How to Cope with a Spinal Headache
Consume caffeine to constrict the blood vessels in your head., Take simple painkillers., Drink plenty of fluid to increase your blood volume., Turn off or dim the lights., Use visual imagery and distraction to reduce your focus on pain., Lie down to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consume caffeine to constrict the blood vessels in your head.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and causes constriction of the blood vessels within your head.
Since headache is often caused by the dilatation of blood vessels, caffeine helps constrict them and counteract this effect.
Caffeine can be taken both orally and intravenously.
A recommended dose of caffeine is 500mg once or twice daily.
A simple way to get caffeine is to drink coffee; one cup of coffee contains 50-100mg of caffeine.
So, you should drink 5-8 cups of coffee daily to get an optimum result. -
Step 2: Take simple painkillers.
Using simple painkillers, like acetaminophen and other NSAIDs is a simple, but effective way to knock back headaches.
Acetaminophen and other NSAIDs provide temporary relief from headache by blocking the production of chemicals that are responsible for producing the pain sensation in the brain.
Take 500mg of acetaminophen or acetaminophen+caffeine three times per day, after eating a meal.
Use other non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (400mg 2-3 times daily after meal).
Consult your doctor before any longterm usage of pain medications.
Nowadays, you can buy NSAIDs that also contain caffeine for a more pronounced headache relief effect.
Caffeine constricts blood vessels within your head, so you get the cumulative effect of both the painkiller and the caffeine.
Do not forget to take an anti-peptic drug with these pain relievers to protect your stomach lining.
Take omeprazole, pantoprazole, or esomeprazole at a dosage of 20 mg twice daily, 30 minutes before your meal. , Drinking lots of fluids, especially water, will increase your blood volume and the fluid content of other parts of your body.
A portion of consumed water will go into the spinal space and increase its volume and pressure.
Increased pressure will reduce spinal headache.
Drink at least 3 liters (0.8 US gal) of fluid daily to keep yourself hydrated. , Most people suffering from headaches are sensitive to light, so it can help to turn them off or dim them.
Overly lighted rooms or bright lights aggravate headache because the brain is unable to mediate the glare and light during an episode of headache. , Visual imagery is done by focusing on a picture or image of pleasant scenery or events.
Another way to practice visual imagery is by repeating positive words or phrases.
Distraction techniques are done by focusing your attention on positive mental thoughts and activities.
These activities include watching television, listening to music, or talking to family.
Distraction and visual imagery help a person divert attention from the pain to other positive activities. , Bed rest usually has no intrinsic role in reducing spinal headache, but lying vertically does.
When you are lying in bed, it can increase the pressure in your spine and reduce headache. , Try to lie on your abdomen instead of facing up to increase your abdominal pressure.
This pressure increase will in turn transmit a signal to your spinal canal and raise spinal pressure.
Many people find pain relief in this position. , Wearing a tight abdominal binder will raise your abdominal pressure, transmitting signals to your spinal cord that reduce headache.
You can find abdominal binders in many specialty medical stores. , If you suffer from severe spinal headache, nausea or vomiting may accompany it due to irritation of the brain areas that control appetite and vomiting.
Take anti-emetics like promethazine, prochlorperazine or metoclopramide to control these feelings.
These drugs act by blocking the sites in the brain where certain chemicals (such as dopamine, histamine etc) responsible for vomiting act.
Take tab promethazine at a dosage of 25 mg, 2-3 times daily.
Take these drugs before you have a meal for optimum results.
Discontinue the medication as soon as you feel better. -
Step 3: Drink plenty of fluid to increase your blood volume.
-
Step 4: Turn off or dim the lights.
-
Step 5: Use visual imagery and distraction to reduce your focus on pain.
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Step 6: Lie down to increase pressure in your spine.
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Step 7: Position yourself on your abdomen instead of your back.
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Step 8: Wear an abdominal binder to increase abdominal pressure.
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Step 9: Try anti-emetics if you suffer from nausea or vomiting.
Detailed Guide
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and causes constriction of the blood vessels within your head.
Since headache is often caused by the dilatation of blood vessels, caffeine helps constrict them and counteract this effect.
Caffeine can be taken both orally and intravenously.
A recommended dose of caffeine is 500mg once or twice daily.
A simple way to get caffeine is to drink coffee; one cup of coffee contains 50-100mg of caffeine.
So, you should drink 5-8 cups of coffee daily to get an optimum result.
Using simple painkillers, like acetaminophen and other NSAIDs is a simple, but effective way to knock back headaches.
Acetaminophen and other NSAIDs provide temporary relief from headache by blocking the production of chemicals that are responsible for producing the pain sensation in the brain.
Take 500mg of acetaminophen or acetaminophen+caffeine three times per day, after eating a meal.
Use other non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (400mg 2-3 times daily after meal).
Consult your doctor before any longterm usage of pain medications.
Nowadays, you can buy NSAIDs that also contain caffeine for a more pronounced headache relief effect.
Caffeine constricts blood vessels within your head, so you get the cumulative effect of both the painkiller and the caffeine.
Do not forget to take an anti-peptic drug with these pain relievers to protect your stomach lining.
Take omeprazole, pantoprazole, or esomeprazole at a dosage of 20 mg twice daily, 30 minutes before your meal. , Drinking lots of fluids, especially water, will increase your blood volume and the fluid content of other parts of your body.
A portion of consumed water will go into the spinal space and increase its volume and pressure.
Increased pressure will reduce spinal headache.
Drink at least 3 liters (0.8 US gal) of fluid daily to keep yourself hydrated. , Most people suffering from headaches are sensitive to light, so it can help to turn them off or dim them.
Overly lighted rooms or bright lights aggravate headache because the brain is unable to mediate the glare and light during an episode of headache. , Visual imagery is done by focusing on a picture or image of pleasant scenery or events.
Another way to practice visual imagery is by repeating positive words or phrases.
Distraction techniques are done by focusing your attention on positive mental thoughts and activities.
These activities include watching television, listening to music, or talking to family.
Distraction and visual imagery help a person divert attention from the pain to other positive activities. , Bed rest usually has no intrinsic role in reducing spinal headache, but lying vertically does.
When you are lying in bed, it can increase the pressure in your spine and reduce headache. , Try to lie on your abdomen instead of facing up to increase your abdominal pressure.
This pressure increase will in turn transmit a signal to your spinal canal and raise spinal pressure.
Many people find pain relief in this position. , Wearing a tight abdominal binder will raise your abdominal pressure, transmitting signals to your spinal cord that reduce headache.
You can find abdominal binders in many specialty medical stores. , If you suffer from severe spinal headache, nausea or vomiting may accompany it due to irritation of the brain areas that control appetite and vomiting.
Take anti-emetics like promethazine, prochlorperazine or metoclopramide to control these feelings.
These drugs act by blocking the sites in the brain where certain chemicals (such as dopamine, histamine etc) responsible for vomiting act.
Take tab promethazine at a dosage of 25 mg, 2-3 times daily.
Take these drugs before you have a meal for optimum results.
Discontinue the medication as soon as you feel better.
About the Author
Jason Rivera
Writer and educator with a focus on practical pet care knowledge.
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