How to Get Rid of the Pressure in My Head
A YouTuber has shared his rather unusual method for getting rid of a headache or migraine - and people are swearing by it.
Kamil, who posts through YouTube channel Kamil's View, says he can cure your pain in two minutes with just three questions.
In his online video tutorial he repeats the questions several times - claiming by the end of it, the headache should have disappeared.
In his video, seen more than 1.7million times, Kamil says: "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I will ask you those questions a few times.
"Every time I ask you the question I really want you to have a look and answer the question."
Image:
PA)After instructing the viewer to think about their headache he asks: "Where is your headache?
He then follows this with "What colour is it?" and "What shape is it?"
After repeating the questions four times he says: "By now it should be gone."
Image:
YouTube/Kamil's View)While the method may come across as unorthodox thousands of people are swearing by it.
Itscrazyhols wrote: "Omg it works thank u I liked your vid."
JourneyWithJC1 wrote: "Are you a wizard? It worked!"
And SweetestHoney861 wrote: "I'm pleasantly freaked out."
Explaining how the method works in a separate post, the self-labelled life coach said: "Most headaches are actually created by you - by your own mind."
Image:
YouTube/Kamil's View)He said this could be through "stressing too much" or it may be made up as an excuse to get out of something.
He adds: "So if you take your attention away from this, the brain gets the message that you're aware of the headache and then you start dissolving it."
He also suggests anyone who didn't find the method worked to repeat it a few more times.
More Tips
If the video hasn't worked for you Kim Jones has some innovative tricks to try and help soothe it...
1. Use a book as a pillow
To ease a tension headache originating in the "suboccipitals" – small muscles connecting the neck and the back of the head – lie on your back with your head on a book or telephone directory, like a pillow, advises osteopath Christian Bates, of the Perrymount Natural Health Clinic ( theperrymount.com ).
He says: "Adjust the edge of the book so it lays on the knobbly part on the back of your head. Now tuck your chin down towards your chest. This can lengthen and stretch these small tight muscles and bring headache relief."
2. Assume a smarter phone position
Christian says: "The average head weighs 10-12lbs and recent research has found that the poor posture we assume when texting means that the forces exerted on our neck and spine reach 60lbs – the equivalent of having an eight-year-old on your shoulders."
This neck tension can lead to so-called cervicogenic headaches, and in some cases to a condition called Occipital Neuralgia, where the nerves that run from the base of the neck up through the scalp become inflamed.
Read more:Beat back and neck pain with our guide to 24-hour protection from aches
Christian suggests: "To avoid text-neck headaches , sit back and upright when using your phone.
"Hold it up to eye level and be aware of keeping your head up in a straight line."
3.…and breathe… (deeply)
"Most of us breathe far too shallowly," says pilates expert Lynne Robinson, founder of bodycontrolpilates.com
It can mean that the supply of oxygen to blood vessels in the brain is reduced, which can result in headaches.
A few moments of deep breathing improves circulation and can ward off a headache.
Lynne says: "Try sitting tall and place your hands on your ribs. As you breathe in, focus on the back and sides of your ribs expanding. Breathe out completely and feel your ribcage closing. Repeat."
4. Wear a dental guard
Do you wake up with a dull, constant headache? It could be caused by night-time tooth grinding (bruxism).
Dr Dawn Harper says: "A comfortable dental guard protects against night-time teeth grinding by cushioning your teeth and keeping them apart in the most natural position."
Try DenTek Maximum Protection Dental Guard, £25.99, Boots .
5. Let your hair down
A study at The City of London Migraine Clinic found that more than 53% of women experienced a headache from wearing a ponytail.
It's thought that they may strain and irritate connective tissues in the scalp. Either loosen your ponytail or let your hair hang loose.
6. Relax your tongue
Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, hold it for a few seconds, then relax it so that it falls into the bottom of your mouth.
"This takes the pressure off the jaw which can cause headaches," says osteopath Danny Williams, from South Yarra Osteopathy.
7. Sniff an apple
In a study from the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, people with migraines who sniffed the scent of a green apple experienced a drop in pain.
It's thought the smell might reduce muscle contractions in the head and neck, which can lead to pain.
8. Cool it!
A study at the university of Kiel in Germany found that peppermint oil applied to the forehead helped to numb the pain of a headache.
Try Tiger Balm White, £4.39, Holland & Barrett , which contains menthol. Simply smooth over your forehead every 30 minutes.
9. Press here
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends acupuncture for tension headaches.
Try some of the techniques using acupressure – applying finger pressure to certain points in the body.
