Headache, Kinds and Treatment.

A million people suffered from headache, including me, sometime, I just feel it suddenly, that I don’t know what is the reason, there is many reason why we got headache, other than fever, skipping meal, lack of sleep, problem, eye problem, sometime by heat of the sun, this are simple causes and all of this happened to me. This headache cause us to stop us what we are doing, very terrible! There is also a big economic impact when you have pain in your head, it's hard to work, so, you will tend to take absent and medical expenses because you have to buy medicine, the worse is, when you hospitalize.

 

 

What is Headache?

 

Headache is a pain sensed in the nerves and muscles of the head and neck, as well as the meninges (the membranous coverings of the brain and spinal cord). Your brain itself cannot sense pain, so a headache has nothing to do with your brain hurting. It is really a pain somewhere around your brain, being picked up by nerve endings located in your head.

 

There are two main reasons why people get headaches, and doctors therefore classify headaches into two broad categories: Primary and Secondary.

 

Primary headaches are not associated with any underlying medical condition. It can be caused by too much blood flow in your brain.

 

Secondary headaches are associated with medical conditions like infections, fever, head injury, hypoglycemia, tumors, dental conditions or increased pressure in the skull and/or sinuses.

 

Here are several kinds of headache and treatment.

Source:  http://health.bwmc.umms.org/imagepages/17204.htm

Tension headaches:

 

It very common, which usually feels like a constant aching or pressure rather than throbbing on both sides of the head or at the back of the head and neck. Experts aren't sure of exact cause, although it may be due to altered brain chemicals or mixed signals in the nerves leading to the brain. But Triggers can include stress, anxiety, bad posture, and clenching your jaw, and these headaches can become chronic, although they usually aren't severe. We can take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen. Stress-relief may help.

 

Drug Rebound or “Medication Overuse” Headaches:

 

A new kind of headache that is becoming increasingly more common, especially among severe headache sufferers. It involves a vicious cycle of pain. If you take medication for headaches and the medication is followed by more headaches, which are often described as “tension headaches,” you may be dealing with MOH. “Taking aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen daily can cause more frequent headaches,” If you believe you’re suffering from these types of headaches, seek out the help of a doctor who specializes in this area, Treatment methods vary depending on the patient and the severity of the headaches.

 

Dental headaches:

 

There are dental-related conditions that can trigger headaches or face pain, such as Bruxism it is grinding your teeth at night and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) that affects the joints, located just in front of your ear, which connect the jaw to the skull, it caused by bad jaw alignment, stress, poor posture like sitting at a computer all day, or arthritis, which affect the cartilage, muscles, or ligaments in the jaw. Treatment includes stretching the jaw, hot or cold packs, stress reduction, and bite guards. Other causes of dental headache are by drinking a very cold water or ice cream. So, be careful for this stuff.

 

Cluster headache:

 

These one-sided headaches are short-lived for 15 minutes to 3 hours, but excruciating. It so painful that sometimes called the suicide headaches. It recurs regularly, even multiple times daily, over a certain period of time and then may be followed by a headache-free period of months or even years. it may include redness and tearing in one or both eyes, common in men than women, it may triggers by taking alcohol, cigarettes, high altitudes, and certain foods, it can be treated with triptans or oxygen (OTC painkillers may not help).

 

Migraines headache:

 

Migraines are severe headaches that are three times as common in women as men. The cause isn't clear, but genes do a role, and brain cell activity may affect blood vessel and nerve cell function. This is painful and debilitating, associated with nausea, vomiting, vision problems and sensitivities to light and sound. Treatment can include acupuncture, relaxation techniques like slow breathing, visualization, yoga and meditation, taking vitamin B12 and magnesium supplements, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or triptans (such as Imitrex or Zomig), which are drugs that help treat or prevent migraines.

 

Caffeine headaches:

 

We love coffee, but it can be a cruel companion, it should consistence why I say this, well, if you have three cups of coffee every day at 9 a.m. and then miss those cups when you oversleep on the next day, that‘s it! You can end up with a caffeine withdrawal headache. You have nothing to do but "To take caffeine that you normally do and feed the addiction, or quit altogether." that‘s the treatment.

