HEADACHES AND THEIR CURE

Most so-called migraine headaches are really nerve tension headaches: the cause is entirely psychological. There are exceptions as headaches are mostly related to other physical ailments. The stress associated with headaches can aggravate simple one to a more complex one.

A Headache is perhaps the most frequent single complaint of modern times. One of the main causes is tension and muscle spasms in the neck, scalp and jaw. For this reason, massaging or otherwise relaxing the neck muscles can sometimes help to remove headaches.

Many diseases have also been linked with mental attitudes. Psychiatrists say that migraine is definitely associated with hostility. They believe that for many of the illness arising out of tension situation, the victim has a deep seated desire to hurt someone or something around him or her and the headaches is a subsequent reaction to this deep seated desire.

Headache patients frequently worry about brain tumors, but the possibility that an intermittent headache is caused by a brain tumors is exceedingly remote. The best cure for a headache is to take an headache tablet or some other analgesic but if the headache persists for some days a doctor should be consulted.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INSOMNIACS

What very often brings about sleeplessness is an upset tummy which might be caused through over eating and over drinking. A tablet of soda mint or milk of magnesia might just do the trick and put right the upset tummy and the result will be sleep.

Persons who have difficulty in sleeping should not take the offensive: let them use the hours during which they cannot sleep by reading something useful. This is very often a time when the brain is clear and capable of learning and absorbing difficult ideas and concepts. In time sleep is bound to come; this is certainly far better than just tossing about restlessly in bed. Anxiety about lack of sleep is much more harmful than any actual loss of sleep. Some of the insomniacs time could also be spent taking in large doses of fresh air or by exercising.

A useful exercise which very often brings about sleep is to lie flat on one’s back: hands by the side, legs slightly apart. In this posture one should breathe deeply and slowly through the nose, both in and out. The brain should concentrate on the breathing and the body should be completely relaxed. In time sleep will come and even if sleep does not come it does not matter: this posture and breathing will refresh and relax the body even without actual sleep.

When one is physically tired one goes off to sleep immediately. Take a walk after dinner or in the evening or play games to produce a healthy physical tiredness and banish tension. Exercise is the best antidote to emotional tension, and once tension is removed sleep comes very soon.

After a certain age persons tend to wake very early as they may need only four or five hours of sleep. It may be advisable for such persons to go to sleep much later in the night to avoid waking up in the small hours of the morning.

HOW TO DEAL WITH JETLAG AND NIGHT SHIFT

Normally traveling by air over long distance leads to a considerable disturbance of the rhythm of natural digestion, sleep and rest. Fast traveling through three or four or more time zones is certain to put the whole body’s internal clock into disarray. One tends to become confused and disoriented for quite some time.

Extensive investigations have shown that there is a definite change in our biological rhythm, while crossing rapidly several time zones. The important symptoms are inability t o concentrate and difficulty in sleeping. It has been found that an average individual needs at least twenty four hours for every time change of two hours or over, to reset biological clock.

Many business houses and iron curtain countries insists that a conference should take place at least twenty four hours after a person has arrived at his destination, if a number of time zones have been crossed.It is always best to have a long rest before one begins to do any serious work after a long journey covering a number of time zones.

The number of people working in night shifts is affected as well. Nurse, policemen, air plane crew and others who are in night shift have to work for long periods and it has been seen that that irregular working works the shift changes affect the biological clock and have adverse effects of health. The body must be given time to get adjusting between the day and night shifts work schedule. The shift of work moving from day to night or night to day requires at least a month of duration to get the shift change.