What Does That Headache Mean?

Headache is one of the most common medical complaints. Almost everyone experiences a headache from time to time. In the large majority of cases, it is a completely benign condition which is a nuisance and does not represent any significant or long-term medical problems. However, many people worry about a headache and are concerned that it could imply something much more serious. We all know the old "It's not a too-mah!" line and joke about it, but what do headaches really mean? Can they mean something more serious?

The answer is a definitive yes. Some very serious medical conditions can be associated with headache. However, I must state again that the very large majority of headaches do not imply anything serious. While millions, if not billions, of people on this planet experience headache in their lifetime, only a small percentage will every have a more serious, related condition diagnosed.

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So how do you know? What does that headache mean? That is not an easy question to answer. In fact, there are physicians who spend their whole career specializing specifically in headache, its causes and its treatments. While there is no easy answer that covers all possibilities, this article will supply you with a handful of the most common causes and types of headaches, from the most harmless and benign to the medical emergencies. It will explain some of the differences that help to distinguish one type of headache from another. This is not an exhaustive list of every possible cause of headache, there are certainly others. It starts with some of the more common causes and moves on to more rare causes.

This article is not intended to offer medical advice. Every patient and headache is different. Only your personal physician can help counsel you about what is best for your particular situation. If you are concerned about a headache or headaches you are having, consult your doctor.

Stress/Tension Headache

By far the largest majority of headaches that most people experience are what is known as a Tension Headache, or some similar variant. While the exact cause of these headaches is not known and probably varies from patient to patient, this benign type of headache is usually associated with stress and muscle tension or spasm of the neck, facial or head muscles. While their severity, location and characteristics can vary, they are almost always harmless and do not represent any more serious underlying problem. This is the typical headache most of us have experienced when you are over-tired, over-worked, or stressed. Tension headaches do not cause other neurological symptoms. If other symptoms are present, it should raise the question of another diagnosis.

Sinus Headache

The paranasal sinuses are mucosa-lined chambers in the bone of the skull and face. There are several of them surrounding the nasal passages. Normally, mucous secretions that are produced in the sinuses flow out of openings into the nasal passage. However, if a sinus is obstructed so that its contents cannot exit, the pressure inside the sinuses can build up. This can occur with mucosal swelling associated with allergy (allergic rhinitis or hay fever) or with infection such as a cold or sinus infection. When pressure builds up inside a sinus, it can cause pain. While some sinuses (such as the large maxillary sinuses) are in the face, most are associated with the base of the skull. This pain can be interpreted and described as headache. While these sinus headaches can occur in anyone with a "stuffed nose" of any cause, patients who have chronic sinus problems with recurrent sinus infections can often have quite severe pain associated with this condition.

Migraine Headache

A migraine headache is a specific type of headache which is thought to be of vascular or neurologic origin. They are more common in women and in some patients can occur regularly, often following a particular part of the menstrual cycle. While they traditionally are described as causing pain on only one side of the head, they can occasionally cause pain on both sides of the head as well. In addition to the headache, other neurological symptoms usually accompany the headache. For example, many patients describe having an "aura" prior to the onset of the headache. These can vary but the patient generally has some symptom that lets them know a headache is coming. They can even experience seemingly focal neurological symptoms such as a scatoma (a temporary blind spot in their field of vision) or other visual changes. Photophobia, avoiding bright lights, can occur as well. Finally, many patients experience nausea and even vomiting. All of these neurological effects do not occur in a typical tension headache and help to distinguish migraines. However, some of the symptoms of migraine, particularly the nausea and vomiting and photophobia, are similar to symptoms of more serious causes of headache such as subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningitis. Therefore, those more serious disorders should be ruled out before classifying a headache as a migraine.

Cluster Headache

Cluster headaches are a unique neurological form of headache with an unknown cause. These extremely painful attacks are usually only on one side and is often described as a stabbing or boring pain that is located behind the eye. It usually occurs suddenly and periodically, followed by periods of remission. In addition to pain, which can be extraordinarily severe and one of the most painful conditions a human can endure, cluster headaches are characterized by symptoms that seem to come from the autonomic nervous system. These include ptosis (a drooping eyelid on the same side), tearing, runny nose, redness of the eye and even facial redness, swelling and/or sweating. These symptoms all occur only on the same side as the headache. Some patients describe certain triggers that set off attacks, such as ingestion of alcohol or exposure to heat.

Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the coverings of the brain, the meninges, and the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, the cerebrospinal fluid. It can be caused by viruses or by bacteria. While the bacterial form is much more dangerous and has the potential to lead to severe neurological injury and death if not treated promptly, both have similar presentations. Both cause headache as one of the hallmark symptoms. Because of the infection and severe inflammation of the coverings of brain, any movement of the head and neck can be very painful. Generally it is a severe headache (with or without a back ache as well) that progresses rapidly and is accompanied by a high fever. The patient generally has a very stiff, painful neck as well, called nuchal rigidity. It is so painful that they keep their neck very rigid to prevent any movement, even if they are lethargic or unconscious. Photophobia, as with migraines and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and seizures can occur as well. In the case of bacterial meningitis, these symptoms can quickly escalate to a progressively deteriorating level of consciousness, coma and eventually death if not treated quickly. The combination of high fever, headache, stiff neck and/or lethargy should be considered concerning for meningitis until proven otherwise. Untreated bacterial meningitis can progress quickly and can be life-threatening. Thankfully it is relatively rare.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage means bleeding into the space around the brain into the cerebrospinal fluid. While this can occur with trauma to the head, it can happen spontaneously due to the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. An intracranial aneurysm is an abnormal bulging of the wall of an artery that feeds the brain. These weakened blood vessels have a tendency to rupture and bleed. This type of bleeding typically causes a sudden-onset of severe headache. Most patients describe it as the "worst headache of my life." It comes on very suddenly and is usually of a stabbing quality. It can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, seizures, stiff, painful neck and/or a depressed level of consciousness. In severe bleeds it can even lead to coma or sudden death. In patients who have a history of chronic headaches, such as migraines or cluster headaches, they will generally say that the character of this headache is different. Therefore, a sudden, intense, new headache, particularly if associated with any of the other symptoms, should be considered a ruptured aneurysm until proven otherwise. An aneurysm rupture, like bacterial meningitis above, is generally a medical emergency. An aneurysm which has ruptured is at increased risk of re-rupture. Often the second rupture is more severe and more devastating than the first. Again, this is a rare cause of headache, but a potentially deadly one.

Brain Tumor

While the brain itself does not cause pain, increased pressure inside the head or irritation of the coverings of the brain can cause headache. With a brain tumor that does either, one of the presenting symptoms of these tumors can be headache. Most types of brain tumor, whether primary or a metastases from another tumor elsewhere in the body, can cause this symptom. A new headache in the setting of new neurological symptoms should raise red flags. Other symptoms that can accompany a brain tumor are seizures, changes in vision, or sensory or motor symptoms such as weakness of a part of the body. Many different neurological symptoms are possible depending on the type and location of the tumor. Headache that is caused by increased pressure in the head is often worse in the morning or will wake the patient from sleep, getting better when upright and awake. Again, this is a rare cause of headache, but clearly one which is potentially a very serious condition.

What Does That Headache Mean?

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Why Do I Keep Getting Headaches Everyday?

Why do I seemingly get headaches everyday? Many people suffer from frequent headaches and ask this question. Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to this question, since the causes vary greatly. Here are some ideas on how to remedy the symptoms of most common everyday headaches.

Although the root causes of headaches are numerous, ranging from muscular tension to medical situation that are much more serious, there are two primary causes of headaches. These are inflammation and pressure. Additionally, inflammation and pressure can lead to tension, which can compound the problem.

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All pain is typically related to these two things. By and large, when you have a minor injury, such as a cut on your finger, it's not the wound itself that causes the pain as much as the inflammation and perhaps the resulting tension. How is this?

If you have cut or burned yourself when you're not looking, have you noticed that quite often, you don't notice any pain until you actually see the wound? What is happening is that the inflammation from the wound hasn't set in until after you saw the wound. In some cases, the inflammation doesn't kick in until a few seconds after the wound has been spotted.

With headaches, either inflammation or tension, typically cause the pressure that you're feeling. Most forms of treatment for headaches operate on this principle. Whether you use massage therapy, ice and heat packs or drugs as your remedy, the goal is to treat inflammation, tension or both. Knowing this can help you choose an appropriate mode of treatment for your headaches, and it answers the question of why some remedies work in some cases and not others.

For instance, if you pop a couple Tylenol or Ibuprofen tablets as your remedy when you're having a tension headache such as caused by mental stress, it's not going to work. However, a massage on the neck and at various points on the head, as well as heat packs will help immensely.

Now, flip the coin and let's say you're having an inflammation related headache. It could be a migraine, a hangover, or as a result of mild trauma. In this case, unless the inflammation has caused enough pain to create tension, chemical methods and ice packs are the methods of choice.

If the inflammation has caused enough pain to call tension in as well, then a two-pronged attack is necessary. Alternating heat and cold packs, or mixing cold packs with massage have proven useful remedies for these kinds of headaches.

In fact, certain mixes of every day chemicals, such as mixing Tylenol and caffeine have proven to be among the most effective and convenient treatments for hangovers and minor migraines. Caffeine is a vasodilator, and because of this, it relieves the tension in the blood vessels in the head and brain. However, it should be taken in moderation, as it can cause muscular tension, which can have an inverse effect on pain relief. You must first understand the cause of your pain in order to choose the best remedy.

While this information is useful for normal headaches and mild migraines, it should not be considered a substitute for proper medical care when it's needed. In fact, in such cases, it would not be effective. In cases of extreme migraines, serious head trauma and brain tumors, you should seek outside professional medical treatment.

Why Do I Keep Getting Headaches Everyday?

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Migraine Ocular - The Eye Migraines

Vascular headaches are also known as migraines. There are different types such as ocular migraines. Although the specific reason why migraine occurs has yet to be known, migraines are thought to be caused by the dilation and constriction of arteries in the brain. These headaches can start early in the morning and may be extremely painful. The pain is often limited to one side of the head and becomes more severe after about an hour or two. It may also gradually spread and may eventually be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

A variation of migraine is the ocular migraine or opthalmoplegic migraine. It is believed to be caused by dilations and constrictions of arteries but the most affected ones are the ocular blood supply to the vision center of the brain. It is also believed to be due to nerve palsy or problems with the internal carotid artery. Although this condition is rare, it can still be extremely painful and is often accompanied by double vision and other types of visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include sensitivity to light, glare or haloes around lights, burning eyes, etc. In some extreme cases, the person experiencing ocular migraine can have a permanent neurologic deficit due to low blood flow and oxygen in the brain. However, most of the symptoms vary and depend on what triggered the migraine.

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Some external factors are believed to be the start for the occurrence of migraine. Some primarily involve overtiredness. Ocular migraines typically occur after long periods of reading, watching television, using the computer work, and other activities that may stress the eyes. Food may also serve as external factors that bring on the onslaught of ocular migraine. These foods may include red wine, chocolate, milk, chicken livers, preserved meats foods prepared with monosodium glutamate and others. Biological factors can also be causes of migraines such as stress, alcohol consumption, hunger, or the use of oral contraceptives. It also includes serious body conditions such as sinus conditions, hypertension, allergies, tumors, angle-closure glaucoma and others.

Treatment for ocular migraine starts with a doctor. A doctor will routinely obtain a thorough and complete medical history. He will also perform a thorough physical exam to rule out several causes for ocular migraine such as systemic ones. Ophthalmologists often also play a role since they will be the ones to verify that no eye-related problems that are bringing on the ocular migraine.

In cases wherein a doctor is not easily accessible or is unavailable at the moment, stress relief, control of blood pressure, or medication to maintain may also help. Management of a migraine also includes avoiding any triggering factors, together with prophylactic or preventive treatment, if necessary. In some cases, it is best to rest in a quiet, darkened room until symptoms subside. Medications such as simple analgesic can be taken right away. These provides some immediate relief, but may not completely get rid of the migraine. Treatment options can be discussed with a doctor during check-up, especially in cases of acute migraine attacks.

Migraine Ocular - The Eye Migraines

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Relieving Headache - Back Of Head and Neck

Are you struggling with severe migraines and headaches? Back of head and neck are the most common location affected by headache and migraine pain. According to medical resources online, millions of Americans are affected by headaches and migraines. Unfortunately, women are mostly affected.

Many doctors would say that headache related symptoms are accountable for the majority of doctors' visitations. As for pain relievers and analgesics bought over the counter or with prescription, these drugs are soaring in number each year.

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It is imperative that we understand what causes headaches, its types, symptoms and the different headache cures available in order for us to alleviate headaches and migraines. As far as I know, there are three types of headaches. They are classified as tension, migraine and cluster.

The first one is tension headaches. This type of headache is related to stress and muscle contraction. Tension headaches sufferers can be feel the pain in the forehead, temples, back of head and neck. The pain develops when there is restriction in the blood flow at some point in muscle tension.

