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froggy90
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Joined: 17 Oct 2009
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2009 16:27
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For about 4-5 months I have been suffering from what the doctors believe is a tension headache, or chronic daily headache.
I have it pretty much permanantly, although the pain varies from very severe to so mild I cannot be 100% sure if it's there or not (although those spells do not last too long). Generally, when I wake up in the morning, it is mild, then grows throughout the day with intermittent peaks and troughs, then by the time I am home and winding down in front to the tv or ready to go to bed, it is often quite low again.
I can generally go about my day, working in a shop, although weekends when it is busy can be pretty bad, and I also experience shooting cramps in my arms and legs. My managers are ok with me going to a back room and sitting for a few minutes with the lights out until I feel at a more workable level. I have however had to miss a couple of days of work because on the rare occasion I have woken up with it at a very high level, or it has not died down the previous night, keeping me from sleep and thus making the headaches a million times worse.
Anyway, to the main point of this post. The doctors have ruled out all other causes (based on symptoms and blood tests) and reckon it's stress related. I did not believe them. My life was going well. I wasn't flush with cash, but I was comfortable. I wasn't in the job I wanted to be in forever, but that was intentional (I wanted an easy job with little responsibility after uni before I embarked on my 'serious life' career), and I enjoyed it and the people I worked with.
Of course I had little things that irked me, or raised my stress levels slightly - such as when my flatmate would clog up the kitchen sink with leftovers from her plate, or if the shop was particularly busy. But it was nothing that ever felt significant. It came and it went.
It was only a couple of weeks ago when I was on holiday that I realised it probably was stress. My headache had remained at quite an easy to deal with level until my flatmate text to let me know that she had had a fight with our other flatmate and as the contract on the place was up for renewal, she didn't want to re-sign and instead would move in with her boyfriend. I never really connected with the 3rd flatmate to live with her alone, and we didn't know anyone else who could rent the spare room, so we were left with no choice. We had just under 2 months to find new flats and move out. Naturally, my headaches rose with my stress levels and I made the connection.
This doesn't explain what's been going on for the other 4 months.
What could I have been stressed about? How did I not know I was stress? And what's more... how do I deal with this? I know to avoid common triggers of mine - tiredness, hunger/thirst, alcohol etc - and how to take time out from stressful situations that cannot be avoided - by sitting in a back room with the lights out whenever work gets busy and loud for a few minutes until the headache's more bearable - but if I can't work out what else is stressing me out, how can I avoid/deal with it?!
Also, I have started to get a little stressed over being stressed! The smallest things which shouldn't bother me at all, and never used to much, are now feeling like the straws to break the camel's back.
Please, can anyone offer any advice or experience?
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Vishal
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 148
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2009 02:22
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All I can say is that your energy level is pretty low at the moment. It can happen when you are mentally very active or always thinking or stressed most of the time. Of course, without actually meeting you in person, it's difficult to tell the exact cause.
Thinking or thoughts drain of all the vital energies from our body and to most of us, food and sleep is the only way of replenishing it. But when even that is impaired, your health deteriorates and the condition becomes worse and worse. Taking breaks, meditation, breathing exercises, being with nature, good diet, short fasting, yoga, tai chi are some ways to replenish our lost vitality and regain our health. Try incorporating them everyday in your life and see the difference it makes. You'll start feeling more lively and things that used to bother you earlier would seem trivial.
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froggy90
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Joined: 17 Oct 2009
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2009 06:39
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Thank you for your response.
Over the last few months I have been making a concious effort to improve my diet, which wasn't necessarily bad, but not necessarily good either. I have switched from white bread to brown bread (sometimes with the added seeds in too) and try to eat more fruit and veg than previously. I don't drink coffee or tea and rarely have fizzy pop or alcohol, although I must confess to having a bit of a sweet tooth, which is my downfall. I have, however, been careful to not allow my sugar intake to increase. I was expecting to see some difference in headache frequency/intensity, even if not 100% better (at which time I would think more seriosuly about cutting those sugars out completely to get this 100% better), but have seen absolutely no change. How long does in take for eating healthier to have an effect?
I also would like to try meditation and breathing excercises but find it very hard to get any peace where I am living currently - I live in a flat with 2 housemates, and above us are a noisy young family who constantly scream and jump and slam doors. Does anyone have any advice for working around such a situation!?
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Vishal
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2009 05:27
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froggy90: How long does in take for eating healthier to have an effect?
It depends a lot on your lifestyle. If you expect changes just by changing your diet and not putting much effort in the mental arena, then you may not see a any significant results at all. In fact things may worse when you cut down on your favorite food stuff like sweets and junk food. Meditation therefore plays a very important role. I suggest you read this book called - Miracle of Mindfulness
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rob mcphillips
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Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 4
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2009 04:56
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I would say forget about the stress. Everyone, wherever they are wants something a little more than they currently have. What is it that you want?
You see, in your situation where your focus is on stress, it causes you to shrink and feel more fearful of losing what you already have.
Yet if you move your focus to something that you positively want and could gain, it will give you more enthusiasm and energy and so you'll expand your sense of self.
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Strictly_Stress
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Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 5
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2009 21:47
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I would talk to a naturopathic physician about lactose intolerance (milk allergy) and Celiac Sprue (allergy to wheat gluten) Disease. Lots of people with these conditions have headaches all the time.
Accordint to Paul Zane Pilzer, economist, less than 6% of doctors have training in nutritional medicine. Almost all post-graduate training for doctors is provided by pharmaceutical companies.
In the meantime, you might note that while it is good that you switched away from white bread and such that whole wheat bread (anything processed really), as well as pasta, rice and potatoes are also very high-glycemic. I am a Certified Team Leader in Dr. Ray Strand's Healthy for Life program and I had my own demons to battle in terms of a number of chronic diseases including Asthma and Metabolic Syndrome. Strand says that these foods convert to sugar faster in your body than slapping table sugar directly on your tongue.
While it is not emotional stress that all of this relates to, it does relate to another kind of stress (oxidative stress), which is now believed to be the cause of more 100 different chronic diseases and all their associated symptoms.
One doctor I study suggests that people are all out of balance and this creates a ton of stress on the body. The three things that people need to supplement with are Omega 3 Fatty Acids, high-quality vitamins and minerals and decent probiotics (good bacteria). Much of the stress, both emotional and oxidative can be solved by rebalancing our bodies. And don't forget about all the hormone imbalances we have as well, particularly the hormones (stress hormones) produced in the endocrine system.
Good luck with your headache problem. It is most likely food related.
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