Headaches… ouch! (Issue 64) by Tiamari

Headaches can be rather a “pain in the neck”, making it hard to concentrate on anything but the pounding, throbbing, or dull ache inside your head.

Most headaches aren't the result of a serious illness, but some may result from a life-threatening condition requiring emergency care.

CAUSES

Headaches are generally classified by cause.

A PRIMARY HEADACHE is caused by over activity or problems with pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease.

Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck (or some combination of these factors) can play a role.

The most common primary headaches are Cluster headaches, Migraines and Tension headaches. Although generally considered primary, some headaches could be a symptom of an underlying issue, such as stress or over indulgence. These may include Cough headaches and Exertion headaches.

A SECONDARY HEADACHE is a symptom of a disease that can activate the pain-sensitive nerves of the head, such as acute sinusitis, dental problems, ear infection, dehydration, high blood pressure (hypertension) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord)

TYPES

Hangover Headache

These headaches may be caused by the effects of alcohol on blood vessels, dehydration, or behaviours such as staying up later than usual.

Brain Freeze

Cold-stimulus headaches (ice cream headaches) happen most commonly if someone rapidly ingests a large amount of something cold. These headaches, which generally don’t last very long, can be minimized or prevented by taking smaller bites or drinking more slowly.

Tension Headache

If you have a mild “behind the eye balls” headache, it is most likely to be tension-type headache, and it will usually respond well to over-the-counter medications.

Cluster Headache

If the headache is behind just one eye, and is more severe, it could be a migraine or cluster headache. A cluster headache is a rare type of headache that is more common in men, and is characterized by redness of the eye or a drooping of the eyelid on that side.

These headaches often occur in relation to sleep – it would usually awaken someone from sleep, very commonly during the first cycle of rapid eye movement sleep. A cluster headache can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours and is very, very severe.

Migraine

Migraines are defined as headaches that are moderate to severe in intensity, often on one side of head, typically associated with other symptoms such as light sensitivity, nausea, or vomiting. Many people who are susceptible to migraines will also report eye strain, bad lighting, or flicker from a computer as triggers for these headaches.

One interesting thing to note is that it is more likely to happen after a stressful event - sometimes called a weekend headache. When a person is under stress their body produces cortisol to get through the event. As the cortisol wears off, the person becomes more vulnerable to an attack.

Sinus Headache

Sinus headaches are headaches that may feel like an infection in the sinuses (sinusitis). You may feel pressure around your eyes, cheeks and forehead, as well as head throbbing.

Lack-of-caffeine Headache

This type of headache often happens in the morning when a heavy coffee drinker has gone the whole night without caffeine. A cup of coffee could get rid of the occasional headache, but when used too frequently, caffeine can become a cause rather than a treatment of headaches.

Exertional Headache

These are exercise induced headaches and are triggered by physical exertion (high altitude, a particularly hard work-out or exercising for a long period of time).

One way to relieve pain might be to modify or switch the type of activity you’re doing, and warming up properly.

Other Types

There are many other causes of headaches, including:

• External compression headaches (a result of pressure-causing headgear)
• Rebound headaches (caused by overuse of pain medication)
• Spinal headaches (caused by low pressure or volume of cerebrospinal fluid)
• Thunderclap headaches (a group of disorders that involves sudden, severe headaches with multiple causes)

Remember to have it checked out if it becomes chronic!