Beat Your Top Health Woes

The latest on handling headaches, back pain and other issues that plague women most

A couple of weeks ago, I met up with two friends for dinner. Between talk of my aching legs, Melissa's heartburn and Sarah's allergies, you'd have thought we were retirees there for a Golden Girls reunion, not a bunch of healthy, gymgoing women in our 30s out to have fun. But we're far from unusual. In fact, women all across America say they feel "unhealthy" an average of four days a month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. We're not talking about serious, life-threatening illnesses: We mean those assorted aches and pains that may be just bad enough to make you drag through the day, cancel a date or call in sick. Naturally, SELF wanted to know what's bringing you down. One in five readers said mild depression and anxiety sideline her most. (Check out "The Hidden Signs of Depression," page 98.) The next most common complaints—allergies, headaches, back, shoulder and neck pain, painful periods and constipation—together accounted for nearly two thirds of the responses. That's why we decided to go straight to leading women's-health experts for surefire prevention strategies and the latest treatment advice, so you can get on with living—and loving—your life!

1.Allergies

Every spring and fall, more than 10 million American women transform from productive citizens into foggy-headed, drippy-nosed eye scratchers. But it's not only because of hay fever: Reactions to dust mites, animal dander and mold can also make you feel as if you have a never-ending head cold. "As soon as allergies start getting in the way of sleeping, working or playing, it's time to get help," says Kathleen Sheerin, M.D., an allergist at the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic.

Your prevention plan. The first step is to note where you are and what you're doing when symptoms occur. (Download a log at Self.com/go/health.) Next, turn your bedroom into a hypoallergenic sanctuary: If you wake up stuffy, try special allergen-blocking covers for your mattress, pillows and duvet; they can protect you from dust mites, which thrive inside bedding. Check local pollen conditions at Pollen.com and keep your windows shut when the count is high, Dr. Sheerin suggests. Change the filter in your air conditioner and/or run an air purifier in your bedroom to help clear the air. And keep things clean. Although vacuuming your carpet, disinfecting the bathroom and washing your sheets weekly is a pain, you'll see a difference.

Flare-up fixers. Luckily, there are medications that will clear you up without conking you out. The active ingredient to look for in over-the-counter meds is loratadine, Dr. Sheerin says. It doesn't cause the drowsiness that older drugs can. If you need something more potent, a prescription-strength antihistamine or a steroid nasal spray may be in order. But bear in mind that many insurance companies require a doctor's letter saying you've tried OTCs to no avail before they will cover Rx meds.

Breaking news. Allergy shots may soon be less of a pain, thanks to a new long-lasting vaccine recently tested on hay fever patients. According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, patients found that their allergy symptoms were controlled through two ragweed seasons after only six weekly injections. Older versions require at least 12 to 24 rounds.

2.Headaches

Because of the combination of everyday stress and fluctuating hormones, women in their 20s and 30s get three times more headaches than men. In fact, up to 60 percent of the women who suffer migraines in particular can link them to their period. And yet doctors still don't quite understand the relationship. Some women have more migraines when estrogen levels are rising, at the beginning of the cycle; others have them when estrogen falls, before their periods; and some are prone at both times, says Stephen Silberstein, M.D., professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Your prevention plan. "Go to bed at the same time every night, eat regular meals and exercise," advises Dr. Silberstein, who says an erratic schedule can exacerbate pain. Tossing cigarettes and cutting down on caffeine and alcohol can also help, as can tracking your diet to see if any foods bring on your pain. (Find a log at Self.com/go/health.) Red wine, aged cheeses and MSG are among the most common offenders.

Once you get a handle on these lifestyle issues, consider your birth control. The Pill eases some women's headaches, yet worsens others', Dr. Silberstein says. It may take some trial and error, so ask your gyn about different options.

Flare-up fixers. If garden-variety pain relievers are no match for your headaches, your doctor might prescribe one of the triptan drugs, which you take at the first sign of a migraine. They are effective in 80 percent of patients. There are reliable pill-free options, too: Relaxation exercises have been shown to reduce headache pain (try the meditation CDs at Headaches.org). And in a study of patients who had no luck with conventional treatments, 84 percent said their symptoms were eased after low-dose injections of Botox in the forehead and neck, according to researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Be warned: Your insurance probably won't cover them, and they start at around $350.

Breaking news. The future of migraine treatment may one day include occipital nerve stimulation, in which a small device is implanted under the skin in the back of your head. It then sends out electrical signals that block pain.