Many of us take vacations to leave headaches behind. Work stress, grueling routines, lack of sleep, and too little time for ourselves can all lead to headaches. But what can you do when your Hilton Head getaway doesn’t help your headaches — or even makes them worse?

Try to Get Back on Routine

Yeah, we know, you’re trying to get away from your daily routine by being on vacation, but too much of a change too soon can be stressful. Don’t get too much sleep right away, and try to keep close to your regular bedtime and wake up schedule.

Dramatically shifting these things around can cause your body confusion, resulting in headaches.

Is Your Diet Changing Too Much?

Another change that can lead to headaches is changes in what you’re eating and drinking. Are you getting a lot more or less caffeine? Switching either way can lead to headaches.

Another common culprit is alcohol. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t drink much but you’re drinking heavily on vacation, that can lead to headaches — and we’re not just talking about hangovers. You can also get headaches if you change the source of your alcohol, such as moving from beers to wine or liquor.

And while we’re on the subject of drinking, dehydration is a common cause of headaches. If you’re not drinking enough water, you can easily find yourself with a splitting headache.

It Could Be the Weather

Warm weather increases the risk of headaches. If you’ve come from someplace cool and arrived in a particularly hot week, you might be experiencing headaches. This is only partly dehydration — it could also be sun exposure or just the temperature and pressure changes.

Maybe It Was Never Stress

When we clench our jaws, we tend to blame it on stress. After all, jaw clenching is commonly associated with stress. But it’s possible that your jaw clenching is actually related to TMJ, a jaw dysfunction that can lead to jaw clenching and many associated problems, including chronic headaches. Ironically, the jaw clenching might have been making you think you were more stressed than you actually were.

If you notice that jaw clenching and headaches are continuing to bother you while you’re on vacation, we can help you figure out whether TMJ is the real cause. Please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with a Hilton Head TMJ dentist today.