HEALTHY LIVING
Coffee, tea or headache? B Y
If you typically start your morning with a caramel macchiato or grab an iced café mocha in the afternoon, you may want to reconsider. Rituals like these can lead not only to your favorite coffee house but also to chronic headaches. Almost everyone has an occasional headache. They can range from a mild ache or throbbing sensation to pain so severe that sufferers report that they feel like their head is going to explode. The National Headache Foundation estimates that more than 45 million Americans have chronic, recurring headaches. Just the daily METHODISTHEALTH.COM
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stress from trying to balance home and work or even diet can trigger one. Headaches have become such a fixture in our culture that now the word is commonly used to mean a problem. Certain foods and external sources are known to trigger headaches in some people. Although caffeine, which is a stimulant, is thought to trigger headaches, it is not the caffeine itself but the withdrawal from it that is the trigger. In fact, caffeine is commonly found in many headache medications. Sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and chocolate.
Most of the time, sufferers find ways to cope. Many take over-thecounter medication or turn to triedand-true home remedies. But when none of these options work, it’s time to see a doctor. “Patients should seek medical attention when they have their first or worst headache, and also if there is weakness, numbness, tingling or convulsions accompanying the headache,” said Dr. Howard S. Derman, a neurologist and director of the Headache Clinic at the Methodist Neurological Institute. It is important to heed warning signs that indicate a more serious VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1 䡲 35
