Everyone suffers the occasional mild headache, but if you experience debilitating pain and/or abnormally frequent headaches, you probably want to find relief. There are countless causes of headaches, which differ for each person, so you’ll have to do some experimenting to figure out the cause of your pain. Fortunately, the vast majority of headaches are primary headaches, not the result of underlying medical conditions. The three most common types are cluster, tension-type, and migraine.
A cluster headache affects a specific point of the head, often the eye, and is characterized by sharp, piercing pain. Migraine and tension-type headaches are far more common. “Tension“ headaches are now called “tension-type“ headaches because pain is not only caused by stress, but also poor posture, depression, and even sexual activity. In fact, recent studies have shown a connection between low serotonin levels and so-called “tension“ headaches.
Causes
The cause of a headache is often elusive. Although it may seem that your head is pounding for no reason, there is always an explanation for pain. To find out the cause of your headaches, keep a log. Write down the date and time each headache starts and stops, the location of the pain, the nature and severity of the pain, and any factors that seem to trigger the headaches (food, stress, menstrual cycle, medicine, etc.).
Some of the many causes of headaches:
- Emotional and physical stress
- Fatigue
- Irregular sleep habits (sleeping too much or too little)
- Skipping meals
- Caffeine use or withdrawal
- Hormonal factors, such as menstruation
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Foods with nitrates, such as hot dogs
- Alcohol
- Some medicines
- Certain foods, including red wine, chocolate, aged cheeses, pickled foods, nuts, and aspartame
- Changes in weather, altitude, or time zone
Symptoms
Just as the causes vary for each headache sufferer, so do the symptoms and severity of pain. Health professionals can often diagnose the type of headache you suffer based on your symptoms.
Symptoms of a migraine:
- pulsing or throbbing quality
- begins with intense pain on one side of the head, which eventually spreads
- felt on one or both sides of the head
- lasts several hours
- severe enough to interfere with routine activities
- may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting
- sometimes preceded by visual changes, such as an aura of zigzag lines or flashes of light
- light and noise can make the headache worse, while sleep tends to relieve symptoms
Symptoms of a tension-type headache:
- constant, dull ache
- felt on both sides of the head
- a feeling of squeezing or pressure
- does not usually interfere with routine activities
- lasts from 30 minutes to a few days
Treatment
- Ice pack held over the eyes or forehead
- Heating pad set on low or hot shower to relax tense neck and shoulder muscles
- Sleep, or at least resting in a dark room
- Taking breaks from stressful situations
- Regular exercise to increase endorphin levels and relax muscles. Even if you already have a headache, exercising may relieve the pain. However, intense exercise may bring on a headache.
- Occasional use of over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin can relieve both migraine and tension headaches. *
- Prescription drugs for severe headaches
* Overuse of pain medicine can actually result in more frequent headaches. Most pain-relieving medicines used to treat headaches can cause “analgesic rebound headaches“ if used too often.
Prevention
- Be aware of early symptoms so you can try to stop the headache as soon as it begins.
- Don’t smoke, and if you do, quit.
- Don’t skip meals.
- Cut down on caffeine and alcohol (reduce caffeine intake gradually because withdrawal may cause headaches).
- Stop all over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies.
- Maintain a regular eating and sleeping schedule.
- Exercise regularly.
- Incorporate relaxation activities into your daily routine, such as meditation, yoga, stretching exercises, and massage
- Improve your posture, possibly by adjusting your workstation.
When should I see a health care provider?
Although most headaches do not signal underlying medical problems, if your headaches change in nature or location, or become more severe, frequent, and/or intense, you should consult your health care provider.
Seek immediate medical attention if your headaches…
- Become increasingly worse, and are most painful early in the morning while you are still in bed.
- Occur three or more times a week.
- Begin to be accompanied by nausea or vomiting.
- Occur after a head injury, especially if they get worse.
- Seem to be triggered by physical exertion, such as exercise, sexual activity, or coughing.
- Occur along with green or brown nasal drainage and sinus pain over the cheeks or around the eyes.
- Are accompanied by dizziness, difficulty speaking, vision loss, or numbness in an arm, leg, or parts of the face.
- Develop suddenly, accompanied by a fever over 101°F and are not relieved by acetaminophen or aspirin, especially if there is pain or stiffness in the neck.
