Headaches are a fairly common condition in daily life, especially in office workers. Work pressure, prolonged screen usage, and psychological stress often cause many people to experience this condition. However, according to neurologists, not every headache is simple.
Dr. Dipesh Pimpale, a neurologist at KIMS Hospital (Thane, India) said that most headaches that appear in the working environment are usually benign and related to lifestyle. Common causes include prolonged screen use, wrong sitting posture, work stress, eye strain, dehydration or meal skipping.
These factors can cause stress headaches, the most common type of headache. Although uncomfortable, this condition can often be improved by resting, adjusting lifestyle, or reducing screen time.
However, what is worrying is when a headache appears suddenly and unusually compared to previous pains. According to Dr. Pimpale, a severe headache usually starts quickly, intensely and peaks in just a few minutes. This may be a warning sign of neurological problems that need to be checked immediately.
Some accompanying signs that need special attention include vision disorders, stuttering or confusion, numbness or weakness in limbs, dizziness, loss of balance, or migraines that seriously affect daily life. These symptoms may be related to dangerous conditions such as meningitis, intracranial hypertension, aneurysm, or vascular malformations.
In addition, experts also note that it is necessary to distinguish between different types of headaches. Migraines often cause sharp pain on one side of the head and can last for many hours. Meanwhile, episodic headaches are rare but very severe, often appearing around the eye area and recurring many times.
If the headache has new, prolonged symptoms, affects sleep or does not improve after using common pain relievers, patients should see a doctor. The neurologist may prescribe a clinical examination or perform tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT scan to determine the cause.
In addition to medical examinations when necessary, experts also recommend some lifestyle changes to help reduce the risk of headaches. Drinking enough water, taking eyes off every 30–40 minutes of working with a screen, maintaining a proper sitting posture, eating adequately and getting enough sleep can significantly reduce headaches at work.
According to Dr. Pimpale, these simple habits, although small, play an important role in protecting brain health and helping to reduce the frequency of headaches in daily life.
