Headaches: Risks, Types, and Headache Treatments
Who gets headaches?
Headaches are a common complaint among both sexes, although women do have a slight edge beating the men out 95 to 90 percent. Of the more than forty- five million, Americans, who suffer from chronic headaches each year, it's estimated that at least sixteen million suffer from migraines. Migraine headaches occur in women three times as often as in men and affect approximately 18 percent of women in the United States, while only 6 percent of men experience migraines.
Studies have found clear evidence that 60 percent of women who experience headaches can trace the root of their headache to their menstrual cycle. A related study shows a rapid drop of estrogen levels usually occurs for several days following a migraine. Women who experience migraines are at an increased risk of a stroke and should not to take oral contraceptives due to the possibility of a stroke occurring during a migraine headache.
What causes headaches?
Many people experience different types of headaches at various times and it's important to get a correct diagnosis of your headache. A variety of causes for headaches exist, they're usually a symptom of an illness such as a sinus infection, cold, the flu or some other benign illness but, the possibility of a potentially life- threatening illness such as; cerebral hemorage, anuerysm, a tumor, or an infection of the brain remains.
Several factors can trigger headaches including; illness, nutrition, and your environment. Foods such as chocolate, anything pickled, nuts, sourdough, bananas, pizza, sausage or bologna are among several foods that often trigger migraines. Excess amounts of coffee, tea, and caffeine sodas may also trigger migraine headaches.
Many patients' feel their migraines are the result of allergy though the scientific community has not been able to clearly verify this theory. Common household chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia, trigger headaches for many people. Others report headaches triggered by things such as perfumes and hair products.
Headaches can also be a symptom of a more serious disease or infection so if you have a headache accompanied by fever or a stiff neck, you should seek immediate medical attention as these are symptoms of meningitis or other serious infections. Any headache accompanied by fever requires your physician's advice.
If your headache is the result of a head injury and lasts more than a few days you should call your physician or if any neurological symptom accompanies your headache such as; a disturbance in your speech or vision, any numbness or weakness in your body, or a problem concentrating, thinking or remembering it's imperative you seek your physicians advice immediately.
Types and symptoms of headaches
There are two basic types of headaches; tension and vascular. There are also two types of tension headaches; episodic or chronic, a daily or continuous headache. A continuous headache is one which is present when you wake up and all during the day. If you have a chronic headache which occurs daily and consistently, the possibility of depression exists. Anti- depressant medication is often helpful for this type of headache.
Stressful events are often a trigger for migraine headaches, a common form of vascular type headache. Other types of vascular headaches are cluster and toxic headache; symptoms of vascular headaches typically include a throbbing pain which intensifies with physical exertion.
An aura often precedes a migraine headache which typically occurs on only one side of the head, and often is accompanied by nausea. There are several types of migraine headaches including a headache- free migraine, noted for the appearance of migraine symptoms including; vision disturbance, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea without the presence of headache.
What can you do about your headaches?
An assortment of headache treatment options exist; you'll need to work with your physician to determine which is most helpful for you. Often keeping a food diary can help you determine if a certain food may be causing your headache. Maintenance of a regular sleep schedule is helpful in avoidance of headaches; both too much or too little sleep can contribute to headaches.
OTC medications such as aspirin, acetominophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium are the treatment of choice for most tension headaches. You must follow proper dosing instructions when using any pain medication so that it's not taken too often. Overdose of some OTC medications can cause permanent damage to your liver and overuse of such medications can lead to rebound headaches.
Biofeedback therapy is many times helpful for reducing headaches and stress by helping you learn to relax. Exercise and avoidance of stressful situations and anxiety will often reduce the number of headaches you experience. Walking is a simple exercise which any one who is ambulatory can do and is a great overall symptom reducer which has the added benefit of reducing your risk for many diseases including heart disease.
If you are experiencing migraines your physician may prescribe a medication to take before your headache becomes intense. You can discuss these medications with your physician to determine if they are suitable for you.
When to seek professional treatment
It's important that all headaches be properly diagnosed; if you've never consulted your physician about your headaches you should seek his counsel to be sure that your chronic headaches are not serious.
Your doctor will take a detailed medical history and ask you many important questions; there are no tests to diagnose migraine headaches, so your answers are important. It will help your physician diagnose your headache if you'll keep a headache diary or journal prior to your appointment.
If you are over fifty and you suddenly begin to experience headaches when you never have before, it's especially important to see your physician. Migraine headaches can occur as early as infancy but most commonly, onset occurs between the age of five and fifty; sudden onset of headaches after age fifty may indicate a serious illness.
You should also see your physician if you are experiencing a headache which lasts for longer than a day or one that's not helped by over the counter medications. If you're a regular headache sufferer and you experience any difference in your headache, be sure to consult your physician immediately!
More About Headaches
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