As college students, we are plagued by headaches, not on a daily basis, but by the minute. We cause ourselves to worry about what has to be done, what could have been done, the concepts we have yet to understand and what things will turn out like in the future. Life has become a non-stop mix of school, homework, papers, projects, research, finals and all-nighters.
This combination of endless "to-do" lists and ultimately unsolvable problems of life cause our heads to teeter on the edge of madness. And what may seem like a tiny headache problem is actually a nationwide epidemic. According to Stephen Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center, more than three million Americans suffer from self-inflicted headaches at any given time.
There are countless reasons why an individual contracts a headache, whether it be a migraine or just a tension headache. Medically headaches are caused by the contraction, or tensing, of neck and scalp muscles. Such muscle contractions can be caused by stress, depression, head injury and anxiety. Headaches can also be caused by eye strain, such as when you use of a computer or a microscope for a prolonged period of time. Other causes include fatigue, alcohol use, excessive smoking, excessive caffeine use, sinus infection, nasal congestion, overexertion colds and influenza - just your basic list of affects from the average college student lifestyle.
Interestingly enough certain foods can cause headaches and migraines as well. These foods are rich in a chemical called amines affect blood vessels. Such foods include peanuts, pork, cheese, alcohol, citrus fruits and chocolate.
Artificial sweeteners can also cause headaches. A study published in the journal Neurology involved researchers testing people who complained of frequent headaches by giving them artificial sweeteners on some days and a placebo on others. The study revealed that the participants suffered from headaches mostly on days when they had consumed artificial sweeteners.
So how can we avoid these head-splitting migraines? Should we cease studying? Stop the reading and the writing? Since these options would most likely result in you failing out of Hopkins -creating a whole different sort of headache - the best way to avoid a headache is to prevent them. In order to this you must remove all the things that trigger your headaches to start. Students must get enough sleep and rest. We should eat properly and dress warmly in cold weather. That is particularly hard to do in this early-fall weather, when the difference in temperatures from the morning to the afternoon ranges from 57 degrees to 85 degrees. But remember, you do live here - take jackets in the morning and put them back when we don't need them!
In case fate is working against you and you catch a cold or find yourself suffering from a massive headache, you might look to aspirin. Over-the-counter medications are an option, although taking too much or taking them in combination with other medications will cause harm to your body. Also please note that taking aspirins after you have drank three or more alcoholic beverages can cause damage to your body, specifically to the liver.
In some cases, both over-the-counter pain relievers and prescriptions drugs cause these headaches to occur in the first place. Give yourself a break, close your eyes, lay back, maybe even take a nap. Headaches are an intrinsic part of college life, but you can minimize your risk of getting too many by being good to yourself and protecting your mind from overloads.
