Dear Lesley: my head aches

If you have not done so already, contact your doctor’s office. They can help determine if there is a more serious issue at hand by examining: if you’re a healthy weight for your age and build, what is your blood pressure looking like, and whether you require treatment.

It is important for you to get to the source of your headaches and the reason for the occurrences. I want you to ask yourself:

• Does the onset of headaches happen leading up to or after a stressful event?
• Do headaches go away or get better after eating?
• Do you allow your body to get proper rest?
• Are you dealing with other conditions and/or taking medications to treat other conditions?

After having considered these things, you should be able to determine if there is something you need to change or if you need to revisit some things with your doctor.

To reduce the occurrence of headaches, try:

• Reducing stress: be mindful of your mood and whether you are anxious, try breathing exercises, have daily quiet time, and be intentional about routine self-care. Self-care looks different from person to person, but the overall premise is to make sure that you make time for yourself and your physical, mental, and emotional needs.
• Nourishing your body: try implementing an eating regimen that ensures you are adequately meeting your nutritional needs daily.
• Hydrating your body: try to drink water consistently throughout the day and monitor and manage your caffeine consumption.
• Boosting your intake of antioxidants: drink herbal teas, eat multiple fresh fruits and vegetables every day, incorporate fresh ginger in your diet regularly, and consider supplementing with vitamin e.

When making changes to improve a physical condition, remember that it takes time and consistency.