Headache is defined as pain in the head that is located above the eyes or the ears, behind the head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. Headache, like chest pain or dizziness, has many causes.
Causes of Headaches
Tension headaches are due to tight, contracted muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often related to stress, depression, or anxiety. Overworking, not getting enough sleep, missing meals, and using alcohol or street drugs can make you more susceptible to them. Headaches can be triggered by chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount.
There are several well-known triggers associated with cluster headaches, including drugs that dilate or constrict blood vessels and alcohol. This suggests that changes in the walls of blood vessels in the head may be partly responsible.
Some researchers believe that a low level of endorphins may cause frequent, severe, or chronic headache pain. Endorphins are painkilling compounds found in the brain.
What are the symptoms of tension and migraine headaches?
The first attack most frequently arises during adolescence or the early 20s. Many patients report that alcohol triggers an attack. Others report that stress, glare, or ingestion of specific foods may trigger an attack. There is usually no family history of similar headaches.
Pain is often felt in the generalised area of the head and neck as opposed to on one side.
Pain may also be situated in the back of the head and neck and feel like a 'tight band'.
Sometimes accompanied by muscle tightness in back of neck.
Stressful events are often a trigger for migraine headaches, a common form of vascular type headache. Other types of vascular headaches are cluster and toxic headache; symptoms of vascular headaches typically include a throbbing pain which intensifies with physical exertion.
Headaches Diagnosis
While, statistically, headaches are most likely to be harmless and self-limiting, some specific headache syndromes may demand specific treatment or may be warning signals of more serious disorders. Some headache subtypes are characterized by a specific pattern of symptoms, and no further testing may be necessary, while others may prompt further diagnostic tests.
Treatment of Headaches
Surgeries including nerve blocks, ablative neurosurgical procedures and radiosurgery have helped some people with cluster headaches. Nerve blocks involve the injection of pain medicine into or around a nerve or the spine. Ablative neurosurgical procedures are operations that involve the removal or destruction of a part of the brain, the spinal cord, or a nerve.
Headache Nausea Medications
Do you have nausea and vomiting with migraine headache? These drugs can help.
Other Drugs to Treat Frequent Headaches
Daily antidepressant medications are used to treat migraine; they can help reduce migraine frequency. Read which medications are available and how they help treat migraine pain.
Prevention
Avoid headache triggers. If you're not sure what triggers your headaches, keep a headache diary. Include details about every headache. When did it start? What were you doing at the time? What did you eat that day? How did you sleep the night before? What's your stress level? How long did the headache last? What, if anything, provided relief? Eventually, you may begin to see a pattern — and be able to take steps to prevent future headaches.
