Millions of people worldwide suffer from primary headaches, which are headaches that aren’t caused or explained by another health problem. Some of the most common headache disorders include migraines (such as episodic migraines), tension headaches, and cluster headaches. 

While getting a headache every once in a while is usually nothing to worry about, some people may experience frequent migraines and headaches. The frequency of migraine pain can affect everything from school and work performance to relationships to quality of life. 

Fortunately, headaches are not a life sentence, and can be stopped or at least reduced with the right preventive treatment. This guide from HealthTap breaks down 10 tips for preventing headaches, along with what makes those tips so effective. 

1. Get to the root cause 

There is rarely just one cause when it comes to headaches. The causes vary from person to person, which makes it important to keep track of potential headache or migraine triggers.

Keeping a headache journal is the best way to do this. Some information to keep track of could include:

• Medications taken.
• Food consumed.
• Water consumed (dehydration is a common cause of headaches).
• Physical activity.
• Sleep schedule.
• Stress levels. 
• Weather changes.
• Hormonal changes (such as those during the menstrual cycle).

It's important to keep a detailed log of each headache with lifestyle factors, like the above. The more detail — such as what time it occurred, what symptoms were presented, and how intense the pain was — the better. 

After weeks or months of detailed tracking, it should be easier to see patterns and help reduce, counteract, or even eliminate triggers. 

Other people can get migraine headaches when eating a food that they’re sensitive to, so an adjustment in diet should help reduce those headaches.

Unfortunately, other causes aren’t so changeable. For instance, some women experience intense migraine attacks before their period, which can be due to an imbalance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone. 

No one person is the same when it comes to headaches. Keeping track of the many potential headache causes can be the first step in getting to the bottom of the condition.

2. Address any food sensitivities 

Some food allergies cause hard-to-mistake symptoms, such as a scratchy throat, puffy lips, and watery eyes. However, other food sensitivities can cause a different response, and may lead to migraines. Not only can such symptoms show up hours or days after eating the food, but they’re hard to pick up from conventional food allergy tests. Still, food allergies could be to blame for chronic headaches in some people.

Common food sensitivities include eggs, dairy, nightshade vegetables (such as tomatoes and eggplant), gluten, and sugar. 

One of the most common ways of getting to the bottom of a food sensitivity is to try an elimination diet. If cutting out all potential food allergens makes the symptoms better, then a food sensitivity may be to blame. 

3. Address any hormonal imbalances 

Women who experience headaches during their menstrual cycle could have a hormonal imbalance to blame for their pain. To confirm a hormonal balance, a doctor can run a blood or saliva hormone test.

If there is a hormonal imbalance, then a referral to an endocrinologist (a doctor who specializes in hormonal disorders) may be recommended. 

Sometimes, lifestyle changes can be enough to address a hormonal imbalance. In other cases, one could consider changing their contraceptive method or consider other treatments to manage hormonal migraines. 

4. Get plenty of high-quality sleep 

For some people, just one night of poor sleep can be enough to trigger a headache. Many others have a pattern of poor sleep, which includes staying up too late, sleeping too little (or too much), or sleeping in an uncomfortable environment.

To prevent headaches, it’s important to focus not only on getting enough sleep, but on making sure it’s high quality, too. This means shutting off electronics before bed (as blue light from screens can disrupt sleep), going to bed at a consistent time every night, and making sure the bedroom is free of disrupting lights and sounds. 

Sleep disorders should also be considered. Something as seemingly harmless as snoring can reduce oxygen flow to the brain at night, which can lead to pain come morning time. A sleep specialist can help to diagnose any potential sleep disorders. 

5. Exercise regularly 

Exercise reduces stress while releasing all sorts of feel-good chemicals, which has been shown to reduce how often headaches happen and how intense the pain is when they do happen.  

The type of exercise that’s been found to be most effective is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which alternates short bursts of intense activity with rest. 

Another effective exercise for reducing headaches is yoga, probably because it also helps to reduce stress while stretching the body and getting the blood flowing.  

