While everyone suffers from a headache at one point or another, some individuals are more at risk to experiencing more severe and sudden frequent headaches than others. There are several studies that are able to pinpoint the likely culprits. These studies are still ongoing, and they are continually looking at the risk for the various types of headaches including tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches.
Tension headaches are headaches that result from the muscles tensing up. Tension headaches can be triggered by normal daily activities including the way you hold the phone and how you sit. Your muscles are continually stretching and you can cause them to become inflamed by your actions. This in turn can result in tension headaches occurring.
To help reduce your risk of experiencing headaches, you need to analyze your own habits. Do you clench or grind your teeth? You may do it in your sleep and not know it, but teeth grinding or clenching can lead to headaches. Your dentist can help you and provide you with a device that will prevent this from happening.
Some things you cannot do anything about, though. Studies show migraine headaches are likely hereditary in nature and there is nothing you can do to alter your genetic make up. It has been found that 40% of tension headache sufferers come from families who suffer the same condition.
If you suffer from depression then it could be connected to your headaches. While it can be difficult to determine exactly if depression causes the headaches or the headache cause depression, it was found that 70% of people who suffer from chronic headaches are depressed.
Women often suffer from headaches more than men. It is likely the result of hormones and not getting enough iron on a regular basis. In addition, a large study found that 17% of women suffer from tension hedaches and migraines while only 6% of men do. However, the same study also found that while cluster headaches only affect less than 1% of the population, men are more likely to suffer from them.
If you do not sleep well at night or you just do not dedicate enough time to sleeping then headaches can develop. Anxiety and stress are also factors that place you at a high risk of having headaches. Your diet can affect getting headaches. Women are more likely than men to skip meals so that could be an indicator of why women are more at risk than men for headaches. The use of alcohol and drugs also play a role.
While you cannot control some of the factors that affect your risk of headaches including your gender and your genetics, you can choose to change other areas. Make sure that you have a good method for reducing stress, eat well, exercise daily and get enough rest each night. If these changes to your lifestyle do not help, you should consult with your doctor.