101 Everyday Tips For Preventing (And Treating) Headaches

Now whatever is the cause or whatever be the nature of the headache, most headaches are preventable. There is no need to endure the pain when you really have an option. Follow the tips given below and you will be amazed to find that the prevention is actually in your hands.

1. Do not read when you are lying down. The lying down posture is clearly not the best position to read. It is a very common thing for a person to flop down on the bed with a book and read it while lying down. In fact, many people make it a habit to read for a few minutes before going to sleep. Let us say it once and for all; it is not good to read while you are lying down.

2. If you must read, prop up your head with at least two pillows. If you find it impossible to read while you are in bed, the best thing that you can do is prop up your head with a couple of pillows. Pillows give support to your head and neck so that your head is in a partially raised position. This will cause less harm to your eyes and your head in general.

3. You need a well lighted room to read. The lighting of your room too is very important. A properly lighted room is what is required if you want to read, do needle work or any other such fine activity. Again too much light is just as bad as a dimly lit room.

4. The source of light must preferably be behind your head. The source of light should not come in front of your eyes but must be behind your head. This is also true in the case of a computer as well. The source of light should be from behind.

5. Do not hold the book too close to your eyes. This is some thing that happens when you lei down to read. The book tends to move closer to your eyes than intended. This is something that is bad for your eyes. Your eye muscles have to strain a lot in order to focus on nearer objects. The book should ideally be at the level of your chest.

6. Do not hold it too far away either. Holding the book too far away is just as bad as holding the book too close. Remember to keep it at chest level. Many bookstores have reading stands that will enable you to keep your book position at the right level.

7. If you find it difficult to read, get your eyes tested by an oculist. If you find yourself squinting or your eyes watering while you read or do any fine work, then you might need glasses. So do not waste time, consult a doctor at the earliest time possible. Faulty vision is a major cause of headaches.

8. Be careful of the print size of the book you are reading. If the print of the book is too faint, or if the font size is too small, just toss away the book. Most libraries have large-print versions of books. If this is not available, use a magnifying glass or wear magnifying glasses.

9. Do not read in moving vehicles. Many people try to read while traveling by car to kill time. However, curves and bumps in the road can cause headaches and even motion sickness.

No matter how smooth the road is and no matter how good the shock absorbers of the car are, there is bound to be jerking motions. This will force your eyes to adjust and readjust to the print and this continuous adjustment and readjustment is very bad for your eyes. At the end of the journey you are bound to end up with a headache.

10. The light from your T.V or P.C monitor is not enough to read. Some people tend to read in the light that comes from a turned on television set or a computer. This light is not enough for your eyes to pick out what is printed, and should be combined with lamplight or overhead light.

11. While doing work that requires you to strain your eyes, take breaks every five minutes. This is especially true for jobs like needle work and works involving electronic gadgets.

12. Use an anti-glare screen to cut out the radiation while working on your computer. Radiation is bad for your eyes and an anti-glare screen is the only and the best solution to this. Another option is to wear glasses that have an anti-glare coating on the lenses.

13. If your job requires long hours in front of the computer, you may want to consider buying a special lamp that clips on the monitor. This lamp reduces the eye-strain caused by staring at the computer screen, and thus reduces headaches.

14. Eat plenty of carrots; they are good for your eyes. Carrots are the best things that nature has to offer for eye sight so go ahead and gorge on them. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is the vitamin required for proper eye sight.

15. Never look at the sun directly, especially between 7 am in the morning and 4 pm in the evening. If you will be outside during this time or driving, be sure to shield your eyes in some manner.

16. While going outdoors during the summer, protect your eyes using sunglasses. Sunglasses are the best protection that you can give your eyes when you go out in the sun. The sun beats down ultra violet and other harmful radiations. You eyes need protection from these radiations because they can cause serious damage to your eyes if they are directly exposed to them. Below are some tips for choosing sunglasses.

• The sunglasses must cover the region of your eyes completely.
• Sunglasses may be of any color that you like but make sure that they guard your eyes against ultra violet radiations.
• Take care to see that your sunglasses are always clean and free from dust and smudges.
• The best way to choose your sunglasses is to put them on and stare at your face in a mirror. If you can see your eyes in the mirror, then the glasses are not good enough.
  

17. Do not work continuously on your computer for more than half an hour. This in fact is a very relative concept because some people tire faster than other when working on the computer. Computer screens emit radiation, so the less time in front of the computer, the better.

If your eyes give you signs that it has had enough take the cue. But often, after you get used to working on the computer, you start ignoring these signs. The best thing you can do is make it a point to give your eyes a break at least every half hour of working on the computer.

The best rest that you can give your eyes is staring at a distant object. Or you can try massaging your eyes gently. Please remember that your eyes are unlike any other part of your body so you have to take very good care of them. The same holds true when it comes to massaging your eyes as well.

