If you’ve ever experienced headaches or a migraine, you know that they are no fun. Pain that lasts from hours to days can really get in the way of going about our daily routines. The good news is that by understanding what causes them and whether you may be more prone to them, you can better equip yourself with techniques to find relief during an episode.
Let’s dive in.
What are headaches?
Did you know that a headache isn’t pain that’s occurring within your brain? While it may feel like it, the reality is that our brains can only tell us when other parts of the body are hurting. It can’t feel any pain itself.
Most of the time, headaches happen in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles that are located in our head and neck area. At times, our muscles and blood vessels can swell, tighten or experience changes that put pressure on the surrounding nerves. These nerves then send signals of pain to our brain, which is what ultimately brings on a headache.
One of the most common types of headaches is a tension headache or a muscle-contraction headache. These tend to happen when the muscles in our head and neck are stressed and squeeze too hard. It can feel like someone is pressing or squeezing the front, back or both sides of your head. It’s usually a constant, dull, and aching type of pain.
Some other common types of headaches include:
- Allergy or sinus headaches – Can happen due to allergic reactions, with pain often focused in your sinus area and the front of your head
- Cluster headaches – Occur with a severe burning or piercing pain, around or behind one eye or one side of the face at a time
- Ice pick headaches – Also known as stabbing headaches, and characterized by their short, intense, stabbing pains in your head lasting only a few seconds
- Hormone headaches – These are linked to hormonal fluctuations as a part of the menstrual cycle.
Headaches vs. migraine
A migraine is another type of severe headache, with pain that feels especially sharp and throbbing. Lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours, or sometimes even a couple of days, a migraine can be severe enough to make us skip out on school or take a sick day from work. They can also cause us to feel nauseated and trigger vomiting. A migraine can make us more sensitive to smells, light, and loud sounds during an episode. On top of that, doing physical activity can exacerbate the feelings of a migraine.
Who is prone to migraine?
Certain factors can make you more prone to having frequent migraine episodes, such as:
- Genetic history – Your family history can make it more likely for you to have migraine as well. In fact, up to 80% of people with migraine have a first-degree biological relative with migraine as well.
- Age – While the onset of migraine can happen at any age, they usually begin during adolescence and peak around your 30s, gradually lowering in severity as you age.
- Sex – Women are 3 times as likely to experience migraine than men.
- Hormonal changes – For women who experience migraine, they may begin before or soon after menstruation begins. Pregnancy or menopause can also play a factor.
SMART ways you can find relief
Living a healthy lifestyle can go a long way in helping you prevent and manage migraine attacks. S-M-A-R-T is an acronym that can help you easily remember some healthy lifestyle habits.
Sleep – Keeping a regular nighttime routine with consistent bedtimes can help avoid the onset of a migraine. It’s also good practice to limit naps, screentime before bed, and give yourself 9 to 11 hours of continuous sleep at night. Digital eye strain can sometimes trigger a headache. That’s why continuous sleep at night helps give your eyes and head or neck muscles plenty of rest.
Meals – Try not to skip any meals and keep yourself from feeling hungry. Make sure to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day (a good tip is to drink half your bodyweight in pounds for ounces of water). Staying hydrated helps keep head pain in check because a lack of fluids can cause the brain to contract and press on pain receptors, ultimately triggering a headache. Additionally, eating meals on time ensures that your blood sugar and blood pressure are at healthy levels, helping to avoid the tightening of blood vessels in your body.
Activity – Get that body moving (before you get a headache)! Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity, 3 to 5 days out of the week. Regular exercise can help us improve factors that are linked to increasing the severity of migraine such as anxiety, depression, respiratory disorders, high cholesterol, and more.
Relaxation – Your body needs rest, too. So, make sure to have some me time and read a book, watch a funny show, or listen to an interesting podcast to help reduce stress.
Triggers – Understanding your specific triggers can help you know what to steer clear from in order to prevent migraine attacks. This can be certain foods you eat, smells in the environment, an activity that’s too stressful for your body, and more.
Seeking nutritional support for headaches
When it comes to nutrients for headache support, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and magnesium are front runners.
How can CoQ10 help?
Research shows that supplementing with CoQ10 can help reduce migraine frequency. They also found an improvement in the severity and duration of migraine attacks in those who received CoQ10 supplementation. This may 
be because supplementation of CoQ10 helps to lower levels of a peptide (Calcitonin gene-related peptide or CGRP) that’s responsible for pain, which is usually high during a migraine attack. Additionally, decreased levels of this protein can help prevent attacks.
While CoQ10 can be found in foods like oily fish, organ meats, whole grains, and nuts, some people may benefit from a higher, more consistent dosage in the form of a supplement. Orange Naturals CoQ10 100 is a great place to start. This formula features an everyday dose of 100mg of ubiquinol, which is the active form of CoQ10. It’s designed to help with migraine symptoms when taken preventatively. Looking for something a little higher? Reach for our CoQ10 200mg formula.
How can magnesium help?
Did you know that some studies suggest that people who have migraine tend to have lower levels of magnesium in their system than those who don’t get headaches? Additionally, a lack of magnesium seems to cause blood vessels in our brain to narrow or constrict, which may play a role in triggering a migraine.
Researchers believe that
magnesium helps to block signals in the brain that lead to migraine and its symptoms. This may be because magnesium can help stop specific chemicals like Substance P and glutamate that are responsible for pain.
Foods like spinach, legumes, and whole grains are rich in magnesium, but taking a quality magnesium supplement in addition to these foods can help make sure your body has all the magnesium it needs. Orange Naturals Magnesium Glycinate capsules contains 180mg of pure elemental magnesium in each capsule. This formula is designed to be highly absorbable, yet easy and gentle on the bowels, and also helps to support nerve and muscle function.
Headaches and migraine can take over an entire day and turn it around for the worse. But learning how they occur, your personal triggers, and tips to keep them away can help you better manage your headache and migraine episodes.
Sources:
Headaches
Migraine Headaches
Migraine
Migraine Headaches
What Is Migraine?
Oral coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with migraine: Effects on clinical features and inflammatory markers
Open label trial of coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive
Magnesium for Migraine
SMART Tips for Migraine
14 Types of Headaches and How to Treat Them
Can Hunger Cause Headaches?
Does staring at a screen cause headaches and migraine?
Is taking magnesium good for migraine?
Why does increased exercise decrease migraine?
