08 Jul HEADACHES & GAMING – THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNDERSTAND AND REDUCE HEADACHES IN GAMING | 1HP MEDKIT
HEADACHES & GAMING?
Ever get headaches from a long session of gaming? Is it because of your eyes and you need gaming glasses? Is it because you aren’t having enough water? Feel a slight discomfort in your head that just progresses into a headache as you play longer? If you answered yes to any of these questions or are interested in learning more about why you might have headaches as a gamer – you are in the right place. This is the 1HP medkit for what gamers need to know about headaches and how to FIX them.
This article series is unique and will guide you to help you figure out exactly what type of headache you are dealing with. You can almost think of it like a choose your own adventure book but…more a figure out what i’m dealing with and help me manage it.
It will ask you questions in order to figure out what type of headache you are dealing with then based on your answers provide you with a more specific treatment routine.
THREE MAJOR TYPES OF HEADACHES IN GAMING
That’s right – there is more than one type of headache. It is estimated that there are 150 different types of headaches (established by the International Headache Society) however we are primarily concerned with THREE of the 150. And the reason why is because these three represent the majority of headaches we feel as gamers. The three are as follows and as I mentioned above I will be helping you figure out exactly which of the primary three gaming headaches you might be dealing with
- Cervicogenic
- Tension-Type Headache
- Migraine
So let’s begin!
SEVERITY & THE PATTERN OF YOUR HEADACHE | HEADACHES IN GAMING
The first thing we want to do is better understand the severity (how strong the sensation of the headache is along with some other details like how often you feel it, when it gets worse, etc.) in addition to how it behaves with your activity. This can give us a better clue as to what type of headache you are currently dealing with as each of the headaches listed above behave differently. So answer the question below!
Which one best describes the behavior and severity of your headache?
Do your best to choose either one of the two choices listed below. I want to emphasize the simplification of these categories is to best serve the majority of the gaming community – headaches are complicated and the current evidence still has not answered a lot of questions associated with management and evaluation. Once you have chosen what answer you fit into, follow the next steps to help you finalize your headache category
A: I often feel my headaches after I am playing for long periods of time. The headache gets worse the longer I play. I will occasionally have some neck discomfort and stiffness. The sensation of the headache is more achy but is not too bad when I first feel it. It definitely gets worse after I play for longer periods of time. If I get up and move or exercise, it sometimes gets better. The headache is always associated with sitting or maintaining certain positions for a long time.
B: My headache is unpredictable and seems random. It can be present the entire day without me really doing anything. Sometimes it is worse when I do physical activities like walking or climbing stairs but other times it is okay. The headache can last from 30 minutes to three days but again it seems random. Occasionally I may feel some discomfort in my neck during the headache but I’m not sure if it is related.
If you chose A -> It is very likely you are dealing with cervicogenic headaches – Learn a little more about why here!
If you chose B -> Stay right here, we a few other questions to help clarify which headache you have
WHERE ARE YOU FEELING YOUR HEADACHE | HEADACHES IN GAMING
The second thing we need to establish is where you are feeling your headaches. The location can also give us a good hint as to which headache you might be dealing with. To keep it simple all you need to answer is whether you feel it on one side or on both sides!
A: I feel my headache on both sides
B: I feel my headache on one side only.
If you chose A -> You are likely to be dealing with a tension-type headache. The most common headache in the general population but not amongst gamers. One more question just to make sure, follow me!
If you chose B -> You might have a migraine – we have one more question you have to confirm the suspicion of migraine.
NAUSEA, LIGHT AND SOUND SENSITIVITY? AURA WITH GAMING HEADACHES
Migraine is a unique headache category as it typically is associated with symptoms such as nausea and other sensitivities. So in order for us to be more confident that you may be dealing with migraine, we just have to ask the following question
Do you ever feel nausea, sensitivity to light/sound/smell when you experience your headaches?
A: Yes, I feel nausea, sometimes I vomit and will be sensitive to light, sounds and smell during my headaches.
B: Nope, I do not have any of these symptoms
If you chose A -> With this answer we are more and more confident you are dealing with migraine – learn more about what it is and what you can do here!
If you chose B -> It is not 100% clear which headache you are dealing with, but from my experience if you made it here the most likely headache you are dealing with is cervicogenic headaches. Head over to the management page and skip the question on the page to learn more about what is going on and how you can address it.
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