3 hours Ago By Ashima Sharda Mahindra
Woke up with a pounding headache but don’t know what caused it. According to statistics, about one in every 13 people suffers from a morning headache, with the discomfort being particularly common among those aged 45-65 years. As your brain begins to 'wake up', scientists believe it becomes generally more sensitive to normal sensations, which sadly incl pain.
Doctors say it could be due to one of four usual suspects that you might not be aware of. Teeth grinding Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding can cause severe headaches—mostly tension types—as the clenching of jaw muscles during grinding puts strain on the muscles around the head and neck. Related News | Do you grind your teeth in sleep? Know how to prevent bruxismKnow the 10-second trick to get rid of a horrible headacheAccording to experts, when you grind your teeth, you put a lot of pressure on muscles, tissues, and other parts of your jaw, which spreads to the head and neck, causing headaches and sore muscles.
Doctors say obstructive sleep apnea—a sleep disorder—is a risk factor for this condition. Apart from headaches, bruxism also causes dental and jaw pain as teeth grinding and clenching lead to wear and tear on your teeth, leaving cracks on the outer layer of the tooth. Without treatment or intervention, the condition might cause your teeth to loosen or even fall out.
To treat bruxism, experts suggest taking painkiller medications and using ice packs to alleviate the pain, along with adopting calming techniques before bedtime like listening to music or doing breathing exercises. Drinking alcohol Related News | World Brain Day: Waking Up To Headaches Can Be Worrying; Know Ways to Get Rid Of ThemMany people experience painful migraines after consuming even a little alcohol. In some cases, alcohol causes these effects, but certain additives may also be at play.
According to experts, it happens due to ethanol—a chemical in alcohol that is a vasodilator—increasing the size of blood vessels in the body. Vasodilation triggers migraine attacks in certain individuals, especially in those prone to headaches or migraines without alcohol. Also, chemicals known as congeners are a component of alcoholic drinks that trigger migraine headaches in certain people.
According to doctors, alcohol also causes the kidneys to excrete more fluid, leading to excessive urination and even dehydration, which causes headaches after a small amount of alcohol. Drinking plenty of water during and after alcohol consumption can decrease the chance of headaches. Sleep issues Lack of sleep is linked to REM or rapid eye movement, which causes painful headaches.
REM sleep happens in 90- to 120-minute intervals throughout the night and gets its name from the rapid eye movements that occur during this phase of sleep. While REM is necessary for storing memories, learning, and regulating mood, not sleeping enough can cause side effects. Headaches can also be caused by insomnia, which makes it difficult to fall asleep or can cause you to wake up early and not be able to fall back asleep.
Anything less than seven hours of sleep is considered short for most healthy adults, who need seven to nine hours of sleep each night for good health. Caffeine Also, health experts suggest that you cut off caffeine, which can trigger massive headaches in the morning. Caffeine inhibits your receptiveness to adenosine, a substance in your body that makes you feel sleepy.
Caffeine is a stimulant that pumps blood around your body faster, aiding in the delivery of oxygen to muscles, but it also opens the blood vessels around the brain, increasing the blood flow around the brain and pressuring surrounding nerves. This triggers what is known as a caffeine withdrawal headache. These headaches can last for a couple of weeks because it takes the body a while to adjust to not having caffeine in its system.
.
