What causes your head to Ache
Dr Sarbjeet Khurana
Headaches are very common, everyone experiences them. There are two broad categories: Primary, in which headache and its associated features are the disease in themselves, and secondary, those caused exogenously, such as headache associated with fever.
Primary headache
disorders:
Migraine
Migraine without aura
Migraine with aura
Tension-type headache
Cluster headache
Secondary headache
disorders: Headache
attributed to:
Head and neck trauma
Cranial or cervical vascular disorder
Non-vascular intracranial disorder
A substance or its withdrawal
Infection
Disturbance of homeostasis
Disorders of cranium, neck, eyes, nose, ears, sinuses, teeth, mouth or other cranial or facial structures
Psychiatric disorder
Tension headaches, the most common type, generally develop gradually and often involve the entire head as well as the neck and shoulders. They probably are not caused by increased muscle tension, although muscle relaxation techniques can be very useful in treatment.
Migraine headaches are ‘bad headaches’. With classic migraine, a feeling that a headache will develop precedes the actual headache, followed by visual phenomena such as dark or bright spots, streaks of light, or tunnel vision (aura). The headache usually develops on one side. It is throbbing in nature, accompanied by nausea and increased sensitivity to light and noise.
Migraine headaches are vascular headaches, beca-use they involve changes in the diameter or size and chemistry of blood vessels that supply the brain. These are treatable and often preventable, and most people with migraine headaches do not even experience prodrome or aura.
Cluster headaches are those lasting from minutes to hours and occurring every day at a similar time over a period of weeks. They are sharp and typically have a sudden onset (explosive in quality). People with cluster headaches often describe the pain as similar to an ice pick. They are typically one-sided and usually begin around the eyes or temple area.
TREATMENT
To avoid headaches, employ good health habits.
Get adequate sleep, healthy diet and regular exercise.
Quit smoking.
Relaxation and stress reduction therapies can diminish the frequency and intensity of headaches.
Alternative therapies like yoga and other physical relaxation exercises help.
Any over-the-counter pain medication like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or acetaminophen can be very useful.
Any headache medication, prescription or over-the-counter, can cause headaches if taken on a daily basis. They have other more serious and noxious side effects.
WHEN TO SEEK
A DOCTOR:
Severe, sudden headaches.
Headaches accompanied by loss of consciousness, alertness or sensation, confusion, a seizure or other neurological and/or personality changes.
Recurring in one particular area such as an eye or temple.
Recurring with high intensity or frequency.
Accompanied by neck stiffness and fever.
Those associated with head injury, even if the injury was a week ago.
Change in the nature or frequency of headaches.
Temporary change in vision or visual acuity.
The writer is MD,
community medicine and assistant professor, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi