A Simple And Concise Synopsis Of Headaches

Headaches are probably the most common form of localized pain and they occur in the head and/or upper neck. Many people often suffer the symptoms of a headache and if you are one such individual perhaps you are worried that they are a sign of something more serious. Fortunately in the majority of cases this type of pain has a simple cause and is easy to treat. However, before you can treat your headache it is important to know what type it is and what the causes are.

Various Causes

The most common cause of pain in the head is a tension headache. This pain is felt as a tight band around the head or at the base of the skull and the cause is uncertain. Some medical experts think that tension headaches are caused by the tightening of muscles in the face, scalp and neck. However, recent research indicates that this might not be the case. Another cause may be chemical changes in the brain.

Migraines are another cause of severe headaches. They often manifest with other symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and increased sensitivity to noise and light. Certain foods and beverages, hormonal fluctuations, sleep disturbances and stress are all thought to be contributing causes of migraine. Fortunately migraines can easily be managed with certain prescription medications.

There are other headache causes too. For instance, if you have not eaten a certain meal at the usual time then low blood sugar can cause pain in the head. You can also get a pain in your head from eye strain if you spend too long looking at a computer screen, watching TV or playing video games. Some headaches are caused by dehydration from not drinking sufficient water. For instance if you go outside and work in the sun without drinking water at regular intervals you will soon experience a throbbing head pain combined with a feeling of fatigue. Even chewing a piece of gum strenuously for a while can cause discomfort in the head from what is called hyper mastication.

Different Types

Medical experts generally classify headaches as belonging to one of five different categories. First there is the vascular headache which is the result of swollen blood vessels. A migraine is head pain resulting from swollen blood vessels. Then there is myogenic head pain, which is caused by the contraction of muscles. Cervogenic head pain is caused by trauma or injury to the bones of the spine or neck and will go away once the injury has healed.

Traction and inflammatory headaches are considered more dangerous that other types because they are often the result of serious health conditions. A traction headache is caused by the nerve cells in the brain being stretched taut because of a tumor or hematoma. Inflammatory head pain is caused by serious diseases that impact the spine, neck, ears, sinuses or teeth.