Tackle Head-Splitting Pain Without Pills
Imagine getting a brain freeze all of a sudden... only with no ice cream involved.
That thoroughly unpleasant feeling jolted Emmy- and Tony-Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth's brain out of nowhere as she performed onstage.
Just before that bolt of pain, though, flashes of light began appearing where she couldn't see clearly.
Still, Chenoweth managed to soldier through the part of the first act. And just seconds after the curtain came down for the intermission and she vomited violently.
But it wasn't over yet...
The vicious, painful attacks kept coming – and more frequently, too. One even landed her in the hospital on the night she won her Emmy.
Chenoweth was suffering from migraine attacks. It's one of the most severe form of headache... and one of the most common. Along with two other types of headaches – tension and cluster – the trio make up 90% of the 200-plus types and subtypes of headaches.
Headache pain ranges from a minor annoyance to a debilitating condition and affects about 40% of the world's population, more often women.
In the U.S., headaches are the No. 3 top reason for women ages 64 and under to seek emergency care. And it's also estimated that about a third of all Americans ages 18 to 64 have experienced a severe headache like a migraine in the past three months.
Migraines also cost Americans tens of billions of dollars every year in medical expenses and missed days of work.
Headaches typically arise from changes in blood flow, tight facial and neck muscles, or inflammation due to an illness or infection.
Here's a lineup of some of the most common types of headaches and where the pain tends to concentrate...
Cluster: Cluster headaches usually affect one area just above or behind the eye on one side of the head. These headaches get their name for their frequency. You'll likely get clustered bouts of pain for a period of about two weeks to three months (with up to several waves of pain every day) then go through periods with no pain at all.
Migraine: Migraines often involve throbbing pain on one side of the head. Light, sound, and movement can make them worse, and many migraine sufferers experience nausea as well. Typically lasting from four hours to days, migraines can spring up from a number of triggers, whether it may be certain foods, smells, exercise, stress, or hormonal changes.
Sinus: Sinus headaches happen from an inflamed sinus cavity that causes dull or throbbing pain around your eyes and across your forehead. If you bend down and the pain gets worse because of pressure on the sinuses, that's likely a sinus headache. Other symptoms may include fever, excessive mucus, or congestion.
Tension: Feeling like your head is being squeezed on both sides is the most common type of headache. The pain also may radiate to your neck. These headaches can last anywhere from a half hour to a week.
TMJ: TMJ stands for "temporomandibular joint," or the joint where your lower jaw hinges onto your skull. Sometimes this joint wears out over time or suffers damage from a blow to the face. Also, when you feel stress, you may clench your jaw or grind your teeth in your sleep, putting strain and pressure on your joint. (You also may benefit from a night guard, which you can ask your dentist about.)
Four Tips to Combat Headaches
First things first... you should call 911 or get to the emergency room pronto if what feels like the worst headache of your life blindsides you out of nowhere, along with symptoms like fever, stiffness in the neck, changes in vision or personality, numbness, and weakness, or if it starts after a head injury.
Or if you start having headaches more often and/or they're becoming more painful, then you should schedule a doctor's visit.
Otherwise, try some of my favorite tips to alleviate and/or avoid that pounding headache before reaching for that bottle of Excedrin...
1. Drink water.
Our brains are about 75% water... Start losing some of that water, and you're looking at brain shrinkage and pain. Not only will dehydration often cause a headache, but it can also impair other areas of brain function like your memory and attention span.
I usually grab a glass of water right away whenever I feel a headache starting.
And remember, alcohol will do the opposite and make you more dehydrated. That's why I recommend a glass of water after every glass of wine.
As for another dehydration culprit, be careful with caffeine. A 2023 study of nearly 9,000 adults in the U.S. found that ingesting at least 400 milligrams of caffeine per day was associated with a 42% higher risk of severe headaches or migraines (while 100 milligrams per day was linked to just a 5% increased risk).
For reference, an 8-ounce brewed coffee usually has anywhere between 80 milligrams and 100 milligrams of caffeine. If I'm on the road and grab some self-serve coffee, I leave room in the cup or add a little bit of hot water instead of topping off a full 10-ounce cup.
2. Boost your body's "rest and digest" mode.
Stress can trigger headaches, big time. Along with sipping some water, I lean into doing some deep breathing exercises. The beauty of it is that you can do this anywhere – it doesn't matter if you're sitting at a red light or on an airplane.
You just start by focusing on lots of paced, steady, diaphragmatic breaths. These are the kind of breaths where you can feel your belly moving up and down.
Being mindful of your breathing for a few minutes can help your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your "fight or flight" response, simmer down... and let your "rest and digest" parasympathetic nervous system take the wheel.
Massage is another way to destress and it's especially great for tension headaches. Just use your fingertips or a tennis ball to massage from the upper neck to your upper back with medium pressure in a sweeping motion.
You can also try massaging the sides of your forehead in a small circular motion. Try using some diluted peppermint essential oil, too. The menthol increases blood flow in the skin. A few drops in an ounce of carrier oil like jojoba will do – make sure to do a small patch test with a tiny amount to make sure your skin doesn't react to it.
3. Get your heart and other muscles pumping.
Studies have found that regular exercise helps lessen the likelihood of you experiencing headaches. A May 2025 study found that one particular combination might do the trick. Researchers used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data spanning five years on 2,011 Americans aged 20 to 65.
As it turned out, combining vigorous exercise with strength-training exercise is your best bet for reducing the odds of a migraine or severe headache. Participants who did that combo lowered their odds by 52%, compared with folks who didn't exercise. Exercise triggers the release of mood-boosting, pain-killing chemicals like endorphins. And strengthening your muscles – particularly those in your neck and shoulders – is terrific for keeping neck and head pain (especially tension headaches) at bay.
My go-to for aerobic exercise is hopping on my Peloton bike for some high-intensity interval training workouts. For the strength component, I love using resistance bands since they're lightweight and packable.
4. Opt for more omegas.
Your body can turn omega-3 fatty acids into oxylipins which act as a natural anti-inflammatory and painkiller.
A 2023 review of 40 randomized-controlled trials with 6,616 adults (roughly 79% were women) found that omega-3 supplementation resulted in fewer and less-severe migraines. But as I always say, work on changing what you eat before grabbing that bottle of pills...
My favorite source of omega-3s comes from the sea: fatty fish. A serving of salmon about the size of a deck of cards nets you from 1.2 to 1.7 grams.
A smaller study from 2021 of 182 frequent-headache sufferers (most of whom were women) showed that eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids could reduce the severity and number of headaches per month. The high-omega-3 diets featured 1.5 grams per day over 16 weeks.
Finally, don't forget to keep tabs on the perpetrators.
If light is a trigger, try swapping bright fluorescent lights for warmer, soft lights and ask your doctor about wearing sunglasses or specially tinted lenses.
Or perhaps it's a certain food or beverage... Common culprits include foods with high levels of: a naturally occurring substance called tyramine (e.g., salami, smoked fish, aged cheeses, citrus fruits, and soy products), nitrates or nitrites (e.g., hot dogs and cured meats), and an amino acid called phenylalanine (e.g., artificial sweeteners, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and eggs).
A long history of headaches happens to be a symptom in 30% of folks who have a certain organ disorder – a condition that afflicts 1 in 4 older Americans. It's not just headaches either – this organ disorder can show up under the guise of "typical" signs of aging, with symptoms that mimic those of heart disease, depression, dementia, gastrointestinal problems, and more. Read about it in this month's Retirement Millionaire (or grab a trial subscription at a special discount).
What We're Reading...
- Something different: This is your dog's favorite TV show.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 29, 2025