Recurring Headaches, Only At Work
November 14, 2015 8:55 PM Subscribe
Over the last few weeks I've start getting recurrent and consistent headaches...at work. And only at work. Nothing has changed and I don't know how to go about fixing this.
I work in an open floor office and have a cubicle, that I don't share. My computer has two monitors. I stare at them for basically 8 hours a day. But this has been this way since July so I don't understand why this is just happening now.
Things that have not changed:
The amount of time I sit starting at my computers. (I take ten minute breaks every few hours.)
The amount of stress I'm under. (Not really, in my mind, but am I the best to judge? idk)
My location.
My monitors/computer.
Lighting, sounds, smells.
Things that have changed:
Headaches. Bad ones. Every day.
Glasses. I got new glasses as a response to the headaches. They seem like they may have helped a bit but the headaches still come back after a few hours at work.
Some mysterious factor X??
My glasses prescription is from April, I just never got the new lenses until last week. The headaches are worse when I look at my monitors. I could adjust my resolution but since I work with a lot of data and programs I want the resolution as high as possible. Also, I tend to feel a 'motion sickness' kind of feeling when I move my head or walk away from my computer.
Thoughts? I'm aggressively trying to avoid changing anything because I'm going to be inconvenienced and I know that, but I have no idea what gives. This started happening out of nowhere and it sucks.
I work in an open floor office and have a cubicle, that I don't share. My computer has two monitors. I stare at them for basically 8 hours a day. But this has been this way since July so I don't understand why this is just happening now.
Things that have not changed:
The amount of time I sit starting at my computers. (I take ten minute breaks every few hours.)
The amount of stress I'm under. (Not really, in my mind, but am I the best to judge? idk)
My location.
My monitors/computer.
Lighting, sounds, smells.
Things that have changed:
Headaches. Bad ones. Every day.
Glasses. I got new glasses as a response to the headaches. They seem like they may have helped a bit but the headaches still come back after a few hours at work.
Some mysterious factor X??
My glasses prescription is from April, I just never got the new lenses until last week. The headaches are worse when I look at my monitors. I could adjust my resolution but since I work with a lot of data and programs I want the resolution as high as possible. Also, I tend to feel a 'motion sickness' kind of feeling when I move my head or walk away from my computer.
Thoughts? I'm aggressively trying to avoid changing anything because I'm going to be inconvenienced and I know that, but I have no idea what gives. This started happening out of nowhere and it sucks.
Sorry, bit confused about the timeline - have the headaches only been happening for a few weeks, as you said above the fold? Or did you have them in April, when you got but didn't fill the prescription? Or did you get two pairs of glasses, one in April and one a few weeks ago?
Or did you get the prescription in April (unrelated to headaches) and fill it a few weeks ago, thinking it would address the headaches that started a few weeks ago?
Basically: was it glasses -> headaches or headaches -> glasses?
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:05 PM on November 14, 2015
Or did you get the prescription in April (unrelated to headaches) and fill it a few weeks ago, thinking it would address the headaches that started a few weeks ago?
Basically: was it glasses -> headaches or headaches -> glasses?
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:05 PM on November 14, 2015
This sounds like my migraines. I know you said the lighting hadn't changed, but I experienced similar symptoms and removing the light above my desk helped. Can you have that done?
I was told by my doctor that it was the way the fluorescent lighting was reflecting off the edges of my glasses.
posted by Verdandi at 9:12 PM on November 14, 2015
I was told by my doctor that it was the way the fluorescent lighting was reflecting off the edges of my glasses.
posted by Verdandi at 9:12 PM on November 14, 2015
I suffered for two years from a recurring, debilitating headache centered above my right eyeball, that only ever came on workdays (not daily, once or twice a week). Nothing worked, my eyesight hadn't changed. I realized that it had begun a few months after I acquired a standing desk. The desk and my computer monitors appeared to be aligned correctly, but I later deduced that the setup was causing the right side of my neck to tense up, probably because the monitors were just a bit too far and I was craning my neck forward slightly.