• When you massage your eyes take care to use only the soft balls of your fingers.
• Do not use your finger tips because your nails could give you scratches.
• The best fingers to massage your eyes with are the three middle fingers, which are the fingers between your thumb and the little finger.
• Place the balls of your fingers on you're your eye brows and gently press down.
• Please remember to be gentle; we are not talking about a major massage therapy here.
• Now let your fingers roll down around your eyes making gentle circling movements.
• The motion should start from the eye brows and end at the corners of the eyes near the nose bridge.
• Repeat this two or three times and you can feel your eye muscles relax.
• It is a good idea to this at least five or six times a day if you are working at something that gives a lot of strain to your eyes.
  

18. If you feel that your eyes are under strain, take a break. The best relaxation for your eyes is staring at a distant object or just keeping them closed. Your eyes will give you signs when they are under strain. You will find that you are getting tired sooner, your eyes may start to water or you might notice that you have to squint your eyes in order to get a better view.

19. Never watch television while lying down. The best position to watch television is sitting and your eyes should preferably be at the level of the television screen.

20. Do not sit too close to your television set. Take care to sit a considerable distance from the screen. It is easier for your eyes to focus on the images that flash across your TV screen. It is also less harmful for your eyes. The ideal distance from your TV set is around five feet or more.

21. The room in which your television or computer is should be properly lit. Watching television or working on the computer in the dark unnecessarily strains your eyes. Make sure to always turn on a lamp or overhead light.

22. In the ideal condition, the light source should be behind you placed in such a way that the glare des not reflect on the screen.

23. Try to blink deliberately while working on the computer. When you work on the computer there is an increased tendency to stare unblinkingly at the monitor. This especially true if you are playing an exciting game. In such cases you should make a conscious effort to blink your eyes.

If you do not blink your eyes, they will become dry, they will hurt and this will ultimately precipitate as a headache. It is when you blink that your eyelids wash your eyeballs with the tear secretions. Your eyeballs must be moist always so remember to blink your eyes even if you are deeply engrossed in something interesting.

24. Breathing exercises help you breathe better and release the toxins in your brain. The human body takes in a lot of toxic substances, both through the air and through food and drink. Apart from this, various toxins are also released in the body as a result of the various processes that are going on. These toxins have to be released on a continuous basis or else they will accumulate in the body with serious results.

One of the best ways of releasing these toxins is by means of exhaling while breathing. One funny fact is that most of do not breathe properly. Just take a look at the picture like this. With each breath that we take, we take in oxygen. This oxygen is carried by the blood to every cell of the body and every cell must indeed get enough oxygen not just to survive but to remain healthy as well.

So it is imperative that we make an honest attempt to breathe properly. But first of course we have to make sure that we are breathing in unpolluted air. The time best for breathing exercises is early in the morning when the air is comparatively unpolluted.

Now what you have to do is this. Again, sit comfortably so that there is no strain to any part of your body. It is not imperative that you close your eyes, but I have always noticed that the exercise works better when the eyes are closed.

When you are ready, what you have to do is to breathe in deeply and slowly, and feel the fresh air filling up your lungs until it just can't take any more. Conjure up images of the air encircling throughout your body and reaching every cell, literally bathing it with oxygen. Of course it doesn't happen that way but the image helps a lot. Then hold your breath for a few seconds and then very slowly exhale letting out all that foul air.

Again conjure up an image of all the toxins being released from your body. Every cell has become free of the burden it was carrying. Now pause for a second or two and again breathe in deeply, slowly letting your lungs fill up with all that good, clean, rejuvenating air. Repeat this exercise at least ten times and take your time for it taking care not to rush through.

When you have done that part of the exercise it is time for the second part. Again sit with your eyes closed, but this time, keep one nostril closed with the help of your index finger. It is best to close the right nostril first and that too with your right index finger. Now breathe in deeply and slowly through your left nostril keeping the right nostril closed. When you have held air for a second or two, release your right nostril and breathe out through it.

While you are breathing out conjure up an image of all the toxins being released form your head and the brain especially. And as you breathe in conjure up images of the clean air circulating though out your brain freeing it of all the worries and trouble and lightening it.

Repeat this exercise with the other nostril closed and in this way alternate between the nostrils at least ten times. The entire breathing exercise need not take more than ten minutes.

25. Use a pillow that is not too thick to rest your head. If the pillow that you are using is too thick, you will be straining you neck muscles when you are asleep. If the neck muscles are taught for too long, they will become stiff and this often precipitates as a headache.

26. Find out if you have any allergies. Allergies can cause headaches. Some of us are allergic to specific substances and these substances can trigger off a headache. It may be certain odors or it might be a certain flavors. Each time you get a headache just try and find out what triggered it.

27. Dry your head well after a shower. It is best to use a towel for this. The problem with water is that it can seep in through the scalp of your head and if you leave your head damp, the moisture can seep in result in a headache.