For a sinus headache, apply pressure with your fingers to the points at either side of the crook of your nose at the tips of your eyebrows, suggests Justine Hankin, from the British Acupuncture Council ( acupuncture.org.uk ).
10. Write numbers... with your nose
Lynne Robinson says: "This simple pilates exercise can help mobilise the neck and ease some of the more common types of headache, such as those caused by tension.
"Lie on a mat on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart and parallel. Take a few breaths into the back and sides of your ribcage.
"Now imagine an upright figure eight and draw the shape with your nose. Repeat three times, then change direction.
"Then imagine the figure eight on its side. Trace again with your nose three times before changing direction. Finish with a gentle chin tuck, drawing your chin down and lengthening the back of your neck. Keep your head in contact with mat."
11. Wear an electronic headband
A small headband that applies electrical impulses at the centre of the forehead onto the trigeminal nerve (implicated in migraines) could stop you popping painkillers.
In a Belgian study, 38% of patients who used the Cefaly headband (£249, cefaly.co.uk ) reported at least a 50% reduction in migraine frequency and a 37% reduction in the amount of medication they took.
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Self-help tips
1. Keep a diary to identify triggers, says Dr John Janssen, consultant neurologist at Re:Cognition Health www.recognitionhealth.com . Record factors including the duration, medications that have and have not worked, severity of headache, menstrual cycle (if applicable), the location and type of pain, symptoms (vomiting, noise / light sensitivity) and the ability to perform tasks e.g. not being able to walk, work, restricted vision etc.
2. Review key lifestyle factors that may also be playing a part in the onset of a migraine including diet, alcohol, caffeine, dehydration and exercise. "Whilst there are no foods that have been scientifically proven to help cure or prevent migraines, it is advised to avoid the 'C' foods: coffee, carbonated drinks, Chianti (alcohol in general), citrus, cheese and chocolate," explains Dr Janssen. The key thing is to stay hydrated.
3. Review your painkillers: Taking a lot of painkillers can paradoxically end up making the situation worse by causing medication overuse headache so consult your GP. They can check for abnormality of the nervous system, neck tension, blood pressure and eye examination to make sure there is no evidence of raised intracranial pressure. They will be able to review your diary and help with working out a pattern.
4. Eat at regular hours: "Women in particular going through the phases of the menstrual cycle or changes in their lives (pregnancy or menopause), seem to experience a higher recurrence of headaches and migraines. To balance your hormones eat at regular hours, include lots of protein and whole grains, and limit your sugar intake to prevent sugar highs and lows," suggests Dr Marilyn Glenville, Nutritionist and women's health expert ( www.marilynglenville.com ).
For help, advice and support Migraine Action – www.migraine.org.uk. The Migraine Trust –
www.migrainetrust.org
Spotting the signs of serious illness
Headaches are extremely common and most of them aren't a cause for anxiety.
Occasionally, though, a headache is a symptom of a serious illness, such as meningitis or a brain haemorrhage, and requires urgent medical attention.
Tension headaches are the most common type.
What are the causes?
About three out of four headaches are caused by tension in the scalp or neck muscles due to stress. Tension headaches tend to occur frequently and cause moderate pain, particularly at the back and front of the head. It's often described as a tight band encircling the head.
Other common causes of headaches include hangovers, having irregular meals, long journeys, noise, a stuffy atmosphere, thundery weather, too much sleep, too much excitement, a fever, sinusitis and suffering toothache.
Migraine are one-sided severe headaches with eye symptoms and possibly vomiting. MIgraines can run in families.
Some headaches require urgent medical attention
A severe headache with fever, a stiff neck and rash may be a sign of meningitis, a condition in which the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord become inflamed.
A sudden headache that feels like a blow to the back of the head could be a subarachnoid haemorrhage, in which bleeding occurs between the membranes covering the brain.
In elderly people, a headache with tenderness of the scalp or temple may be due to temporal arteritis, in which blood vessels in the head become inflamed.
What might be done?
If your doctor suspects an underlying condition, you may require tests, such as CT scanning or MRI of your brain, and an opinion from a neurologist.
What's the treatment?
Treatment depends on the cause of the headache. For example, a tension headache will usually clear up with rest, relaxation and painkillers.
Cluster headaches and migraines can be treated with drugs, such as Sumatriptan.
Excess painkillers, especially those containing codeine, can actually cause a headache.
Read more
How to boost your health
Stories
I lose a day a month with a migraine
Callum Hodgson, 32, is an estate agent from Darlington in County Durham.