 

Orgasm headaches:

 

Orgasm-induced headaches are caused by, well, concentrating and having an orgasm, most of all feel it. These rare and common in younger people, particularly men, they usually start shortly after intercourse begins and end in at climax. Usually, it gone after sleeping and rest. However; say the expert, in rare cases they can be a sign of something more serious, a dose of pain reliever before sex may help ease the pain.

 

Sinus Headaches:

 

Whether caused by a nasty sinus infection or seasonal allergies, it most often felt as deep and nagging pain in the forehead, cheekbones or bridge of the nose and usually intensify with sudden head movement like bending down to pick something up off the ground, when mucus and pressure shift in your sinus cavities. Treatment like antibiotics, which may be needed to combat any presence of infection and kinds of pain reliever for aching.

 

Sleep-Related Headaches:

 

Staying up too late at night and Lack of sleep can cause intense headaches, Dr. suggest, aim to get at least six hours of sleep a night whenever possible., Try to keep the same sleep schedule on the weekends as you do during the week, but if possible,  Acetaminophen or ibuprofen will give you some relief for this headache.

 

Stress-Related Headaches:

 

Your nagging boss, your family problem, the quarreling neighbor, whatever things that gives you a stress, could be giving you a serious headache, say experts. Of course, you can take a pill to alleviate the symptoms, but consider taking steps to end these headaches entirely.

 

Howard Schubiner, MD, a headache and pain expert practicing at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan, and the author of Unlearn Your Pain. suggest; “Look carefully at the time when your headaches started, It is likely that there was some key issue that was bothering you at that time, some situation that was troubling or a situation in which you felt trapped and which you couldn't resolve. If you find a pattern, think about what stresses are occurring on those days or at those times." So, the next time you can control yourself not to stress that gives you headache.
 

Other type of headache for woman and children:

Hormone headaches:

 

Headaches in women are often associated with changing hormone levels that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Chemically induced hormone changes, such as with birth control pills, also trigger headaches in some women.

 

 

Acute headaches:

 

These seen in children, these are headaches that occur suddenly and for the first time and have symptoms that subside after a relatively short period of time. The most common cause for acute headaches in children and adolescents is a respiratory or sinus infection.

 

Do Children Outgrow Headaches?

 

Headaches may improve as children get older. The headaches may disappear and then return later in life. By junior high school, many boys who have migraines outgrow them, but in girls, migraine frequency increases because of hormone changes. Migraines in adolescent girls are three times more likely to occur than in boys.

 

Headaches Hereditary

 

Headaches, especially migraines, have a tendency to run in families. Most children and adolescents who have migraines have other family members with migraines. When both parents have a history of migraines, there is a 70% chance that the child will also develop migraines. If only one parent has a history of migraines, the risk drops to 25%-50%.

 

How Are Headaches Evaluated and Diagnosed?

 

If you have headache symptoms, the first step is to go to your doctor. He or she will perform a complete physical exam and a headache evaluation. During the headache evaluation, your headache history and description of the headaches will be evaluated. You will be asked to describe your headache symptoms and characteristics as completely as possible. It is important to provide your doctor with a list of things that cause the headache, aggravate the headache, and things that you have done to relieve a headache. Keeping a headache diary can help your doctor diagnose your headache type. A headache evaluation may include a CT scan or MRI if a structural disorder of the central nervous system is suspected. Both of these tests produce cross-sectional images of the brain that can reveal abnormal areas or problems. Skull X-rays are not helpful. An EEG (electroencephalogram) is also unnecessary unless you have experienced a loss of consciousness with a headache. If your headache symptoms become worse or become more frequent despite treatment, ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist. Your family doctor should be able to provide the names of headache specialists. If you need more information, contact one of the organizations in the resource list for a list of member doctors in your state.

 

How Are Headaches Treated?

 

Most headache pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin) and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

 

However; your doctor may recommend different types of treatment to try or she may recommend further testing, or refer you to a headache specialist. You should establish a reasonable time frame with your doctor to evaluate your headache symptoms. The proper treatment will depend on several factors, including the type and frequency of the headache and its cause.

 

Not all headaches require medical attention. Treatment may include education, counseling, stress management, biofeedback, and medications.

 

This article is just for information, prevention and guidance, if you feel symptoms consult first to your Doctor for proper disposition.