28. Do not blow dry your hair as far as possible. Dryers are not a very good idea. The heat from the dryer is actually bad for your head. Go easy on driers and if at all you must use a dryer, use it only if you have long hair. Never use it to blow dry the short hair on your head.

29. If you must blow dry your hair, keep the blow drier well away from your head. Not only is the heat bad for your head, but the drone of the drier can also induce a headache.

30. If you have to go out in the sun, protect your head using a hat or a cap. The sun has many benefits as far as health is concerned, but if you expose yourself directly to the sun, you are likely to end up with a headache.

The heat from the sun can bring about vascular changes and alter the delicate balance of the various fluids inside the brain. This in all likelihood will precipitate as a whale of a headache. That is why it is imperative that you protect your head with a cap or a hat when you have to go out in the sun.

31. Stay away from rain - especially the first shower of the season. It is not good to let the rain fall directly on your head. Rain water may be refreshing but in can result in a headache. If you get wet in the rain, make it a point to dry your head as soon as you can.

The first rains especially are very bad because the water will contain a lot of pollutants and this itself can result in a lot of diseases.

32. Avoid inhaling polluting gases like automobile fumes and second-hand smoking. Many of the gases let out by automobiles and other exhaust pipes are highly toxic and they itself can cause a headache.

Second hand smoking by which you inhale the smoke from your neighbor's cigarette too can cause a headache. This is especially true if you are a non-smoker and not used to the smell smoke.

33. Do not wear a hair-do in which your hair is tied up too tightly. Some people especially women tie up their hair in very tight buns or brainds. If your hair is pulled back too tightly it is going to hurt your scalp and the end result is that you will get a headache.

34. Try to keep your mind free from worries. Listening to music or taking a nap is a good way to clear the mind.

35. If you feel stressed up, try to relax. Scented candles, warm bathes, and soothing music may help you relax.

36. Try to get a good night's sleep. A good night's sleep is very important to keep away headaches.

"Sleep is one of the most basic and universal activities in which we all engage. Yet, getting to sleep, staying asleep, and waking refreshed can be highly elusive to most of us some of the time, and many of us all of the time."

The National Sleep Foundation reports (2002) that America is on the verge of a poor sleep epidemic, characterized by the following eye-opening statistics:

• 64% of American adults get less than the eight hours of sleep that experts recommend is required to maintain optimal physical, mental, and emotional health.
• One-third of the US population says they get less sleep now than they did five years ago
• One-half of Americans have experienced insomnia (sleeplessness)
• Drowsiness due to a lack of a proper night of sleep interferes with the daily activities of 37 percent of all adults.
  

You need peace and quiet to get enough sleep and so you should take care to see that there are no physical disturbances. Turn the ring tone of your telephone to the lowest possible volume. Do not worry about important calls; if the calls are so important, then the caller will call back later when you have turned up the volume.

Try to cut out other disturbances by wearing ear muffs or eye blinds. Do not read in bed before you sleep, in all likelihood you will drift off to sleep with the lights on and after sometime the same light will wake you up.

37. Do not oversleep. Oversleeping is just as bad as not getting enough sleep. If you sleep too much or for too long you will wake up with a very woozy feeling and that will most likely turn into a headache. Our body tells us when it has had enough sleep. Listen to the cue and get up, do not succumb to the temptation to just lay in bed.

38. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Studies have shown that this is the requirement for most healthy adults. Examine your daily schedule to see how you can rearrange your day to ensure the right amount of sleep. Try to cut out television and other non-necessary activities.

39. Stay away from sedatives. Sedatives are not a solution to your sleep problems. Many of them are addictive and their medicine will eventually stop working for you.

Sedatives also affect the time that you wake up. You might get a good night's sleep when you take sedatives, but the chances are rare that you will wake up refreshed.

40. Each time you get a headache do not reach for your aspirin. Some headaches go by themselves. Do not make you body dependent on aspirin.

41. Try massaging your temples. Massaging your temples gently stimulates the circulation of blood and relaxes the muscles of the forehead and temples. This itself soothes a person and provide relief from a headache.

42. Touch therapy is a new technique that is just becoming available to cure headaches. A lot of research is going on this area and even now experts have not been able to identify how touch therapy can help in healing. The best possible explanation is that our bodies are in fact tuned to respond to the touches of others.

When we were babies our mother's touch was perhaps the most reassuring thing in the world. In fact experts are baffled by the way new born babies are able to distinguish between a mother's touch and the touch of a stranger.

As we grow older we delight in the encouraging pats and caresses of our parents and teachers. Even in our social life there is a lot of touching going on. That is probably why people use the hand shake as an exchange of warmth.

So when a person is ill and miserable, the touch of another person especially if it is a person who really cares for you can relieve you of your pain.

The only thing that the person has to do is to be gentle. He or she should stop when the patient has had enough.

43. Try massaging certain key points of your body like the nape of your neck, the shoulder and neck muscles and the muscles at the web between your thumb and the rest of your fingers.

The entire nervous system, the blood vessels, the skeletal and muscular systems are all interconnected. So if you can identify certain nodal points of the body and apply the right pressure there, you can indeed get relief from a headache.

This is the basic philosophy of the principle of acupressure. Just be careful to apply the right amount of pressure.

44. Do not wash your head in hot water. It can trigger off a lot of vascular changes that can do more harm than good. So though a hot bath may be stimulating to your body it is not the best thing that you can give your head.

Take a steam bath if you want to but try to keep your head above the steamy fumes. Cold water is best for your head so keep it that way. And mind you, by cold water we are not referring to chilled water.

45. Heady fragrances of some perfumes and room fresheners can give you a headache. This need not be something that you have used on your own body. It can be a perfume that your neighbor has used. So if you sit next to person and feel that your head it getting woozy, try to move to a safe distance.

46. Incense smoke is not good for you. Incense smoke contains a lot of alkaloids and the inhalation of these can spark of a lot of changes in the internal mechanism, do not take the risk.

47. Too much noise is bad for you. In fact sound pollution is one of the causes for headaches to become so prevalent.

Contrary to popular belief, sound pollution is not cause just by machines and automobiles. I do not want to argue with the fact that machines and automobiles cause a lot of sound. A journey down the street during the rush hour is enough to give any body a headache. But apart from that blaring music too does a lot of harm.

Take care to lower the volume if you want to listen to music. Loud music is not really good for you. And if you want to play music in order to soothe your nerves and instead you are playing loud music, it will have just the opposite effect. Your blood pressure will actually go up and your adrenalin levels too will increase.

The best thing that you can do is stay away from all sources of loud noise and that includes noisy kids as well.

48. Plug your ears if you are moving into a loud sound zone. Use ear plugs, ear muffs or thick wads of cotton. Most grocery stores and convenience stores carry sound-reducing and sound-blocking earplugs, many of which are not too noticeable.

49. Try steam inhalation. This is especially true for those who have a sinus problem. Steam inhalation is an excellent way of clearing all the spaces inside. If you have an infection too, a steam inhalation can be very soothing. But there is a word of caution that I have to offer here.

Be very careful about you eyes. Remember that it is not advisable to expose your eyes to steam and so take care to protect your eyes when you are inhaling steam.

Another thing that you should be careful about is the temperature of the steam. You just need fairly hot water and not scorching hot, sizzling vapors of water. The object is not to scald your skin but to send some warm vapors up your nose. In fact steam inhalation is one of the most recommended therapies for people who get sinus related headache.

The point that you should bear in mind is that the sooner you inhale once you get the headache, the better. If you wait for long hours before you inhale, you are going to have to inhale longer and at shorter intervals for the inhalation to have any effect on the headache.

50. Menthol vapors too can be of some relief. Menthol vapors too can help towards clearing your sinuses. Try dissolving a balm or ointment in the hot water that has to be inhaled. Then inhale the vapors. This is the best way of inhaling menthol vapors.

51. Quit smoking if you can. Smoking can affect your head in a very bad way. In fact smoking affects the functioning of every part of your body. When you smoke you are actually submitting your body and the various mechanisms that go on to the power of a very strong alkaloid that is nicotine. So if you can quit smoking by all means do. It will help you live a better life and can contribute much towards eliminating your headache.

In fact, if your headache goes away when you start smoking it means that your body has already become dependent on nicotine. In that case your headache may be a withdrawal symptom.

There are many things that are identified with substance abuse. Alcohol is one of them, narcotic drugs are another and tobacco is in no way to be left behind. The problem, or let us say that the similarity among all these substances is that once one gets used to them, breaking away is not easy.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the fear of deprivation of the pleasantly high feeling that drives the person to use the substance again and again so that it is used, misused and eventually abused. The person returns for his or her daily shot because of certain altered conditions in the body. These substances are indeed very potent and they affect certain specific spots or centers of the brain.

The brain quickly gets used to these alterations and then before we know it, these centers of the brain cannot do without the daily doze of the substance. The brain did not ask for the substance in the first place but we gave them to it. When we experience that pleasantly high feeling we do not bother about the changes that are taking place within.

It is common knowledge that the entire processes carried about in the brain are maintained by a delicate balance of the various chemical slats there. Once we start using substances like the above mentioned tobacco, narcotics and alcohol, the balance of these chemical salts gets altered.

The body as I mentioned earlier is a self adjusting machine and so this new chemical balance is established and it takes no time for the brain cells to get adjusted to the new balance.

Then when the brain cells do not get what is required to maintain the new balance (read that as the daily puffs) things go hay wire. The old balance was disturbed and altered and a new balance was set up.

But this new balance is not the real natural thing. It is something that has to be artificially supported and when that daily, or timely dose of nicotine does not get to the brain, the new balance gets upset.

52. Coffee is actually bad for you. Just like nicotine, caffeine in coffee is bad for you. If you have the habit of drinking a cup of coffee at a fixed time every day, you will in all likelihood end up with a headache if your body does not get that required dose of coffee.

The point to ponder about is this, why do you have to make your body dependent on external substances when it can function very well without these substances.

53. Drink plenty of water. Water is the most important substance that your body needs. If you are not drinking enough water, you may suffer from a dehydration headache. For a person to remain healthy he or she must drink at least ten glasses of water a day. If your intake of water is less than this then by all means drink more water.

Water is indeed the elixir of life. The more water you drink, the better you will feel. If you do not drink enough water, the water balance of the body will be completely disrupted. Make no mistake about this. Te major content of all the cells in your body is indeed water. And when your body does not get enough water, it will end up dehydrated. This will invariably result in a headache.

54. Do not let water get into your ears. This is especially true if you take dips in a pool. In this case, the best thing you can do is cover your hair and ears with a bathing cap. In most pools chemicals are added to the water to keep it clean and disinfected. These chemicals however are not the best thing for your body and hair. So it is always advisable to cover your head with some protective material.

If water does go into your ears try and take it out as soon as you can. Other wise you will develop a ringing sensation in your ears which is next door to a headache. The best way to get rid of the water in your ear is to pour in a little more water and then tilt you head to the side of the ear that has water in it. The result is that all the water will come out of your ear.

55. Cool your eye muscles with slices of cucumber. This is a wonderful way to relax yourself. If you have had a hard day or have had to be out in the sun for long, the best thing that you can do to soothe yourself is to apply a slice of cucumber to each of your eyes.

This is a 100% natural method of cooling your eyes and you will be surprised at how refreshed you feel when you remove those slices after a couple of minutes.

56. Eye exercises are good for you. Below you can find tips on how to exercise your eyes.

• Stare straight ahead of you preferably at a distant object.
• Close your eyes and let any glimmers of light fade away.
• Now open your eyes and move your eye balls to the extreme top of your eye sockets and keep them there for a few seconds.
• Now move them down to the extreme bottom and keep them there for a few seconds.
• Next, move them to the extreme left.
• Then bring them to the extreme right.
• Finally bring them towards your nose.
• Repeat this exercise three or four times a day.

57. Apply a soothing face pack. Face packs are a wonderful way of de-stressing yourself. Many grocery stores and beauty supply stores carry them.

58. You can make your own face pack at home using things that are 100% safe on your skin. One of the best face packs that I have come across that is equally effective for a sinus headache as well as a tension headache is a curd face pack.

What you have to do is chill curd in the refrigerator for a few minutes. If you do not have curd, yogurt will do. Then all you have to do is apply a thin coating of this curd or yogurt on your forehead and on the region around your eyes.

But you must be careful to see that it does not get into your eyes. When you feel that the first coat has dried up apply one more coat. Then lie down with your face up for five to ten minutes.

59. De-stress yourself. This is particularly true for those who suffer from tension headaches. Below I have included some tips on how to distress your self.

Meditation brings with it peace of mind as we learn to observe our surroundings. We become one with it and it helps us to focus our mental energy on one thing at a time. The human mind is a virtual power house of energy but often this energy goes un-channeled or untapped.

A lot of it is lost on extraneous things. Through the process of meditation we can harness this energy and use it for constructive purposes.

In the initial stages you may find your mind drifting but gradually you will learn to focus more and more. The idea behind meditation is not to cut out all the forces around you but to become one with them.

I have seen people plug their ears with cotton to shut out sounds. But that is not the purpose that we wish to achieve. On the contrary we should focus on the sounds around us.

Be aware of them, listen to them. First listen to the bigger sounds around you like the traffic or machines or even loud music from your neighbor's apartment.

Then listen to the softer sounds like the drone of the refrigerator, or the A/C. And then bring your attention to the sound of your own breathing. If you can actually hear yourself breathing then you have arrived and this is what you have to keep doing.

Try to focus on the 'here' and the 'now' and not on the tomorrow or the yesterday. After all we all live in todays and not in yesterdays and tomorrows!

The Mind Settling Procedure:

60. Listen to soft music, preferably without ear phones.

61. Practice yoga. It sounds simple, but it really does work.

62. Prayer is an excellent way of de-stressing yourself.

63. Breathe plenty of fresh air.

64. Quit drinking if it is a habit. Reduce your alcohol consumption to only 2 - 3 glasses a week. If headaches persist, try to quit completely.

65. Tips on how to avoid a hangover headache. A hangover usually sets in after the consumption of alcohol. The following tips can help you avoid a hang over headache.

• The hangover headache is usually the result of dehydration so if you increase your intake of water, you can keep a hangover headache at bay.
  
• Dilute your drink with water instead of soda. The more water you take in, the better.
  
• Never start drinking on an empty stomach
  
• Drink a glass of milk one or two hours before you leave for the party.
  
• Munch on snacks while you are drinking.
  
• Cheese is good to prevent a hangover headache.
  
• For ever ounce of alcohol that you consume, make it a point to consume a glass of plain water

66. Try to keep from getting too frustrated, whether it is caused by work, taking care of the kids, or other factors. When you feel yourself loosing control, take a step back and take 10 deep breaths. Frustration can easily bring on a tension headache.

67. Colors too have an impact. The colors around you can have an impact on the way your mind works. This is especially true when it comes to the rooms you move about in.

Red and orange are clearly not the most suitable colors for your bedroom and the living room. It is better to go for light pastel shades or dark soothing colors like blues and greens.

68. Bad teeth can cause headaches. If you have a tooth infection that is left untreated there is a very good chance that the pain will go on to the rest of your head. Never take a bad tooth lightly. Get the help of your dentist as soon as you feel that there is something wrong with your teeth. If you let it be you are facing a high risk of developing a headache that just won't go away.

If the bad tooth is in the upper jaw bone, you have a greater chance of getting a headache.

69. The wrong sitting posture can result in a headache. If you do not sit properly when you are working you could crap the muscles of your neck and shoulders. Remember that if the muscles of you neck are cramped it will result in a headache. The following tips will hap you to get the correct posture

• Never slouch in your chair.
  
• Try to sit as erect as possible.
  
• Instead of bending over, try to hold whatever you have to do up so that your neck is straight.
  
• Try and get a writing board and put your work on this board.
  
• Sit back on your chair and prop writing board on your chest supporting it on the edge of the table. In this way you can sit and do your work.
  

If you find you continue to have bad posture, you may consider buying a lumbar support pad, a doughnut hole or other devices designed to make you sit correctly. These are available in office stores and medical supply stores.

70. Remove hair gel before you go to bed. Hair gel may be give you that great look but take care to remove it from your hair before you go to bed. Not only is it bad for your hair to have it on for to long, but it is all chemicals and it is bad for you to sleep all night inhaling these chemicals and the mild perfume that most hair gels have.

Hair gel also has the effect of sealing off all the pores on your scalp. So in the night, the skin on the scalp of your head cannot breathe and this is bad for your head.

71. Aerosols are bad for you. If you are prone to sinus infection aerosols are bad for you so try not to use them as far as possible.

72. If you use glasses or contacts, check your eyes periodically. Once you develop a defect with your vision it is a very good thing to get yourself tested at least once every six months.

73. If you have a family history pf poor eyesight get yourself examined periodically. Most vision defects are hereditary so if one of your parents started using glasses at an early age, there is 25% chance that you might have the same problem as well.

74. Never shake your head violently. You may want to refrain from riding fast rollercoasters, or even driving on unfinished roads.

75. A gentle shake of your head however can tell you if you do have a sinus infection. If you move your head even slightly, the pain will increase and this is a good method of deciding whether the headache is actually due to a sinus infection. If you have a sinus infection, do not shake your head as the pain will increase.

76. Another method is to try bending over. The moment you lower your head you will feel as if there is something heavy inside your head. If doing so leads you to discover you have a sinus infection, refrain from bending over until the infection clears.

77. Avoid irritating people. Anger and irritation are major causes of headaches.

78. Avoid stuffy rooms. Stuffy rooms mean that obviously there is not enough air in the room. If the room smells musty too it is a good idea to get out f the room or open all the windows and doors and let the fresh air come in.

79. It is also not good for you to sleep in a room that does not have proper ventilation. Even if the A/C is turned on, try to also turn on the fan to circulate the air.

80. Dip cotton in iced water and apply it on your forehead. This is a way of soothing a sore head. But do not leave on the cotton for too long.

Or if you have had a particularly bad day you could try applying an ice bag to your head. But again, remember that objective is to cool your head and not to chill it so do not apply the ice bag for too long.

81. Crying is not good for a headache. If you are prone to sinus headaches, crying is not good for you. When such a person cries for even a minute or two there is very good chance that the tears will lead to a headache.

If you feel you might start crying, try breathing deeply, or try to lie down and fall asleep. Some situations are unavoidable, but some, like sad movies, are easy to avoid.

82. Do not skip meals and go about hungry. Eat at fixed times. Hunger is the worst enemy of a person who is prone to migraine attacks. When you miss meals or have meals at times other than normal, you are actually depriving your body of the much needed energy.

The body will seek out alternative measure that is it will start working on fat reserves but the fats cannot be easily converted to sugars which the body desperately needs. So when the body does not get what it wants, the cells get deprived of energy and this manifests itself in the form of a headache.

83. If you have a sinus problem, blow your nose often. Blowing your nose helps to get rid of the mucus that accumulates in the sinuses. It is better if you can blow your nose after a steam inhalation.

84. It is also a good idea to water rinse your nose. This is a very effective way of clearing your sinuses and saving your self from a bout of dust allergy as well. All you have to do is cup your hand and hold a little bit of water in it. Dip you nose in and inhale the water very gently.