The second type of headaches is referred to as migraines. It happens when there is an abnormal increase and contraction of the blood vessels found in and around the cerebral area. Generally, people who suffer from migraines have auras. Aura is described to be a flashing of light, blind spots or loss of peripheral vision. It is important to remember that the last one (loss of peripheral vision) is just temporary. On the other hand, the pain can also be described as throbbing and pulsating. The pain can last for hours or days for some people. Other symptoms associated with migraines are nausea and vomiting, unilateral headache, numbness or tingling sensations and even sleep disturbances.

The last type of headaches is known as Cluster headaches. Why clusters? The name actually defines itself. These type strikes in a group or cluster. It can occur for a few hours or it may come back for days, weeks or if you're unlucky even months. Characteristically this group of headaches happens at hours of darkness or at daybreak. Normally the pain is felt around or at the rear end of one eye. Yes, women are more likely to have headaches. Conversely, with this type men are mostly affected. Usually the attack happens in people who are in their 20's or 30's.

Certainly, headaches have three types. It is important that you distinguished which type of headache you are having. There are so many over the counter pain relievers and analgesics that you can buy. However, it is still best to consult a reputable doctor to accurately diagnose your headaches. Don't take the headaches symptoms for granted. Love your health!

Relieving Headache - Back Of Head and Neck

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Caffeine Headache - Getting Rid of It

Despite the advance in science over the years, advisers accept yet to ascertain the basis account of headaches. To bigger accept the malady, headaches are classified into altered categories: accent headaches, connected headaches, astringent headaches, burden headaches, atrium headaches. These headaches assume to allotment some of the triggers like bistro assertive foods, actinic alterity in the body, photo sensitivity, concrete and affecting stress. The account is continued and affection alter from being to being and generally blurred and misdiagnosed.

One blazon of cephalalgia that has been apparent in contempo years is caffeine-induced. Caffeine is accepted to be a acceptable analeptic begin in coffee, tea and bendable drinks. It works as vasoconstrictor (constricts the claret argosy in the brain) to abbreviate the calamity of claret in aggrandized argosy which causes the headache. Caffeine, like annihilation taken in balance is apprenticed to account added problems. It is not classified as Addictive but it could be habit- basic and could account backlash furnishings back stopped.

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Researchers theorized that coffee drinkers who are acclimated to accepting their morning coffee while at assignment may ache abandonment affection during the weekend back they aloof break at home sleeping or dabbling about the house. Drinking a cola every day and Abruptly abeyance because of hyperacidity may additionally activate headaches due to abandonment syndrome. Taking medication with caffeine may advice affluence the affliction but this too may advance to added austere problems. For some bodies who are acute to caffeine, assimilation of aliment or medication with caffeine may account the anatomy to crash. For others brusque abandonment may activate a host of added complications.

Studies appearance that the anatomy adjusts to bit-by-bit abeyance of assimilation over a assertive aeon of time. This gives the anatomy the adventitious to get acclimated to the absence of caffeine and abbreviate the headaches. Over time, the anatomy gets rid of the appetite and the caffeine -induced headaches in the process. Choosing aliment with added cilia and beneath caffeine would be added benign in the continued run.

Exercise would advice in giving the anatomy a addition of activity and jag the asleep fretfulness and anatomy awake. This is bigger and convalescent than asthmatic bottomward a cup of coffee or a liter of cola for an burning stimulation. Getting abundant blow and beddy-bye back bare is consistently the best therapy, accord your anatomy time to blow and adjustment itself. Your anatomy can alone booty it to the limit, above that is alike to self-destruction. alive a advantageous lifestyle, alive longer.

Caffeine Headache - Getting Rid of It

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Prevent Headaches Caused By A Common Prescription Drug

A zofran cephalalgia is a accepted ancillary aftereffect of the decree biologic zofran. This biologic is acclimated to anticipate abhorrence and airsickness in a array of patients. It is acclimated a lot with chemotherapy patients and is accustomed post-op to abatement the accident of abhorrence from anesthesia. It has additionally been assigned for astringent abhorrence and airsickness in abundant women.

But why does the medication account zofran headaches? We charge to attending at the way zofran works to understand. It is in a chic of drugs alleged 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. These drugs will block the activity of serotonin, which is a actinic activate in the academician anticipation to activate abhorrence and vomiting. Zofran will abate the serotonin, accordingly abbreviation the liklihood of abhorrence and vomiting.

