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Paul Wattam

I.S.C.H.   GQHP  EFTP  MBBRS

Clinical Hypnotherapist

Sandiacre, Nottingham

0757 0292 063

Headaches and Migraines

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Hypnotherapy Services

Headaches

 

There's usually no need to see your GP if you only get occasional headaches.

However, see your GP if you get headaches several times a week or your headaches are severe.

 

You should seek immediate medical advice for headaches that:

  • Come on suddenly and are unlike anything you've had before

  • Are accompanied by a very stiff neck, fever, nausea, vomiting and confusion

  • Follow an accident, especially if it involved a blow to your head

  • Are accompanied by weakness, numbness, slurred speech or confusion

These symptoms suggest there could be a more serious problem, which may require further investigation and emergency treatment.

 

A tension-type headache is the most common type of headache and the one we think of as a normal, everyday headache. 

It may feel like a constant ache that affects both sides of the head. You may also feel the neck muscles tighten and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.

A tension headache normally won't be severe enough to prevent you doing everyday activities.

It usually lasts for 30 minutes to several hours, but can last for several days.

 

Who gets tension headaches?

Most people are likely to have experienced a tension headache at some point. They can develop at any age, but are more common in teenagers and adults. Women tend to suffer from them more commonly than men. About 2 or 3 in every 100 adults experience tension-type headaches more than 15 times a month for at least three months in a row. This is known as having chronic tension-type headaches.

 

What causes tension headaches?

Certain things have been known to trigger them, including:

  • Stress and anxiety

  • Squinting

  • Poor posture

  • Tiredness

  • Dehydration

  • Missing meals

  • Lack of physical activity

  • Bright sunlight

  • Noise

  • Certain smells

 

Stress and anxiety can affect the body in many ways and this is just one more….

 

See my Personal Peace Plan to help alleviate Stress, anxiety and depression.

Migraines

 

A migraine is usually a severe headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or side of the head.

 

Some people also have other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light or sound.

 

Migraine is a common health condition, affecting around one in every five women and around one in every 15 men. They usually begin in early adulthood.

 

There are several types of migraine, including:

  • migraine with aura – where there are warning signs before the migraine begins, such as seeing flashing lights

  • migraine without aura – where the migraine occurs without warning signs

  • migraine aura without headache, also known as silent migraine – where an aura or other migraine symptoms are experienced, but a headache does not develop

 

Some people have migraines frequently, up to several times a week. Other people only have a migraine occasionally. It is possible for years to pass between migraine attacks.

 

There isn’t a specific test that can diagnose migraines, but you should always seek medical attention first, in order to rule out any major issues.

 

Most migraines are triggered by one the following:

 

Triggers might include:

  • Stress, or relaxing after a stressful period

  • Changes in sleep patterns (too much or too little sleep) or jetlag

  • Changes to meal times or missed meals

  • Certain foods or drinks – for example alcoholic drinks or some cheeses

  • Loud noises or bright lights

  • Strenuous exercise if you’re not used to it

  • Periods (menstruation)

 

It would be very useful to keep a diary to spot the triggers that cause your migraines or make them worse. Some things that can make you more likely to get a migraine are:

  • Stress

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Periods (menstruation) 

  • Menopause 

  • Head or neck trauma

 

 

If you’re able to keep a diary of when you get migraines and possible triggers, this will help me to see if there’s a pattern to your symptoms.

 

To help find the cause of a migraine, I will ask you about your symptoms. For example, how often you experience them, how intense your headaches are, and when they occur. This is why it’s a good idea to keep a symptom diary.

 

Stress and anxiety can affect the body in many ways and this is just one more….

 

See my Personal Peace Plan to help alleviate Stress, anxiety and depression.

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