The water must only ascend the passage of your nose and must not go any further. You can control the ascent of the water by controlling your breath. After this breathe out and let the water out. Repeat this a couple of times. You might snort the first two or three times but after that you will soon get the hang of it.

85. If you have an allergic condition like a dust allergy, stay away from dust as it can trigger of the sinus infection. Make sure you change your air filters regularly, and consider buying special filters for people with dust allergies.

86. If you find it impossible to stay away from dust at least wear a gas mask.

87. Foods containing monosodium glutamate and caffeine are bad so stay away from them. They too can start a migraine.

88. Fermented and pickled food can be bad for you, especially if you suffer from frequent headaches.

89. Contraceptive pills can trigger headaches because these pills actually interfere with the hormonal functioning in the body. (Then again, last time we checked, screaming babies trigger headaches as well.)

90. Maintain a headache diary. I know that the idea might sound strange but I really mean it. This is something that every one who suffers from headaches should do.

The person should closely monitor himself or herself. The factors that person should take into account are food and beverage intake, weather conditions, stress and menstrual cycles.

Try to identify the causes that lead to the headache or in other words the causes that trigger off the headache. Find out how often and how frequent the aches are and whether they are related to any external condition like the weather perhaps or travel. It is really not very difficult to do this.

This exercise will help the person find out if there are definite causes and then all that the person has to do is to avoid those causes.

91. Consult the doctor specifically for the headache. Many people feel queasy about going to a doctor with something as insignificant as a headache. But the fact is that there is nothing insignificant about a headache.

It is one of the most maddening things in the world. Every year the nation loses millions of dollars worth of productive days because good workers go down with headaches.

There is nothing to feel bad about consulting a doctor about a headache. In fact many practitioners do a thriving business by setting up headache clinics g here and there. If you have a headache diary like the one we mentioned in the above point, it would be very useful to your doctor in reaching a good diagnosis.

But you may however tell you doctor that the last thing you would prefer would be OTC medication. You know what OTC stands for don't you? It stands for Over the Counter medication.

Try to help your doctor reach a better diagnosis and follow the suggestions of your doctor as well.

Give your doctor a complete list of the all the medicines that you consume. You have to remember that some of these medicines might be altering your vascular system leading to a headache.

The medicines that you have to take particular not of are birth control pills, medicines for blood pressure and any hormone supplements.

92. Dress suitable when you are indoors as well as outdoors. Your choice of what to wear must be in complete harmony with the weather conditions and the temperature around you.

You have to understand that too much is just as bad as too little. If you wrap yourself up tightly all the time you are in fact restricting the flow of blood to certain parts of the body.

Ties and scarves must be avoided as much a s possible and if you have to wear these, try to keep them as loose as possible without appearing too dowdy.

93. While traveling be nice to your body and give it time to adjust to any time changes. For example if you are flying across the International Date Line, there is ever chance that you will experience what is popularly known as the jet lag. Give you body time to adjust to such uncommon things.

Try your best to get the sleep that your body needs while you are traveling. Do not bury your nose in a book or watch a movie, SLEEP

94. Know your sinus points and use the acupressure method to treat your self and rid yourself of the pain.

The best thing about the acupressure method is that it has no side effects. It is something that you can do completely on your own and if you are doing it properly, you can get almost instant relief. I have described the steps in detail in the points that follow, try doing it and I promise you, you will be glad that you did it.

95. Exercise is a good way to prevent headaches. Exercise is a wonderful way of increasing the blood flow to the various organs and parts of your body. So if you can develop a regular exercise pattern, you will in fact be ensuring a better blood circulation and proper supply of oxygen to the various cells of the body.

However, it goes without saying that you should not try to exercise if you are already experiencing a headache.

As I mentioned earlier, a couple of centuries ago, people were involved in a lot of manual labor.

This gave their bodies all the exercise that was needed. But due to the changed life styles, most of us do not have to engage in strenuous work. Most of us sit in front of computers all day long or engage in such sedentary works.

Work out, it's good for you.

When we think about the life in the country, there is always something rosy about it. What is it that the people in the country have that we do not? When you ponder about it you find that those lucky souls eat good food, they work really hard, by work I mean real physical work and they have good night's sleep. Of course they do not have all the amenities and facilities that the city life has to offer.

But the city life comes with a lot of strings attached. People in the cities are generally less healthy than the people in the country. One of the reasons is pollution of course but the other reason is because people in the city do not get enough exercise.

Now, when I talk about healthy bodies please make no mistake about what I am referring to. I am not talking about the Mr. Universe kind of body, the bodies that we see on WWF.

I am talking about people who are fit. And fitness and exercise are just two sides of the same coin. They both go hand in hand.

In order to stay fit you need exercise and in order to exercise you need to be fit. But just because you are not fit now, it does not mean that you shouldn't exercise.