Of course, any type of exercise will work, as long as it gets the heart pumping, which will activate the cardiovascular system. To make it a long-term habit, choose an enjoyable exercise.

6. Lower stress 

Emotional stress is a well-known trigger for headaches. Plus, over the long term, chronic stress can lead to all sorts of health problems, which can make headaches worse. 

To reduce stress, it’s important to get to the root cause of it. Many people feel stressed out by their work, their relationships, or their environment without even realizing it. 

Talking to a therapist or even just starting with journaling can help to uncover the causes of stress. Some people even find that alternative therapies such as acupuncture can both help relieve stress while helping to soothe migraine symptoms, too. 

Regular stress management is another effective technique. Exercise, meditating, doing breathing exercises, and being out in nature have all been shown to reduce stress. 

7. Consider the environment

For many people with headaches, bright lights or loud sounds can trigger a headache episode. For others, there may be other triggers, such as lack of air circulation or lack of natural light. 

If headaches happen constantly in a certain environment, then that specific environment could be to blame. Changing the environment to something more soothing and less stimulating — such as by dimming the lights and opening the windows — may help to prevent future attacks. 

8. Stick to a schedule 

People with frequent headaches tend to be extremely sensitive to changes, whether it’s in their sleep, the food they eat, the weather, or anything else that upsets their regular routine. 

Sticking to a schedule can help prevent a headache. This means going to sleep at the same time every night, eating meals at regular times, and avoiding making too many life changes at once. If something has to change (such as when traveling), then it can help to try and keep all the other factors as steady as possible. 

9. Take medication at the onset of a headache

Some medications can be used to stop a headache in its tracks. Those who have mild or moderate pain can typically take over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) when they feel a headache coming on. 

A doctor may consider prescribing triptans for those with severe pain. Triptans work by narrowing blood vessels, which can relieve some of the pressure on surrounding nerves. Beta-blockers like timolol and metoprolol are sometimes prescribed for the treatment of migraines by working toward preventing migraines in the first place. These drugs work best when taken as treatment before an attack, referred to as “prophylactic” medications. 

Another option for treating severe headaches is an acute treatment called CGRP receptor antagonists. This medication works by blocking a protein that causes inflammation in the meninges. Like triptans, it should be taken before the headache starts — at the first symptoms of headache pain. 

Because of potential side effects, many experts recommend lifestyle changes before moving on to headache and migraine medications. If medication is necessary for both chronic migraines or acute migraines alike, some doctors will only prescribe it for a short time in order to avoid medication and side effect-related conditions like medication overuse headaches. 

10. Take daily supplements and medications 

While the above medications are taken only when symptoms of a headache occur, other preventive medications can be taken on a daily basis. 

Some conventional options include drugs that lower blood pressure, such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, and even tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and a medication called topiramate that was originally developed for seizures. 

Some new medications have even been approved by the FDA specifically for migraine prevention. This includes erenumab (Aimovig), galcanezumab (Emgality), and fremanezumab (Ajovy), which are administered through an injection. 

Prescription medications need to be prescribed by a doctor because of the potential for interactions and side effects. Common interactions with the above include strong CYP3A4 inhibitor drugs, topiramate and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and others. 

While the above medications need a doctor’s prescription, supplements can be bought in any pharmacy. Some clinical trials show that taking magnesium, vitamin D, feverfew, riboflavin, and melatonin can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Of course, it’s best to talk with a doctor before starting any supplement. 

Preventing headaches with HealthTap 

Whether it’s a migraine, tension, cluster, or any other type of headache, it can feel seriously painful and interfere with all aspects of life. Fortunately, there are many evidence-based ways to help prevent headaches from happening, or at least reduce their intensity and frequency.

If you suffer from frequent headaches, then working with a healthcare provider can be the first step in getting relief. 

HealthTap can connect you with a low-cost doctor over our virtual platform — so you can get diagnosed and treated from the comfort of your own home. 

Make an appointment today to discover your headache treatment options.