Tension headaches: Five ways to get risk of them - but THIS could make it worse

HEADACHES plague the lives of one in 20 people in the UK - but leading neurologists have now revealed five simple ways to help banish chronic headaches for good.

Tension headache: Taking painkillers too often can make symptoms worseGETTY

Tension headache: Taking painkillers too often can make symptoms worse

While most people will experience mild tension headaches at some point in their lives, a staggering number suffer from frequent, debilitating pains in their head. 

Dr Manjit Matharu, consultant neurologist at leading specialist London unit Queen Square Private Healthcare, advises there’s a few things people can do to try and get rid of the torment.

Dr Matharu said: “Headaches are very common and most people will get them at some point in their lives.

“The vast majority get a tension headache, your normal headache, while one in seven will get a migraine.

“But if you get frequent headaches they can be really disabling. Even if they’re not really severe, if you’re getting them a lot of the time, the disability factor keeps creeping up exponentially.

Headaches: Experts said routine can prevent headachesGETTY

Headaches: Experts said routine can prevent headaches

“When it comes to people getting frequent headaches, the stats are quite startling.”

Stop taking so many painkillers

While painkillers are an effective way to relieve headaches - studies have shown how taking them regularly more than two or three times a week can potentially make them worse.

Dr Matharu, who is the clinical lead for the Headache Group at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, said: “If you have got a migraine or a tension type headache, what is often not appreciated is that if you take painkillers too frequently - more than 10 days in a month - paradoxically it starts giving you more headaches then you’d normally suffer.

“You can see the scenario - you have infrequent headaches, you go to see your doctor, and they recommend - quite rightly - that you take some painkillers.

A guide to pressure points which can ease headache pain

Headaches:  Stress can also cause headaches, experts argueGETTY

Headaches: Stress can also cause headaches, experts argue

If your headaches then escalate, you take more and more painkillers

Dr Manjit Matharu

“If your headaches then escalate, you take more and more painkillers. And then you reach a tipping point where taking more painkillers is actually going to do you more harm than good.

“You don’t know that, and unfortunately a lot of doctors don’t know that either.”

The science behind why painkillers can exacerbate symptoms is not yet fully known - but the phenomenon is not just specific to headaches but can occasionally also occur in other pain disorders.

Dr Matharu said: “One thing we do know is that if you take painkillers with an opiate based compound - such as Codeine - they can actually give you more headaches.

“You have to use them very carefully. Go over the top, and you’re asking for trouble.”

Exercise two or three times a week

Headaches are one of the most common health complaints and symptoms and intensity can vary from person to person.

Dr Matharu, who is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline development group for the condition, advises that it is important to maintain to regular routine.

He said: “Anecdotally what we see is that frequent headache sufferers who undergo two or three hours of exercise per week tend to do better than those patients who do no exercise.

Headache symptoms: Dr Matharu said consistency is important when it comes to sleepGETTY

Headache symptoms: Dr Matharu said consistency is important when it comes to sleep

Be consistent

Dr Matharu said it’s important to be consistent when it comes to sleep, drinking fluids and eating meals to reduce the chances of headaches.

He said: “An inconsistent lifestyle makes people more prone to migraine.

“If you have erratic patterns of sleep, if you’re not keeping well hydrated, are erratic about how much water you drink, or if you’re not eating your three meals regularly at the same times of the day, all of those factors start increasing your chances of getting a headache.

“People prone to getting headaches like regularity. Their brains like to have a regular lifestyle.

“The better the routine is, the less likely you are to get headaches.”

Don’t stress out

Dr Matharu added: “It’s easier said than done, but learning to relax can help to keep headaches under control.”

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