10 Reasons Why You Get Headaches

Throbbing, splitting, pounding, vice grip-like pressure. Headaches are plain painful.

Headaches can be acute or chronic and the diagnostic criteria associated with headaches is quite extensive. Some of the most common types include migraines, tension, cluster and sinus headaches. But what are the reasons why you experience chronic headaches? Once you know the reason you can work towards preventing them from occurring in the first place. Here are ten of the most common reasons why you get headaches:

1. Liver Congestion In general, conventional medicine does not recognize any link between liver function and headaches. However, Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized a connection and differentiated diagnoses based upon how the liver is affected.
2. Bowel Imbalances People who experience headaches more frequently tend to experience gastrointestinal concerns more frequently. This relates back, at least in part, to the gut-brain connection. There are actually more nerve  cells in your gut than there are connecting the rest of your body to your brain. The state of your gut influences the state of your nervous system.
3. Immune/Allergies  Food sensitivities, most commonly wheat, can cause headaches. Other symptoms that may be associated with food sensitivities include brain fog, bloating, postnasal drip and irritable bowel syndrome.
4. Adrenal fatigue Exhausted or under-functioning adrenal glands can results in symptoms like fatigue and listlessness, along with headaches. Oftentimes this can be associated with pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) deficiency.
5. Sugar Imbalances Sometimes before a migraine you may crave carbohydrates. This happens because your blood sugar drops too low or too quickly. You may experience other symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as dizziness, irritability, anxiety or tremors.
6. Hormonal imbalance Women may experience headaches in conjunction with premenstrual syndrome, as a side effect from oral contraceptive use or hormone replacement therapy or during peri-menopause.
7. Vascular/Blood circulation There has been debate whether high blood pressure is associated with headaches. However, clinicians have noticed that when sleep apnea is treated, early morning headaches diminish. In rarer cases, headaches may be caused by more serious concerns, such as increased intracranial pressure or hemorrhage.
8. Chemical triggers Substances like aspartame, MSG, nitrites, and sulfites may trigger sensitivities that cause headaches.
9. Mitochondrial imbalances Mitochondria are the energy producing parts of our cells – the “powerhouses” of the cells in our body. If our mitochondria are not working optimally we may experience fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches and headaches.
10. Dehydration Other symptoms of dehydration may include dizziness, weakness, dark urine, and fatigue.

As you can see, even though headache symptoms may often be similar, the possible causes for headaches are numerous and varied. That is why it is important to work together with your health practitioner to determine the cause of your headaches. Not everyone should be placed on Imitrex. Once you figure out the cause you can determine how to prevent getting headaches in the future. Most chronic headaches are entirely preventable through treating the cause.