Kristine Slade leads a busy life, between college and the marching band. Sometimes hitting practice or the books can cause a headache. “Most of my friends, we’re really into our academics, so we study a lot, and if i’m overstudying, we tend to get them; high pitch frequencies and very low frequencies trigger them for me.” Slade averages two to three headaches a week, lasting anywhere from twenty minutes to a couple of hours. “Constant throbbing and it’s a very big issue, but at the same time, I’ve learned how to cope with it,” says Slade.
Carolinas Medical Center’s Dr. Ryan Shelton says stress is a common cause of headaches. “Muscle tightening, stress, if you’re not sleeping well, if you’re a little bit too tired, dehydrated, if we skip meals and don’t eat for a long period of time,” said Dr. Shelton.
Dr. Shelton says some headaches can be caused by scents or eye strain with computer screens. He says changing your posture could also help reduce your chances of a headache. “A lot of us are working on the computer, so we’re hunched over and typing and working long hours, using the mouse with the same hand, like a lot of it is our posture,” said Dr. Shelton.
Dr. Shelton says more women get headaches than men and they can vary in age, with even kids getting them.