DR. WALLACE: For years, both my grandmother and my mother have had intermittent headaches that caused them to withdraw from family activities from time to time.

For many years, I would say nothing, but roll my eyes whenever these headaches appeared at inopportune times. However, now that I'm 17 years old and heading toward my senior year in high school, this fall, I'm sadly starting to find out what headaches are all about. I've experienced a few of different intensities, and I now have a much better understanding of what they've both been through over the years. What causes these darn headaches? — Now I Understand, via email

NOW I UNDERSTAND: Always check immediately with your family medical professional when you experience a new set of headaches. Tests should be run to rule out anything more serious than just an inconvenient headache.

Having said that, there are many things that can trigger headaches, and headaches often fall into categories that include clusters, tension, headaches and migraine headaches.

Things that typically trigger headaches for most people include sleep deprivation, dehydration, anxiety, a change in medications or diet and even physical exertion. Many individuals who start new, aggressive workout programs suffer headaches early on due to extreme exertion.

Always keep yourself well hydrated, whether you're experiencing headaches or not, especially during the warm weather we are experiencing nationwide this summer. And this will sound remarkably simple, but: Be sure you get a full night's sleep every night for many consecutive days. Good, restful sleep tends to help reset our bodies in many important ways. Occasionally you will need to have shorter nights of sleep due to the busyness of life, but immediately take note of this and try to extend your sleep back to a full night of good rest during the following days.

I NEED TO CHOOSE SOON

DR. WALLACE: What is the best second language to learn in high school? I'll be back at school this September and this year at my high school I'm supposed to select a foreign language to study. My friends are split into about three different languages, and I can think of reasons to try each of them, but I'm not actually sure which one I want to learn.

The good news is that a few of my friends will be in each of the three main classes I may end up selecting. How can I make this decision? — Need to Decide Soon, via email

NEED TO DECIDE SOON: It's great that you'll have friends in whichever language class you select, but I would not make the decision based upon which friend is in which class. Instead, think about your own family, heritage and ask your parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents about their heritage. Someday later in your life, you may want to travel to a foreign country to look up your roots on your family tree. It may be possible that some of your relatives came from a country that speaks one of the second languages offered at your high school. This may be a good reason to select that particular language.

A second consideration would be to think about your future career, and what you would like to do for work in your lifetime. Certain jobs or fields cross over into different parts of the world in specific ways. If you have a major selected for college, you may want to speak to a counselor about the use of a second language later in your potential future career.

The third consideration you might want to use is geography. If you live in the South of the United States, the Spanish language is widely used by many people. If you live up north and perhaps near eastern Canada, then the French language is spoken more widely, especially when you cross the border into Quebec and especially cities like Montreal.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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