June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and it’s an important time to consider how headaches, including migraines, can affect your elderly loved one. Even with the support of senior home care, headaches can still disrupt daily life. While headaches often decrease in frequency and intensity with age, many seniors continue to struggle with them regularly.
When not linked to a more serious condition like cancer or a stroke, headaches may seem like a minor issue, but they can still interfere with daily activities and diminish a person’s quality of life.
This month is a great opportunity to discuss your loved one’s headaches and explore how senior home care providers can help them address the issue, find relief, and reduce the frequency of headaches for a better quality of life.
Common Causes of Primary Headaches in the Elderly
Primary headaches, a common issue often addressed in senior home care services, are not caused by an underlying health condition. Three of the most common types include cluster headaches, migraines, and tension headaches. These headaches can often be managed with over-the-counter pain relief and simple environmental adjustments, which are frequently part of personalized care plans in senior home care settings.
Headaches can have many triggers, which vary greatly between individuals, but some common causes of primary headaches include:
- Being exposed to a loud noise for a long period.
- Certain strong and irritating smells. These types of smells can vary from person to person. One person may get a headache from a strong perfume, while another might develop a headache due to the smell of tobacco smoke.
- Consuming alcohol, especially red wine.
- Enjoying some foods, especially those high in nitrates.
- A bad night’s sleep.
- A bad eyeglass prescription or having to squint for a long period of time.
- Looking at electronics for too long.
- Becoming dehydrated.
- Skipping meals.
- Being overly stressed.
- Wearing too tight of headwear.
Headache Relief for the Elderly
The best relief for headaches, especially in the context of senior home care, often comes from identifying the cause and addressing it. For seniors, headaches triggered by loud noises, strong smells, or excessive screen time can often be alleviated by adjusting their environment and removing the source of discomfort.
In a senior home care setting, caregivers can help by ensuring these adjustments are made promptly. Some headaches may result from the body needing essentials like water, food, or sleep, and caregivers can play a crucial role in providing these necessities.
Other headaches may require a combination of tender loving care, rest, and removal from triggers to help your loved one feel better. Pain relievers, a quiet resting area, and time away from others can also aid in reducing the discomfort, ensuring seniors in home care receive the support they need to recover fully.
Senior Home Care Can Help When Headaches Interfere with Daily Living Activities
If regular headaches, such as migraines, plague your loved one, having a senior home care provider come to the home to help with chores that she cannot do can provide the relief she needs.
A senior home care provider can make sure daily chores get done when your loved one finds herself sidelined in a dark room to recover from her headache pain. She’ll be able to rest better knowing important chores and household duties will be taken care of for her while she’s resting.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Senior Home Care in Campbell, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
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