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A cephalalgia is anticipation to activate in the trigeminal nerve, which is amid in the academician stem. This assumption carries acoustic impulses to and from the face. back stimulated, this assumption will arresting the absolution of serotonin. The serotonin acts as a clarify to awning out unimportant signals and will accept signals that appeal attention, such as your name actuality called, a baby's cry or an abnormal complete that could beggarly danger. The added serotonin present, the greater the screening action. The serotonin will additionally annul affliction signals in the assumption to abate headaches. Studies has apparent that back accustomed a biologic that depletes the serotonin in your academician a cephalalgia can result. Since zofran is in the chic of drugs that bankrupt serotonin, it would be reasonable to accept that it could account a zofran headache.

If you are demography zofran and are accepting zofran headaches there are a few things that you can do to help. aboriginal of all, get affluence of sleep. The added adequate you are the bigger your anatomy may be Able to acclimate to the medication. Try to advance a constant beddy-bye pattern, activity to bed and activation at the aforementioned time every day, alike on weekends. Drink affluence of fluids to accumulate able-bodied hydrated. Take over the adverse cephalalgia anesthetic afterwards demography zofran, if allowed. This may advice to annul the zofran headache. Check with your doctor aboriginal to see which cephalalgia anesthetic he recommends.

Zofran has been alleged a phenomenon biologic by a lot of people, abnormally bodies with blight and abundant women. It has enabled them to backpack on a accustomed activity admitting the challenges of their ache or condition. Always accomplish your doctor acquainted of any ancillary aftereffect that you may be experiencing from your medications. Let him apperceive of any added medications that you may be demography also, including vitamins and herbs. If abhorrence and airsickness is astringent and zofran is the alone medication that helps, a zofran
headache [http://www.relieve-headaches.com/articles/zofran-headaches.html] may be a baby amount to pay for some relief.

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Prevent Headaches Caused By A Common Prescription Drug

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Learning the Different Migraine Headache Symptoms in Children

Is it accessible for accouchement to acquaintance cephalalgia and cephalalgia symptoms? I was absolutely borderline about this. But afterwards account a cardinal of medical assets online, I'm sad to say, it is possible. As a amount of fact, cephalalgia headaches are frequently accomplished by children. best accouchement who ache from this action alpha to accept cephalalgia or cephalalgia attacks above-mentioned to extensive 20 years of age. There are additionally cases wherein the aboriginal advance happens afore the adolescent alcove the age of five.

When we allocution about the affection of cephalalgia in children, doctors are aggravating their best to aphorism out any austere medical action first. The acumen abaft this is that they appetite to accomplish abiding that they appear up with an authentic analysis for cephalalgia cephalalgia affection such as active stomach, abdomen affliction and queasiness.

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The accepted account of cephalalgia headaches in accouchement is unknown. Some doctors accept that the action is triggered by the absence of serotonin, an important academician chemical. added accidental factors are aliment assimilation and activities of the child. One affair for sure, the account of cephalalgia headaches affection can alter from being to person.

Aside from the appreciable signs and affection mentioned above, parents may additionally apprehension that during a cephalalgia attack, a adolescent may acquaintance abrupt cephalalgia in the eye region, forehead and temples. On the added hand, accouchement who ache from cephalalgia headaches may additionally accept acting beheld changes or cephalalgia auras. doubtable the adolescent accepting cephalalgia headaches if he or she is aggravating to abstain ablaze lights, aural noises, or able odors. These things can aggravate the acuteness of headaches. More generally than not, the arch affliction is adequate by ceaseless sleep. You may apprehension that your preschooler would usually attending ill with accompanied belly pain, queasiness, and a able charge to sleep. attending for signs of affliction like irritability, weeping, and absent to beddy-bye in a aphotic room.

According to best medical practitioners, affecting or concrete stress, hyperthermia and assertive aliment groups can activate a cephalalgia cephalalgia attack. When it comes to allotment the best able analysis plan, it is best to accept and acquisition what causes the attack, actual affliction and affection abatement and antitoxin administration strategies.

Most definitely, it is a charge for parents to booty their accouchement to a doctor already they doubtable their adolescent accepting astringent headaches and migraines. already the doctor has accomplished with the appraisal and tests, they will accommodate the best authentic analysis for the child's condition. In general, cephalalgia headaches in accouchement are not activity threatening. However, the doctor is the best being to assure you that no austere basal medical action is present. If there is, an able analysis administration plan is provided.

Learning the Different Migraine Headache Symptoms in Children

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