Surprise Reasons Your Head Hurts

From staying in bed to eating a ham sarmie, there are some unusual causes of head pain. Here are the remedies to tackle them...

Headaches are a fairly common ailment, affecting a staggering nine million South Africans, according to statistics released by the headache clinic – with women more likely to be affected than men. most of us tend to brush off regular headaches as the result of everyday stress but your diet, sleeping patterns and your sex life could be to blame for your migraines – and could even signal something more serious if left unchecked.

1. YOUR PACKED LUNCH Certain foods contain chemicals that can set off a headache. Culprits include processed meats, aged cheeses such as Stilton and Brie, fish, caffeinated fizzy drinks and dark chocolate. Ham is a common trigger because it contains tyramine as well as preservatives (like nitrates), which both appear to increase blood flow to the brain and trigger headaches. Tyramine is found in foods that have been preserved, pickled, smoked, marinated or fermented. fix it Keep a ‘trigger’ diary and eliminate suspect foods from your diet to see if you get fewer headaches as a result. If you’re concerned, see your GP or ask to be referred to a dietitian for specialist advice.

2. YOUR DIET