8 Unexpected Causes Of Headache You Need To Know About!

Last Updated on January 15, 2020

Over 4 million adults in the United States have chronic migraines and almost everyone experiences occasional headaches, most commonly due to stress, lack of sleep, or certain ailments.

In fact, there are different types of headaches, divided into two major categories:

Primary headaches: These are caused by overactive chemical activity in the brain, nerves, or blood vessels. These types of headaches are not caused by an underlying disease, they are rather triggered by specific lifestyle factors (i.e: stress, etc.)

Secondary headaches: These headaches are symptoms of certain conditions such as brain aneurysm, brain tumor, stroke, etc.

However, there are several other causes of headaches that many people can’t even guess. For example, did you know that your sitting or sleeping posture can also cause you headaches?

This list will show you the 8 unexpected causes of headache you probably didn’t know before. Read on and find out for yourself!

#1 – Weather changes

Weather changes do not only affect our moods but can also play a part in giving us headaches.

The shift in temperatures and pressure, and bad weather conditions such as cloudy skies, fog, storms, heavy rain, snow, and humidity are known to trigger chemical changes in the brain that irritate your nerves and result in a headache.

Moreover, whether you are more prone to headaches or not, wear sunglasses or UV protection glasses outside when it snows to prevent snow blindness caused by UV rays reflected on snow-covered surfaces, which also leads to stabbing head pain.

#2 – Bad posture

Your sitting or sleeping posture can play a big part in giving you some of the worst of headaches known as tension headaches, which is also a type of primary headaches.

When you’re sitting at your desk, keep your spine aligned and your shoulders relaxed back. Try your best not to slouch or sit in a position that would cause your waist to over-rotate.

You should also avoid sleeping on pillows that are too high or too low, or sleeping on your stomach which forces you to turn your head to the side and strain your neck. This may cause you a headache in the morning.

#3 – Misaligned jaw

If you have a misaligned haw or bite-related problems, it is no surprise that you experience headaches.

The muscles of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) which run along your jaw and cheeks can cause pain and headaches. If your upper and lower jaws aren’t aligned, resulting in overbite or underbite which puts a strain on the head and neck muscles as you chew your food.

You might also experience frequent ear ringing.

#4 – Strong odors

Common and major triggers of headaches are strong scents, like those of cigarette smoke, fragrances, paint, nail polish, or gasoline.

This is especially an issue for people with odor sensitivity. Studies show that 50 percent of migraine sufferers have odor sensitivity — a hypersensitive sense of smell medically known as hyperosmia.

Chewing peppermint gum may help distract from the strong smell and headache. If the pain gets worse, you should speak to your doctor.

#5 – Bright lights

People who are sensitive to light (fluorescent light, sunlight, etc) may not only suffer from headaches but also dizziness, nausea, and sometimes even seizures (i.e: photosensitive epilepsy).

You may get a headache from exposure to bright lights or flashing lights and if you’re already a migraine sufferer, it may get even worse due to the irritation of the nerves in the brain part that is responsible for vision.

Excessive exposure to blue light may also be playing a part in your headaches, so try to limit screen use.

#6 – Dehydration

When your body is dehydrated, it causes your brain to temporarily shrink from lack of fluid. When that happens, the brain pulls away from the skull, resulting in a dehydration headache.

In winter, people are more prone to getting dehydrated because they tend to drink water less often, which is a big mistake, and then wonder why they have headaches or dry eyes or skin, among other symptoms of dehydration!

Drink the recommended amount of water (at least 70 ounces every day) to prevent headaches and other more serious health problems.

#7 – Hunger

Do you ever get a sudden headache whenever you’re too hungry? The truth is, hunger does not only give you stomach pain but also a headache, which makes it one of the surprising causes of headaches.

Hunger migraine is a direct result of adrenal fatigue and a drop in blood sugar. When your body releases hormones to counter low glucose levels, your muscles contract (muscle tension) and you get the worst headache.

This usually happens when you starve yourslef to lose weight. The solution is to keep a healthy and balanced diet and work out regularly, not eat poorly.

#8 – Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a common food flavoring that is also an unexpected cause of headaches that people rarely even guess. This flavor enhancer is found in tomato and vegetable sauces, soy sauce, processed meats, etc.

Your body’s response to Monosodium glutamate might include not only a headache but also other symptoms like sweating, tight chest, and pressure over the face, resulting from overexcited nerves in your brain and enlarged blood vessels.

Avoid foods that contain MSG at all costs.

Those were the unexpected causes of headaches that you needed to know about, so be more careful in the future!