Most headaches are harmless but the pain can make us feeling sick, tired and desperate. It's difficult to accept the fact that we are in pain but without a disease.
Knowing the different types of headaches and what is probably causing them is the first step in understanding your headache and to find the best solution and remedy for it. Some headaches have simple reasons and when they are withdrawn, the headache stop.
Tension-typed headaches account for almost 90% of all headaches and can be easily avoided without drugs and with some alternation. This type of muscular/myogenic headache is caused by neck and facial muscle strain. Relax your muscles, take a break, get a massage, do more sports or just get more sleep.
More difficult to treat are vascular headaches because they are caused by an abnormal function of the blood vessels. The theory says that possibly stress causes the blood vessels to this reaction. The real reasons are still not known but it is assumed that the dilution of the arteries causes the pain. This can cause migraines and also the even more painful cluster headaches.
Migraines are much more common. Cluster headaches got their name because they come in several attacks, each of them lasting between 15 and 180 minutes. They are often accompanied by other symptoms like a droopy eyelid, tearing, redness, sweating or decreased pupil size. Migraines don't show these symptoms nor do they come in repeated episodes. Migraine victims also find it better to lie down while cluster headache patients find improvement in walking around.
Today there are more than 100 different headache treatments. Many find quick relief in simply drinking coffee. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor and therefore helps against the problem of vascular headaches where the widened arterials causing the pain.
Feverfew, vitamin B2, coenzyme Q10 and Magnesium have shown some success. If this doesn't help then popular over-the-counter drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Triptans or Paracetamol may help.
While most headaches are not caused by serious diseases, there are some which are. You should consult your doctor immediately when your headache doesn't go away or gets stronger. Sinus headaches are caused by infections which need to be treated. Encephalitis, Meningitis and brain tumors can also be a reason. Your doctor can make a CT scan and a blood test to narrow down the reasons and to choose the appropriate treatment.
If your headache comes with other symptoms like sight difficulties, neuralgia, face pain, malfunction of your memory, dizziness or any other symptom you should also contact your doctor immediately.
Andrew C. Povel is an expert in headaches and migraines and provides detailed information on Headaches at his web site www.HeadacheABC.com |
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