 

 

Walking exercise in progress

 

It's dangerous if your blood pressure rises like that and you don't take medication, but fortunately, your blood vessel elasticity is still somewhat good, so it was okay. You really need to be careful with high blood pressure~

 

Breathing technique to relieve headaches

 

Sit comfortably in the chair.

Relax the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and chest.

 

✅ Touching the abdomen

Thinking about the feeling of air filling a balloon

In order to inflate the stomach, breathe in as deeply as possible through the nose.

 

✅ It is confirmed that the diaphragm moves downward, causing the abdomen to protrude outward.

Take a deep breath in as much as possible, then hold your breath for a moment.

 

It's now time to exhale.

✅ Exhale completely through the mouth with the Kona.

Make the exhalation slightly longer than the inhalation.

Exhale to make your stomach flat.

 

Deep breathing helps a lot with severe headaches caused by rising blood pressure. Playing calming music during diaphragmatic breathing is also beneficial^^

 

When I have a headache, I usually take Tylenol to relieve it, and fortunately, Tylenol does not cause stomach upset.

I liked that I could eat anytime at night to relieve my headache~

 

Some people find Tylenol doesn't work for them.

Some people say that taking a combination headache medication is necessary to relieve their headache.

Take headache medication that works well for you, but be careful because overdose can lead to chronic headaches or the medication may become ineffective.

 

Precautions When Taking Headache Medicine

 

Do not take headache medicine excessively on your own.

✔Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen: Overdose if taken more than 15 days a month

✔Geborin, Penjal, Panpirin: Overdose if taken more than 10 days a month

Headache medications in the Tylenol family have minimal gastrointestinal side effects but can be hepatotoxic, so they should not be taken after alcohol consumption.

If your headache does not subside after taking painkillers, you should go to the hospital.

 

✍ [Head vascular pounding headache]

 

As if there were a heart in the head

There was a time when my blood vessels felt like they were pounding and bouncing, and it turned out to be a symptom of a migraine.

Once, after work, I was about to get off the bus, and this was the first time I experienced such a headache.

I felt like I suddenly came across it.

Maybe I had a slight headache before.

When this kind of headache comes, I have to stay still because it's hard even to walk.

I barely got home, took some Tylenol immediately, and went to sleep. Fortunately, when I woke up the next day, the migraine was gone.

 

It is best to take medication early in the symptoms to soothe this type of headache. Trying to endure the pain with the thought that it will be okay can make the symptoms worse, and it is said that simply tolerating the headache is not very good at all.

 

When headache occurs, take headache medicine.

It is best to minimize the occurrence of headaches through proper management of daily habits.

 

[Migraine Prevention]🌞

 

✔Do aerobic exercise

 

Engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, 4 to 5 times a week can help prevent headaches. When a headache occurs, take medication, and when there is no headache, it is good to regularly engage in aerobic exercises like walking or swimming.

 

Maintain a regular lifestyle

 

It is important to maintain daily habits such as eating, sleeping, and diet in moderation, neither too little nor too much.

Headaches can occur even if you skip meals or overeat.

Even if you sleep for a long time and wake up, headaches can still occur, so it is good to develop a sleep habit of getting about 7 hours of restful sleep a day.

 

✔ Quit smoking this week

 

You may have experienced a headache the day after drinking. It's better to either not drink or drink in moderation.

Wine, makgeolli, and beer can often cause headaches the next day.

Smoking is so detrimental that it can be considered hostile to migraines.

 

Taking oral contraceptives may cause migraines.

 

Certain foods can trigger headaches.

 

Coffee can constrict brain blood vessels and help prevent headaches, but consuming too much or too little caffeine can also trigger headaches.

If you want to quit coffee, I think you should gradually reduce the amount.

Other foods that may trigger headaches include chocolate, cold foods, foods containing artificial flavorings, and high-fat foods.

Since individual differences exist, it is advisable to avoid the specific food if it seems to trigger a headache after consumption.

 

 

✍ [Headache with a dull ache at the back of the head]

 

It seems like a tension headache, a dull headache at the back of the head, has been ongoing for several years. I still occasionally experience such symptoms these days. It's a type of pain that feels awkward to take medication for, and I have a somewhat uneasy feeling about it.

 

Because I have been using chairs without headrests for a long time, the neck pain caused by a turtle neck posture made these headache symptoms more severe.

 

It seems that when the muscles from the neck to the head become tense, headaches occur.

 

To respond to such headaches

✔After switching to a chair with a headrest, I corrected my posture of jutting my neck forward. When sitting, I rest my neck on the headrest. Pressing my neck gently against the headrest also seems to reduce the pain.

 

DuoBack Fabric Chair

 

 

It's a Duoback chair with an adjustable headrest height, so I set it to the perfect height and use it, making it very comfortable.

There is a lumbar support and it has good elasticity, making the waistline comfortable. When pushed back, it doesn't push too far, which can be uncomfortable, but the elasticity is good, so it doesn't push too much and feels just right.

 

✔I am frequently doing neck stretching.

 

Stretch your neck to the left and right in one direction for about one minute while maintaining the same posture.

When you lower your head, you feel a stretching sensation at the back of your neck.

When you lift your head, the front of your neck feels stretched.

 

✔Moving your neck in various directions to stretch the neck muscles. I do neck stretches whenever I remember.

 

* Please note that this stretching is difficult if you have a cervical disc herniation.

 

[Massaging the neck with a Daiso foam roller]

 

Doing neck massages with a foam roller before sleeping helps to relieve neck tension.

 

 

It's a foam roller I bought at Daiso, and it's very useful.

 

Place the foam roller behind your neck and gently move your neck up and down. If you feel slight pain in certain areas, press and hold there for 1 to 2 minutes.

The protruding parts of the foam roller seem to play a major role in muscle pressure. It's very refreshing and perfect for neck massage.

 

 

Types of headaches that require urgent hospital visit

 

Sudden thunderclap headache that appears abruptly like a lightning strike

Sudden onset of severe headache unlike anything experienced before

✔ When a new headache that develops after age 50 persists for more than two weeks

Headache accompanied by other symptoms: headache with dizziness, nausea, and vomiting

 

Headache caused by issues related to cerebral aneurysm

A headache that feels like my head is about to burst from fullness

 

Others

Headache that does not improve even after taking medication

It is advisable to seek medical treatment if you experience recurring headaches.