I gave up the standing desk and went back to sitting. My headaches dramatically lessened in frequency (I had only one the first month after the desk change, and then maybe one in three months), and in intensity by at least 75%. I have not had a headache in over six months.
posted by Atrahasis at 9:14 PM on November 14, 2015
I gave up the standing desk and went back to sitting. My headaches dramatically lessened in frequency (I had only one the first month after the desk change, and then maybe one in three months), and in intensity by at least 75%. I have not had a headache in over six months.
posted by Atrahasis at 9:14 PM on November 14, 2015
Response by poster: Sorry, cotton dress sock, it went headaches -> glasses. Got the script in April but never bothered to get it filled. Got it filled hoping it would help.
Additional anecdata: I feel more comfortable sitting as absolutely far away from my monitor as I can.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 9:20 PM on November 14, 2015
Additional anecdata: I feel more comfortable sitting as absolutely far away from my monitor as I can.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 9:20 PM on November 14, 2015
Your profile pic looks a bit young for my idea, but anyway here goes. All of us, usually around the age of 40, start to lose our ability to change our focal length as much. For me this started to cause me to get headaches while using a PC for extended periods, so this year I have actually got an extra pair of glasses - set to the focal length I need for computer usage. Therefore they are between my normal wear glasses (distance) & my reading glasses (book distance). However switching glasses all the time is extremely annoying so next year I'm going to have to bite the bullet & get varifocals.
Might it be worth discussing this with your ophthalmologist?
posted by cantthinkofagoodname at 9:39 PM on November 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Might it be worth discussing this with your ophthalmologist?
posted by cantthinkofagoodname at 9:39 PM on November 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Did any other new employees start recently? Maybe somebody is wearing perfume or brought in potpourri.
posted by bq at 9:39 PM on November 14, 2015
posted by bq at 9:39 PM on November 14, 2015
Here's some general workstation advice for eyestrain.
posted by aniola at 9:40 PM on November 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 9:40 PM on November 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Do you have any way of finding out whether the maintenance staff at your building have changed anything lately? Types of cleaning supplies, or wattage or color of lightbulbs, or some kind of maintenance that might have put weird dust or something in the air? I tend to have weird symptoms any time our building maintenance staff is doing HVAC maintenance, and I assume it's because there's all sorts of dust and mold up there that gets stirred up.
posted by decathecting at 9:55 PM on November 14, 2015
posted by decathecting at 9:55 PM on November 14, 2015
Are your headaches in one particular spot, and if so, is it always the same spot?
Do you have any trouble reading, or ever feel like you can't see straight, when you get a headache?
When they come on, do they last all day at the same intensity, or do they come and go?
The "motion sickness" feeling you mention makes it sound like a migraine, but it's hard to know from here.
You might want to talk to a doctor. It may not be anything serious, but if it's been as much of a problem as you're describing, it would be worth getting checked out. I get chronic migraines and work very closely with a neurologist, as well as my regular doctor. You can always work on identifying environmental factors, but there are also medications (like sumatriptan) you can take that will help prevent the headaches from becoming too disruptive (and identifying headache triggers can take some time, so it definitely helps to have medication). A doctor/neurologist will also be able to rule out any potentially serious issues - and since this has come on suddenly, it couldn't hurt to eliminate the worst possibilities.
posted by teponaztli at 10:02 PM on November 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
Do you have any trouble reading, or ever feel like you can't see straight, when you get a headache?
When they come on, do they last all day at the same intensity, or do they come and go?
The "motion sickness" feeling you mention makes it sound like a migraine, but it's hard to know from here.
You might want to talk to a doctor. It may not be anything serious, but if it's been as much of a problem as you're describing, it would be worth getting checked out. I get chronic migraines and work very closely with a neurologist, as well as my regular doctor. You can always work on identifying environmental factors, but there are also medications (like sumatriptan) you can take that will help prevent the headaches from becoming too disruptive (and identifying headache triggers can take some time, so it definitely helps to have medication). A doctor/neurologist will also be able to rule out any potentially serious issues - and since this has come on suddenly, it couldn't hurt to eliminate the worst possibilities.
posted by teponaztli at 10:02 PM on November 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
From an anonymous commenter:
Hi,posted by taz at 10:15 PM on November 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
IAMNYD etc, but I recommend you do a bit of research on CH/migraine and speak to your Doctor.
Here is my personal experience with a similar problem:
Recently during a seasonal change, I started getting bad headaches every day. Like having to sit down and clutch my head bad. Usually around the same time of day and felt to be in the same location in my head. Painkillers did very little to help.
