Stop Holiday Headaches Before They Start

Sure, the holidays can be a joyous time of year spent with loved ones. But they also bring increased mall traffic, financial stress and unhealthy habits that lead to headaches for many of us. With the holidays fast approaching, Brian Sorin, M.D., a neurologist on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, suggests a few ways to keep headaches at bay.

Avoid your triggers. “If you’re a migraine sufferer, you should know by this point what your triggers are,” Dr. Sorin says. Triggers are often alcohol, chocolate, salt or even certain sauces.

Don’t change your sleep patterns. When we take time off for the holidays, we might be inspired to stay up until 2 a.m. or sleep until noon. But drastic changes in your sleep schedule can cause tension headaches, Dr. Sorin says.

Watch your diet. It’s no secret that Americans gain weight between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. And the same habits that cause weight gain—eating poorly and drinking too much alcohol—can also cause headaches.

Minimize stress. We know you can’t avoid all stress, but you can avoid the malls at peak hours, have honest conversations with your family, and make and stick to your gift budget to help avoid financial stress.

Do biofeedback exercises. Biofeedback is a nondrug therapy that uses conditioning and behavior modification to help you train your mind to learn to control things such as stress, blood pressure and pain. “If you think about it,” Dr. Sorin says, “a headache is negative biofeedback.”

Use acupressure. When a headache starts, he suggests grabbing the inside of your thumb and your index finger and squeezing tightly.

See a doctor. If these techniques aren’t enough and your headaches are becoming more frequent or intense, get evaluated by a physician, Dr. Sorin advises. A doctor might prescribe pain medications or muscle relaxers, or be able to diagnose if something other than holiday stress could be causing your pain.

Migraines and frequent tension headaches can affect your ability to function. Take our migraine quiz, or if your headaches persist, call 1.800.4BAYLOR to schedule an appointment with a neurologist.