He says: "My migraines are a major inconvenience and I can lose one day a month to them. My first attack occurred on holiday in 1990 and caused severe abdominal pain with vomiting.
"After this, I started having migraines often, which settled in my teens, but have flared up again over the last 10 years and I now get one bad attack a month.
"It starts with nausea and extreme tiredness and then I get pain and numbness on one side of my head and light sensitivity.
"Normally it's after a stressful day at work, or if I've skipped a meal or allowed myself to become dehydrated."
Dr Dassan says: "Callum has classic migraines. Some simple lifestyle changes could help prevent attacks, including increasing hydration by drinking two to three litres of water a day, and avoiding coffee as caffeine can be a trigger.
"It's also important to eat regularly and not skip meals. Finally, some small studies have found certain nutritional supplements can help, so are worth trying – especially for those not keen on prescription medication.
"The Migraine Trust advise the following doses, riboflavin (vitamin B2, 400mg per day), magnesium (600mg per day with magnesium dicitrate the best form) and co-enzyme Q10 (100mg, three times per day). Always check with your GP first."
My period brings on an attack
Isabella Venour, 26, of London, works in public relations.
She says: "My migraines affect my job and many times have ruined big nights out with friends, which can be so frustrating.
"I've had headaches since my teens, starting around the same time as my periods. I get an attack around twice a month, normally a day or two before my period is due.
"I develop a black dot in my vision line, feel sick and get a throbbing pain, like a band across the front of my head.
"I sometimes get breathless with the pain, but try and manage it with paracetamol."
Dr Dassan says: "Isabella seems to have menstrually-related migraines and in order to confirm this, I've advised her to keep a headache diary.
"There's a strong association between female sex hormones and migraines and it's largely down to the drop in oestrogen levels just before a period.
"Isabella is taking the progesterone-only pill, rather than the combined contraceptive pill (which contains both oestrogen and progesterone), but this is because she has migraine with aura (visual disturbance – in her case seeing a black dot) and evidence suggests that this puts her at higher risk of stroke, so she shouldn't be prescribed a pill containing oestrogen.
"She could try taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen (she'll need to check with her GP, as she also has asthma) before her period.
"Vitamin B2 and magnesium could also help."
I used to bang my head on the wall in pain
Luke Scammell, 35, is a head of technology and lives in Sandwich, Kent.
He says: "My migraines mean I often have a constant background level of pain.
"When they get really bad I can't do anything – I just have to curl up and wait until the pain goes away.
"They first started when I was five and were related to a dairy allergy I had then. I can remember banging my head against a wall the pain was so severe.
"Throughout my teens and twenties, the headaches persisted and I now have one or two headachy days per week – but I just push through the pain most of the time.
"Once every few months I get a really bad attack with pain on both sides of my head and vomiting. Lying still and sleeping helps, while drinking red wine can trigger them."
Dr Dassan says: "These do sound like migraines and Luke's mother suffers too which is a clue as they can run in families. Luke's managing them with ibuprofen and in his own words 'just soldiering on'.
"Given he's having more than five intrusive headache days per month he may wish to start on a medication to prevent them occurring in the first place.
"There are a number of medications that can be tried and they need to be taken daily.
"These are prescribed medications and he would need to see his GP about starting one, but they could make a real difference to his quality of life."
Menopause made my migraines worse
Joanne Batt, 51, is an operations manager and lives in Wimbledon, London.
She says: "Migraines have had a huge impact on my life since the age of 10. But over the last year I've experienced more frequent attacks, coinciding with me starting the menopause.
"They stop me functioning and mean I can't look forward to things. I can go without one for a month, but then have a cluster of three or four within a week.
"I typically see a dot, which grows into a semi-circle and obscures my vision, then the pain comes on 15-20 minutes later and I feel sick and can't bear bright light or noise.
"I take the anti-inflammatory naproxen when I have an attack, and have recently been given a preventative drug, topiramate, but it's not working."
Dr Dassan says: "Joanne had an MRI scan of the brain and upper spine which was reassuringly normal. But in view of the association with her migraines and the start of her menopause, it would also be a good idea to see a gynaecologist to check her hormone levels.
"Topiramate is traditionally an anti-epileptic medication, but is now approved by Nice (the Department of Health's official guideline body) for migraine prevention (not for women of child-bearing age).
"The dosage could be increased to see if this helps. It's also worth Joanne looking at her diet and sleep habits and trying some nutritional supplements."
How to Get Rid of the Pressure in My Head
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/rid-your-headache-migraine-just-8733302