After consulting with my Doctor, and a Neurologist, I was diagnosed with cluster headache, and treated with Rizatriptan. In my case, the drugs helped immensely and aborted the headaches within minutes of taking them.
Eventually, the headaches lessened in severity and frequency, and went away. Hopefully they won't be back.
Has anything changed in what you eat or drink (mentioned above) or in your sleep habits? When I had to sleep on a crappy mattress, I had headaches more often.
Also, over the last year I have started getting headaches monthly with my period, even when I have minimized my other triggers. Nothing has changed except I am a year older, so it might not be anything new with your environment and just be a new development for you. In that case, you definitely need to loop in a doctor for relief.
posted by rakaidan at 11:30 PM on November 14, 2015
Also, over the last year I have started getting headaches monthly with my period, even when I have minimized my other triggers. Nothing has changed except I am a year older, so it might not be anything new with your environment and just be a new development for you. In that case, you definitely need to loop in a doctor for relief.
posted by rakaidan at 11:30 PM on November 14, 2015
Many years ago I used to go play ultimate frisbee after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and all of a sudden started getting migraines every Thursday after the games. It took me the longest time to figure it out.
The fields we used was shared on Thursdays so we changed the orientation of our game by 90o. So I was dealing with sunglare as the sun started to set. I solved this by stopping playing early on Thursdays and the migraines immediately stopped.
You mentioned that your headaches started a couple of weeks ago. Daylight savings time went into effect around then. Are you dealing with sunglare because of that? Is there a way to rotate your workspace by 90 degrees or put a shade or window film on a nearby window?
Daily headaches are pretty miserable, I hope you're able to get to the bottom of this soon.
posted by sciencegeek at 1:46 AM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
The fields we used was shared on Thursdays so we changed the orientation of our game by 90o. So I was dealing with sunglare as the sun started to set. I solved this by stopping playing early on Thursdays and the migraines immediately stopped.
You mentioned that your headaches started a couple of weeks ago. Daylight savings time went into effect around then. Are you dealing with sunglare because of that? Is there a way to rotate your workspace by 90 degrees or put a shade or window film on a nearby window?
Daily headaches are pretty miserable, I hope you're able to get to the bottom of this soon.
posted by sciencegeek at 1:46 AM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
(I take ten minute breaks every few hours.)
Have you tried taking five-minute breaks every hour (or whatever it would take to double your breaks but halving the time between them)? I have similar issues, and I find that more shorter breaks helps a lot.
posted by Etrigan at 3:48 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Have you tried taking five-minute breaks every hour (or whatever it would take to double your breaks but halving the time between them)? I have similar issues, and I find that more shorter breaks helps a lot.
posted by Etrigan at 3:48 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Seconding sweetkid. Do you live somewhere where the heat is coming on now that it's fall? If so, try a humidifier. There are small desktop humidifiers.
posted by amro at 5:05 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by amro at 5:05 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Sorry, just to spell it out: the heat can make the air dry, and the humidifier will help. Dry winter air gives me awful headaches.
posted by amro at 5:07 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by amro at 5:07 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Has your caffeine intake increased or decreased at all? Sometimes if I go through a spell of getting poor sleep, I drink more coffee. Then I have trouble sleeping which leads to more coffee and then eventually I'm getting rebound headaches because I don't have a steady flow of caffeine in me all day.
posted by sutel at 5:15 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by sutel at 5:15 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Is anyone else in the office having problems? When this happened to me it turned out there was a mold problem in our building . . .
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:15 AM on November 15, 2015
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:15 AM on November 15, 2015
One more thing to check.... When fluorescent lightbulbs begin to die, they often cause an almost imperceptible flicker (that is often concealed by the fully functioning bulbs). Your brain can tell that it's flickering, even if you can't. That flicker gives me the worst headaches. Maybe ask maintenance to change the bulbs over/in your cube.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:49 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:49 AM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
How is your posture and your chair? Therapeutic massage therapy might be helpful.
posted by theraflu at 6:46 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by theraflu at 6:46 AM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
With the glasses, are they maybe a tad too snug? I find that when the weather changes, if my glasses are too tight, it leads to recurring daily headaches, especially if I'm spending a lot of time on the computer: for me the computer is more about my neck than eye strain. So it's a combination of factors.
