Why does my head hurt every time when studying or doing homework?

[Karloky]

I am getting sick of it. Everytime I am doing my homework especially for some longer period of time my head starts to hurt . And it hurts quite a lot and as the time passes that I am doing my homework for idk 2 hours my head hurts more and more . It happens when I am studying too. Is there any way that it stops?

[JoannaB]

Could it be an unintentional psychosomatic reaction? By now you probably expect it to happen, so you tense up, and dread doing home work in part because you "know" it will cause you a headache. I would suggest that you observe your internal monologue: how do you talk to yourself about homework and studying? Do you tell yourself that you dread doing homework because it causes you headaches, and do you repeat that to yourself until you believe it? If so, change that: be more positive to yourself about homework. Also sometimes something as simple as improving the light or getting a better chair (more comfortable or healthier for your back etc - or adjusting chair height to better match the desk/table) or changing the location for the better could help. Have you tried studying outdoors for a change? Reward yourself for studying, so that you get a treat for studying well done.

[snoop]

Just curious, do you wear glasses or need to wear glasses? I'm far sighted and three times more far sighted in my left eye than my right eye. My left eye also has the inability to focus for more than a second or two, any longer than that and the muscles in my eyes become extremely strained which in itself causes pain both in the form of a headache and in my eyes. Ignoring that though, even when I am wearing my glasses (which magnify everything to a degree) I will still get a headache when having to do any sort of reading or paperwork. Perhaps this could be contributing to your head pain?

[JoannaB]

Just curious, do you wear glasses or need to wear glasses? I'm far sighted and three times more far sighted in my left eye than my right eye. My left eye also has the inability to focus for more than a second or two, any longer than that and the muscles in my eyes become extremely strained which in itself causes pain both in the form of a headache and in my eyes. Ignoring that though, even when I am wearing my glasses (which magnify everything to a degree) I will still get a headache when having to do any sort of reading or paperwork. Perhaps this could be contributing to your head pain? Ah, excellent point! I forgot about eyesight. I would even say, whether or not you currently wear glasses, it may be a good idea to go and have your eyesight checked: maybe you need glasses, or an adjustment to current eyeglass prescription?

[LemonPartiez]

Are you drinking enough water and getting fresh air? I know that being cooped up in a room for too long without fresh air causes a headache that only gets worse if I don't take breaks. Also the advice others have left seems helpful.

[snoop]

Are you drinking enough water and getting fresh air? I know that being cooped up in a room for too long without fresh air causes a headache that only gets worse if I don't take breaks. Also the advice others have left seems helpful. Water is a good one. Dehydration headaches are really common and most of the time people don't really know what they are. That and low blood sugar headaches/nasty body feel.

[Karloky]

Thank you all!!! Yes I wear glasses and I know that I need to get a fresh air I guess I should do it more often and idk my back also sometimes hurt from sitting in the last weeks :/ but I hope it will get better ...my father also always suggest me to at least get my body stretched a little....once in a while ....but anyway in last few weeks I have been really exhausted and I lack sleep also so when it all adds up it is a pretty big deal.

[JoannaB]

I wonder whether the lack of sleep could be the cause, or at least a very strong contributing factor to all your other troubles: exhaustion, back ache, headaches. A body needs sleep to recover, and without adequate sleep, bad things happen. Are you suffering from insomnia or do you not take sufficient time to sleep? If you have insomnia for a long time and it most likely is affecting your other health, you may want to see a doctor about that. lack of sleep is not a good idea for a prolonged period of time. EDit: I just saw that you had a number of health related issues recently in other posts. I would really recommend that you go see a doctor if you have not already. Posting to DV about health issues is not going to resolve them, and there may be something wrong with you that requires a doctor's attention or not, but a doctor should be a judge of that given the number of health related concerns you have recently, and not online forum members. I wish you health!

[Zhaylin]

Glasses is the first thing that came to my mind too lol That and check the area you study in for allergens. That's one of my go-to answers for most things lol, but simple allergies can cause a lot of big problems.

[Raen]

I also wear glasses but rarely find myself with headaches caused by them while studying. I believe it could possibly be attributed to stress. I find that the best way to study is to do so in a comfortable space. The simple act of having a cluttered bedroom can cause stress so if you have an unorganised room, it could help to make sure it was clean and everything is in place. Frequent breaks should also be taken in order to avoid constant strain on your brain. Take 5-10 mins out every hour to relax or do something you enjoy to ease up the tension and I think you will find that the headaches will become less common. As others have suggested, making sure you are hydrated is also a very important factor so make sure to drink plenty of water. Listening to classical or zen music while studying can also help you become more relaxed so you could give that a shot.

[bro]

I agree with JoannaB about it kind of being a learned reaction. I used to get terrible headaches back when I worked under a very difficult boss. I think they were from tension & negative emotions. I learned to expect this awful feeling working with my boss and lo and behold, each time, a headache. Also, on a different note: I notice that when I am sitting down to get in gear and be productive, the muscles in my neck tense up a lot. I have to consciously combat this by massaging my neck & using good posture. You might also be able to combat the headaches a bit by sitting down, when doing homework, with a cup of tea or other drink you enjoy for more positive association (coffee for me, actually slows my mind surprisingly), or a limited amount of candy you like.