Headaches: Causes, Triggers, and What Actually Works

When you feel that pounding behind your eyes or the tight band around your skull, you’re not just dealing with pain—you’re dealing with a signal from your body. Headaches, a common neurological symptom that can range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. Also known as cephalalgia, they affect nearly everyone at some point, but not all headaches are the same. Some are harmless and go away on their own. Others, like migraine, a neurological disorder often accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, and visual disturbances, can last for hours or even days. Then there’s the tension headache, the most common type, usually tied to stress, poor posture, or muscle tightness. Knowing which kind you have is the first step to stopping it.

What triggers these headaches? It’s rarely one thing. For some, it’s skipping meals or not drinking enough water. For others, it’s sleep too little or too much, bright lights, loud noise, or even certain foods like aged cheese or processed meats. Medications can play a role too—some pain relievers, if used too often, can actually cause rebound headaches. Even antidepressants like Celexa or Endep, which are meant to help with mood, can sometimes cause headaches as a side effect. And if you’re taking something like Doxylamine for sleep or Clonidine for blood pressure, those can also influence how often you get headaches. It’s not just about what you take—it’s about how your body reacts to combinations of things.

There’s no one-size-fits-all fix. What works for someone else might do nothing for you. That’s why people turn to alternatives: from OTC painkillers like Tylenol to prescription options, from lifestyle tweaks to supplements. Some try magnesium or riboflavin. Others find relief with acupuncture or biofeedback. The key is figuring out your pattern. Keep track: when do they start? What were you doing? What did you eat? What meds were you on? That kind of detail turns guesswork into strategy.

The posts below don’t just list drugs—they show you how different treatments compare, what side effects to watch for, and which ones actually make a difference in real life. Whether you’re dealing with daily tension headaches or suspect you’re having migraines, you’ll find clear, no-fluff comparisons that help you cut through the noise. No hype. No marketing. Just what works, what doesn’t, and why.