Posted by Introduction
Headache is a type of discomfort in the head or neck that is frequently characterized as a dull, acute, throbbing pressure. The kind, intensity, location, and frequency of a pain might vary substantially. Most people will suffer from pain on a frequent basis throughout their lives. They are the most prevalent type of discomfort and are frequently given as an excuse for missing work or school days and doctor visits.
Types of Headache
Over 150 different kinds of head pains exist. Primary and Secondary headaches are the two basic groups into which they occur.
Primary Headaches
When your head discomfort is the ailment, you get primary headaches. Put another way, your pain isn’t brought on by an ailment or allergy that your body is experiencing. These migraines may be sporadic or persistent:
- Episodic Pains
It can happen from time to time, but they shouldn’t last longer than 15 days in a month. They may go on for several hours or for just 30 minutes.
- Chronic Pains
Headaches that are chronic are more reliable. Approximately 15 days in a month experience them. In these situations, a pain management strategy is required.
Tension Headache
You can experience a dull, painful feeling across your head when you have a stress pain. You may also experience soreness or irritation in the muscles surrounding your neck, forehead, the scalp, or shoulders. A tension head ache can strike anyone. They are frequently triggered by stress.
Cluster Headache
Severe searing and piercing pain can accompany cluster head aches. At a time, they appear on a single side of the face, behind, or around one eye.
- Tears in the eyes and congestion in the nose on identical side as the pain
- Sweating, redness, flushing, and swelling on the side of the pain are possible symptoms
There is a sequence to these head pains. From fifteen minutes to three hours, each pain may linger. People may get head pains during a cluster ranging from one per week to eight times a day, frequently at the same time. One head pain will soon pass, and then another. For months at a time, a succession of cluster head aches may occur every day. There are months in between clusters when no symptoms are present. In autumn and spring, cluster head aches become more frequent. In men, they happen to be three times more common. Experts are unsure of the exact cause of cluster head aches.
Migraine
A head pain condition called migraines produces excruciating, deep-seated pulsating agony in the head. If left untreated, migraine attacks can linger anywhere from four to seventy-two hours, severely impairing your everyday activities. During one, you might come across:
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to sound
- Vomiting and nausea
- Discomfort that pulses, generally on one end of the head
Roughly one-third Before the head pain stage begins, vision problems are experienced. This condition, called migraine aura, may lead you to see:
- Stars
- Blind areas
- Zigzag lines
- Flashing or shimmering lights
Speaking difficulties and numbness on either side of the face or arm are other symptoms of auras.
Hemicrania continua
It is characterized by a significant head ache on either side of the head that persists for a minimum of three months. A few times a day, you may experience intense bouts of feeling better. It is estimated by researchers to be responsible for roughly 1% of head aches. It most frequently affects young adults. In addition, this kind of head pain could be accompanied by:
- Drooping eyelid
- Forehead perspiration
- Restlessness, and agitation
- Tears or redness in the eyes
- Congestion in the nose or runny nose
- Miosis or an excessive pupillary shrinkage
Ice Pick Headache
Short, sharp head pains that last only a few seconds are the hallmark of primary stabbing head pains, often known as ice pick headaches. These head pain can happen a few times a day and suddenly start. An ice pick head ache may feel like one or more stabs placed one after the other. Head pains caused by ice picks typically spread to different areas of the head. Ice pick aches that seem to come from nowhere could indicate an underlying medical issue.
Thunderclap Headache
A thunderclap pain is an intense head ache that develops quickly and peaks in less than a minute. It might be harmless, but it also might be a sign of something more serious that needs to be checked out right away. A thunderclap pain of head may occasionally be a sign of blood vessel rips, ruptures, or blockages.
- Stroke
- Brain damage
- Vasculitis, or blood vessel inflammation
- Most common types of secondary headaches
- Syndrome of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction (RCVS)
- Pituitary apoplexy (loss of blood or bleeding into an organ)
Secondary Headaches
Secondary head aches are an indication of a different medical condition. Your head pains may develop chronic if the cause of the secondary head pain is persistent. In most cases, treating the underlying cause relieves head pains.
A Sinus Headache or Allergy
An allergic reaction might occasionally result in head aches. Often, the anterior part of your head and the area around your sinuses are the focal points of discomfort from severe head pains. Sometimes, migraines are mistakenly identified as sinus head aches. These head pains are more common in people who have sinusitis or persistent seasonal allergies.
Headache From Hormones
Hormonal variations have been related to head pains experienced by menstruating individuals. Estrogen levels are impacted by menstruation, birth control use, and pregnancy, all of which can result in head aches. Menstrual migraine is another name for those migraines connected to the menstrual cycle. These can happen during ovulation and between three days prior to your period and the third full day of your menstruation.
Caffeine-Induced Headache
Your brain’s blood flow is impacted by caffeine. Both too much and stopping coffee “cold turkey” might cause head pains. Caffeine consumption increases the chance of migraine head aches in those who experience them frequently. If your brain is acclimated to receiving a specific dosage of the stimulant caffeine, a stimulant, on a daily basis, depriving yourself of this caffeine may cause head pains. This might be the case since caffeine alters the chemistry of your brain and withdrawal can make head aches worse.
Headache From Exertion
Head pain from exertion occur rapidly following periods of vigorous physical activity. Running, lifting weights, and having sex are all popular activities that cause exertional head pains. These activities are thought to increase the supply of blood to your skull, which can result in a head ache that throbs on every side of your head. A head pain from effort shouldn’t linger too long. Typically, this kind of head pain goes away in a few minutes or several hours.
Headache From Overusing Medications
Rebound head aches, another name for medication overuse head pains, might feel more like a migraine episode or more as a dull, tension-type head pain. If you utilize over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines frequently, you may be more prone to this kind of head pain. When these drugs are overused, head pains get worse rather than better. Anytime over-the-counter drugs are taken more than fifteen days a month, head aches are likely to arise. Among these over-the-counter drugs are:
- Aspirin
- Naproxen
- Ibuprofen
- Acetaminophen
They also occur more frequently when taking caffeine-containing drugs.
Headache Following Trauma
Head injuries can result in the development of post-traumatic head pains. These head pains resemble migraine attacks or tension headaches. They often endure for six to twelve months following the occurrence of your injury. They might develop into chronic ones.
Headache From Hypertension
Hypertension may be the cause of headaches. This type of headache indicates a medical emergency. Some people experience it when their blood pressure rises dangerously high (over 180/120). Most of the time, headaches are not brought on by hypertension. A headache caused by hypertension usually affects both sides of the head and gets worse with movement. It frequently has a throbbing feel to it.
Spinal Headache
Decreased cerebrospinal fluid pressure after a lumbar puncture causes a spinal headache. It’s also referred to being a Post-Dural puncture pain because of this. This headache could be felt in your:
- Forehead
- Temples
- Upper neck
- Rear of the head
According to research, between 10% and 40% of the time, lumbar punctures are followed by spinal headaches. Though it can happen months later, onset typically starts in two to three days. It can also happen on its own or after receiving an epidural.