HEADACHE??..

' PAIN...' that is what we always says when headache.

Do you know what is headache?
- A Headache is defined as a pain in the head or upper neck. It is one of the most common locations of pain in the body and has many causes.

What are primary headaches?

Primary headaches include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches, as well as a variety of other less common types of headache.

ü  Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache. Up to 90% of adults have had or will have tension headaches. Tension headaches occur more commonly among women than men.

ü  Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. An estimated 28 million people in the United States (about 12% of the population) will experience a migraine headache. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected. It is estimated that 6% of men and up to 18% of women will experience a migraine headache in their lifetime. 

ü  Cluster headaches are a rare type of primary headache affecting 0.1% of the population (1 in a 1,000 people). It more commonly affects men in their late 20s though women and children can also suffer these types of headache.

Primary headaches can affect the quality of life. Some people have occasional headaches that resolve quickly while others are debilitated. While these headaches are not life-threatening, they may be associated with symptoms that can mimic strokes or intracerebral bleeding.

What are secondary headaches?

Secondary headaches are those that are due to an underlying structural problem in the head or neck. There are numerous causes of this type of headache ranging from bleeding in the brain, tumor, or meningitis and encephalitis.

Causes

Infection

ü  Common cold

ü  Flu

ü  Fever - headaches are common with fever from any type of infection

ü  Ear infection

ü  Tooth infection (type of Dental conditions)

ü  Sinus infection

ü  Pneumonia

ü  Measles

ü  Mumps

ü  Tonsillitis

ü  Sinus blockage

ü  Coughing - too much coughing can cause a form of traction headache.

 Lifestyle causes

ü  Hangover

ü  Excessive alcohol

ü  Stress

ü  Fatigue

ü  Tension

ü  Tiredness

ü  Excessive smoking

Medical procedures

ü  Spinal tap treatment

ü  Epidural - this anaesthetic procedure (common for childbirth) can occasionally cause damage to the spinal area and cause headache.

 Systemic or metabolic conditions

ü  Hypertension

ü  Thyroid disease

ü  Anemia

ü  Kidney failure

ü  Uremia

ü  Lead poisoning - or mild lead exposure from paint or car

ü  Various toxins - see toxin causes of headache

Brain or head conditions

ü  Meningitis

ü  Encephalitis

ü  Head injury

ü  Brain injury

ü  Mild traumatic brain injury

ü  Concussion

ü  Temporal arteritis

ü  Heatstroke

ü  Sunstroke

ü  Blood clots - in the brain, these can cause a stroke.

ü  Brain aneurysm

ü  Subdural hematoma

ü  Stroke

ü  Transient ischemic attacks

ü  Subarachnoid hemorrhage

ü  Brain tumor

ü  Benign intracranial hypertension

ü Trigeminal neuralgia

ü  Eye conditions

ü  Glaucoma

ü  Eyestrain

Headache Treatment

Headache treatment often depends on the type, the severity, and the frequency of occurrence. In many cases, tension headache can be effectively treated using conservative measures, such as lifestyle modifications (e.g., improvements in diet and sleep patterns) and over-the-counter pain relievers (e.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen).