(Ecns.cn)！- Headaches are becoming the second most common ailment, according to a recent survey by the Chinese Medical Association. Two out of every three clinic patients in the country complain about the problem, among whom 85 percent fail to receive proper medical treatment or no treatment at all.
Experts attribute the problem to stressful lifestyles. Employees under chronic stress and deprived of rest are prone to tension and migraine headaches, which have become all too common in urban life. 60 percent of white collar workers polled in Taiwan claim to suffer at least one headache every month. Still worse, such troubles don't always go away by taking pills, experts say.
Unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and partying all night can also eventually lead to chronic headaches. In addition, frequent use of perfume, certain kinds of hand creams and even shampoo can cause chronic migraine headaches in the long term.
Now that the sources have been located, experts suggest a change in unhealthy lifestyle choices to combat or even defeat headaches, according to rayli.com. Here are five tips for avoiding a potentially debilitating health problem.
1) Avoid certain foods
Medical studies show that there are foods that are quite popular in daily life (and may even be recommended by your nutritionist) that can bring on headaches. Coffee, cheese and chocolate, for instance, may cause the vessels in your head to dilate or contract, which can lead to severe headaches. For the same reason, sufferers of chronic headaches should stay away from sausages, salted fish and onions.
2) Put aside the earrings
This one may sound a little strange, ladies, but if you are ever troubled by headaches, the weight of your earrings pulling on tissue-connected nerves may only exacerbate the problem. Also, leave your hair down as much as possible, since ponytails tend to stimulate the muscles in the scalp, which can cause pain.
3) Drop the diet plan
It seems every one is on a new diet these days in a race to get slimmer and slimmer. This can come at a painful price. Experts say that long-term starvation diets cause lower blood sugar and can trigger headaches. The hungrier you feel, the more severe your headache will get. It's therefore recommended to eat magnesium loaded foods like spinach and beans, which are good for the head but lower in calories. Also, increase your intake of milk and lean meat to help to stave off the pain.
4) Stay off the phone before bedtime
This is for all you heavy cell phone users out there, especially the iPhone addicts. Don't get too attached to your beloved handheld device before bed, since it may affect your sleep (and even result in insomnia), cause depression and yes, bring on nasty headaches.
5) Say no to aspirin
A chronic headache won't always go away with a pill or two, and sometimes may get even worse. Try a self-massage first, but if it really starts to hurt so bad you can't stand it, go to see a doctor.
