A headache can put a damper on your entire day. The pain can make you want to just lie down until it goes away, but that’s not always realistic. If you experience headaches every day, it’s important to get to the root cause of the issue. That way, you can determine the best course of action to alleviate it.
Headaches can be caused by anything from being in a loud environment to allergies. However, if you’re experiencing headaches on a daily basis, it could be due to a habit or lifestyle factor that you may not even realize is affecting you. It’s also possible that there are medical conditions behind the daily issue. By learning about the potential causes of daily headaches, you can determine the best treatment options that are worth exploring.
7 possible causes for daily headaches
There are a number of potential explanations for having headaches every day. It’s even possible to have several of these causes at once, working as contributing risk factors to your daily headaches. It’s important to discuss your concerns with your doctor; they can help pinpoint the root cause and figure out the best courses of action moving forward.
Some causes can be addressed through lifestyle changes and self-care. Others will require the input and guidance of a health care professional, such as a physician or physical therapist. Different concerns can result in different types of headaches, such as tension headaches, migraines or cluster headaches.
Here are seven possible conditions or issues that may cause daily headaches:
- Stress — While stress is unavoidable sometimes, it can impact everyone differently. For some people, stress can manifest as physical issues, such as headaches every day. Stress headaches, also known as tension headaches, can be the result of how neurotransmitters are released in the brain due to stress.
- Poor posture — When you have poor posture, such as slouched shoulders, on a regular basis, it can lead to muscle tension that can cause headaches every day. Muscle tension can cause the scalp and neck muscles to contract, resulting in headaches. Since posture is often an unconscious habit that you practice every day, you may also experience daily headaches.
- Sleeping position — Branching off the previous point is how the position of your body while you sleep can contribute to your headaches. If you consistently sleep with your neck in an awkward position, it can lead to tension headaches due to the poor support of your shoulder and neck muscles. It’s also possible that sleeping on your back is the root cause of your headaches, as it can cause sinus pressure buildup.
- Workspace — Did you know that the environment that you work in every day may have several contributing factors for your headaches? Improper ergonomics, such as unsupportive desk chairs, can play a role in daily headaches. Other elements of your workspace that may contribute to headaches include fluorescent lights and computer screens without anti-glare filters.
- Vitamin deficiencies — If you don’t have enough nutrients in your diet, it’s possible that your body isn’t getting the right amount of vitamins needed to protect you against certain issues, such as headaches. Several types of vitamin deficiencies have been linked to headaches, such as vitamin D and riboflavin.
- Medication overuse — For many people who experience a headache, it’s common to turn to over-the-counter pain medications for help. Even so, depending too much on medications for headaches, such as ibuprofen, can actually have an adverse effect and lead to analgesic rebound headaches.
- TMJD — Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) is a chronic condition. It refers to dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, which works as a sliding hinge connecting your jaw to your skull. Headaches are a common symptom of TMJD because the pain can spread from the joint to other parts of the head.
It’s important to note that there are some severe medical issues that can cause recurring headaches, including stroke, brain tumor and traumatic brain injury. These require emergency services and more intensive treatments than the ones listed above.
Forever Fit can help treat your headaches
If you experience headaches now and then, it may not be a call for concern. However, if you have headaches every day, it’s time to address them, as you may be perpetuating the issue with habits or behaviors in your everyday life. You might even have a medical condition like TMJD that requires further treatment.
At Forever Fit, we’ll help you determine the possible reason behind your daily headaches so that we can provide potential solutions. From physical therapy techniques to postural adjustments and lifestyle change recommendations, we’re here to help you improve your quality of life.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.