And just like that, just because you do not have any visible excess fat on your body right now, it does not mean that you need no exercise. Exercise is the best way to keep obesity, cardio vascular disorders, hypertension and all those lifestyle-related disorders under control.

First of all let us get one point straight, exercise does not necessarily mean pumping metal. If you do have the time to go to a gymnasium everyday, then that is well and good.

But I suppose most of us do not have the time for a regular work out in a gym. So the other alternative is to do it at home of course.

But whether it is at home or at a multi-gym, there is something that I want to tell you. Whatever you are doing, you must try and do it regularly.

Regularity is very important for an exercise routine to have the desired effect on our body. Getting started is the easy part, it is sticking to a regular exercise routine that is difficult and this is what makes most people give up in between.

Most people get on to a beautiful start. They buy tracksuits and gym-wear, running shoes and a whole lot of other gear. Their first day at the gym is almost a celebration.

Then as the days go on, they find it increasingly difficult to meet the domestic and professional demands and so their routine slows down and finally comes to a complete workout burn out. In other words, the stop working out completely

It is a universal fact that the most chosen time for workouts is the evenings. If you can stick to work out in the evenings then it is well and good. But most of us find ourselves exhausted in the evenings. We find ourselves physically and mentally drained. And at that time our bodies will be just too tired for a work out.

The result is that after the first few days of working out, the interest just dwindles away. The other reason is that in the evenings a thousand and one things may crop up and then there is hardly time for a warm up. So it is best to set aside some time for exercise in the morning itself.

There are two advantages of setting apart time in the morning. The first advantage is that in the morning our bodies are fresh and full of energy. Now over here I want to make one point clear.

There is a popular misconception that exercise depletes the body of energy but the case is just the opposite. Exercise pumps up more blood through the different parts of the body and warms up the body, so in fact, after exercise we feel more charged and ready to face the challenges of the day.

The second advantage is that in the morning we can plan for the whole day without letting the exercise routine affect the rest of our activities.

What about those of us who have never worked out before? In such cases you might need to start off under the personal supervision of an instructor and that may require that you go to a gym. But what I would suggest is that there are two simple things that any one can do for which you do not need the help of any instructor.

You know what these are? They are walking and swimming. Any body can walk and those of you who know how to swim can swim. For these two activities you do not need much gear and experts say that these two exercises have no side effects and are excellent stress busters.

So in the morning wake up just half an hour earlier, put on your walking shoes and hit the roads. Most roads will be less crowded at this hour and less polluted too. It is a wonderful way to start a day. Below I have included some points on how to start and maintain a good exercise routine.

96. Stretch your self every now and then. Never let cramps set in. If you feel that you have been in a position for too long, get and stretch yourself. Rub your hands and feet and the muscles of your neck to boost up the circulation.

97. An exercise that will help you get rid of a tension related headache. This is an exercise that is usually done by an expert but I assure you that it is perfectly safe to do it on your own as well.

98. Measure your migraine. Your migraine can be measure in terms of the following criteria

• Frequency: How often do you get the migraine?
  
• Intensity: How severe is the pain? You can measure this yourself using a 5-point scale. 0 stands for no pain at all, while 5 means that you have the worst pain that you have ever had.
  
• Duration: How long does the pain last. Does it go by itself or you have to get a deep sleep before you get any relief.
  
• Medication: Do you have to take any medicines before you get any relief from it and if you have to do how many medicines do you take and in what quantity?
  

99. Here are some more exercises for that tension headache...

You have to understand that the tension headache comes purely from tight cervical and neck muscles. When muscles become tight, what actually happens is that lactic acid gets accumulated in them.

Under ordinary conditions, when a muscle works, glucose gets converted into carbon dioxide and water. The blood easily removes these two waste materials.

But when a muscle has to work for too long or for tow hard the energy demand is too high that the cells do not get time to convert glucose fully into carbon dioxide and water. Instead the glucose is converted into another substance that is lactic acid.

The problem with lactic acid is that it restricts further movement of the muscles and this results in muscular cramps. In such conditions application of a little bit of pressure can help the muscles release the pent up lactic acid. When the cervical and neck muscles get accumulated with lactic acid, it often results in a headache. The exercise that is described below can prove to be very effective.

1. Turn on the shower and direct the flow of the stream of water onto the back of your neck
   
2. Now turn your head as if you are trying to see who is behind you.
   
3. Stand like this for one or two minute.
   
4. Then repeat the exercise but looking in the opposite side this time.

100. Take a 20 minute power nap during your lunch break. You will wake up refreshed and without as many worries.

101. Eat organic foods. Many foods, especially produce and meats contain pesticides and hormones that are not good for the body. More and more stores are carrying organic foods that are safer for your body and reduce the number of foreign chemicals entering into your bloodstream. If your local grocery store does not carry any of these food items, check to see if your city has an organic store somewhere else.