Is the nausea correlated with the headaches, or a general thing? I've noticed that when I switch from contacts to glasses, I get a bit motion sick from turning etc for a while, and it was more noticeable bwhen I had smaller frames. I think it's from the blurring of my peripheral vision. Maybe switching from focusing on the computer (everything you're focusing on is clear) to a wider field (now you have to process blurred + clear) triggers something similar?
posted by ghost phoneme at 9:13 AM on November 15, 2015
Is the nausea correlated with the headaches, or a general thing? I've noticed that when I switch from contacts to glasses, I get a bit motion sick from turning etc for a while, and it was more noticeable bwhen I had smaller frames. I think it's from the blurring of my peripheral vision. Maybe switching from focusing on the computer (everything you're focusing on is clear) to a wider field (now you have to process blurred + clear) triggers something similar?
posted by ghost phoneme at 9:13 AM on November 15, 2015
What are the bathroom facilities like?
My son is hyper-sensitive to things like molds, and just being in a space with mold (even hidden or in the floor drain) will give him pounding headaches (and often nausea.)
posted by Thorzdad at 11:07 AM on November 15, 2015
My son is hyper-sensitive to things like molds, and just being in a space with mold (even hidden or in the floor drain) will give him pounding headaches (and often nausea.)
posted by Thorzdad at 11:07 AM on November 15, 2015
Response by poster: Lot of good ideas here, thank you all.
I wasn't thinking about changes outside of work, but I have started working out regularly, and it's possible that it's dehydration.
teponaztli, you seem to be describing them to a T. They are in the same spot, right at the front of my head. They last all day when I get them, but tend to tape off very slowly after I get home. They could be migraines, but the migraines I've gotten in the past have always come on differently and obviously, so that didn't occur to me.
Thanks for all the help everyone. I have no idea what this is still so no best answers, and I'll leave this open to anyone else to comment. Hopefully I'll get a handle on this soon.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 2:09 PM on November 15, 2015
I wasn't thinking about changes outside of work, but I have started working out regularly, and it's possible that it's dehydration.
teponaztli, you seem to be describing them to a T. They are in the same spot, right at the front of my head. They last all day when I get them, but tend to tape off very slowly after I get home. They could be migraines, but the migraines I've gotten in the past have always come on differently and obviously, so that didn't occur to me.
Thanks for all the help everyone. I have no idea what this is still so no best answers, and I'll leave this open to anyone else to comment. Hopefully I'll get a handle on this soon.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 2:09 PM on November 15, 2015
Also, I tend to feel a 'motion sickness' kind of feeling when I move my head or walk away from my computer.
According to the NYT blog post Feeling Woozy? It May Be Cyber Sickness, you are not alone.
posted by Little Dawn at 2:44 PM on November 15, 2015
According to the NYT blog post Feeling Woozy? It May Be Cyber Sickness, you are not alone.
posted by Little Dawn at 2:44 PM on November 15, 2015
Do you wear those glasses at home; if so, do you get headaches when you do? Do your headaches stop as soon as you take off the glasses? I have glasses for driving that were fine for a while but now I get a headache after wearing them for more than 45 minutes or so.
posted by mareli at 6:07 AM on November 16, 2015
posted by mareli at 6:07 AM on November 16, 2015
I hear symptom x (in your case headaches) only happens at place y (work) and I think environmental sensitivities. Like previous comment mentions it could be a product or protocol being used by the cleaning staff, or perhaps some sort of sensitivity to mold. Has there ever been water damage at your place of employ?
If it is environmental then it's important to remember that it's not necessarily something ~new~. Sometimes our bodies ability to endure minor irritants can change over time.
posted by peterpete at 11:43 AM on November 17, 2015
If it is environmental then it's important to remember that it's not necessarily something ~new~. Sometimes our bodies ability to endure minor irritants can change over time.
posted by peterpete at 11:43 AM on November 17, 2015
Response by poster: Well I have a feeling I figured it out, and this all could have been solved a lot quicker if I hadn't made assumptions. Apparently somebody did mess with my monitors. I reset them back to factory defaults and suddenly no more headaches. Maybe it's just a temporary lull and they'll come back with a vengeance, but I'm hoping this case is closed. Thank you everyone for the help.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 8:12 AM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 8:12 AM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sweetkid at 9:00 PM on November 14, 2015 [3 favorites]