Posts Tagged ‘headaches’
For an updated version of chronic headache treatment and more tips about headache types visit relieve headache.
Chronic headache can be a serious issue, offering a significant challenge to every day life. Don’t let chronic headache take away from the daily enjoyment of activities. Although medical science has not pinpointed an exact cause of chronic headache, it is widely known that there are some common triggers associated with the problem. Chronic headache can be a lifelong issue that acts as an obstacle to daily activities. The medical community typically organizes the realm of headaches into three easily diagnosed categories. Primary headaches are the chief source of headache pain among the population, with cluster and secondary headaches causing a far smaller percentage of headache pain.
Primary headaches, although frequent and nonfatal, can range from slight discomfort to severe pain. For this reason, patients suffering primary headaches should seek treatment for this problem like they would any other serious medical issue. The causes of primary headaches remain a mystery, but the medical community has an approximate idea of what triggers their symptoms. It is widely believed that many primary headaches result from a contraction of the cranial muscles, introducing an increased level pressure. This contraction is believed to be tied to emotional and physical stress.
Chronic headache may be related to ongoing emotional and physical stress. If chronic headache seems to occur almost on a schedule, it may be a good idea to examine what coincides with these events. Circumstances that bring about a great deal of emotional and physical stress may be to blame for chronic headache. Stress management can be an effective solution to chronic headache. If physical stress is believed to be involved, more frequent breaks must be taken to avoid triggering the condition.
Ibuprofen and Aleve are also effective treatments for chronic headache. It should be noted, however, that if chronic headache remains in spite of treatment, a doctor should be seen promptly. Persistent headaches can sometimes be a sign of secondary headaches. A secondary headache occurs as a result of a problem in the brain. Internal bleeding, tumors, and chemical imbalances can cause secondary headaches. Consult a doctor promptly if chronic headache persists for a long period of time.
Go to relieve headache for an updated version about causes of headaches and more tips about headache types.
Although medical science cannot pinpoint the exact cause of headaches in a patient, some of the most common causes can typically be blamed in the majority of cases. Headaches are broken down into three basic categories. A primary headache is something almost all people are familiar with. Primary headaches are what the majority of headaches can be diagnosed as, and are almost never life threatening. Despite this frequency of occurence and a lack of life threatening danger, the primary headache can be very uncomfortable. Cluster headaches are a far more serious form of headache, that although not life threatening, can bring about serious pain. Secondary headaches are sometimes a sign of a deeper neurological issue.
Most primary headaches are related to tension. The muscles that surround the skull are triggered to contract, causing a painful amount of cranial pressure. This can be a significant source of pain. Although the reasons for skull muscle contraction are difficult to ascertain, it is commonly seen as a result of emotional or physical stress. Significant emotional stress typically results in a contraction of the muscles, and therefore a tension related headache. Prolonged physical stress, such as hard manual labor that is engaged in for several hours, can also result in headaches caused by tension.
Cluster headaches happen less frequently, and usually only afflict a tiny segment of the population. Sufferers usually experience cluster headaches only for a small window of time, thus the name “cluster” headache. This can make prevention and treatment difficult. When a cluster headache occurs, it can be accompanied by severe pain that focuses behind the eyes. Water running from the eyes and nose are common with cluster headaches. Treatment should be undertaken as soon as possible to bring the pain under control.
Secondary headaches usually represent a more serious issue. This occurs on a far rarer basis than primary headaches. A secondary headache can signify a deeper neurological issue at work. Headaches that occur on a chronic basis should be cause for a check with the doctor. Secondary headaches sometimes present with severe pain and sensory issues.
For an updated version of chronic tension headaches and more information about headache types go to relieve headache.
Chronic tension headaches can be a potentially debilitating condition that seriously deprives the patient of life enjoyment. Daily activities are subject to interruption by painful episodes that can occur any time. Chronic tension headaches can easily lead to depression and a general pain crisis. It is important that chronic tension headaches be treated as soon as possible. Fortunately, the medical community has a great deal of experience with the phenomenon of headache, and has several avenues of treatment available for sufferers. In fact, the medical community has researched headache thoroughly, and has divided the phenomenon into three distinct categories.
The majority of headaches suffered are put into what is known as the primary category. A primary headache is frequently brought on by emotional or physical stress, and is the most common form of headache by far. Primary headaches are almost never life threatening, but are known to cause significant discomfort. This pain can impair enjoyment of daily activities, making even basic functioning difficult. Although the actual causes of chronic tension headache are still unknown, it is widely held that the symptoms are brought on by a tightening of the muscles that surround the base of the skull. This tightening can be initially identified as a band like feeling just above the eyes that gradually grows into a painful sensation.
Cluster and secondary headaches occur on a far less frequent basis, but are much more serious. To treat this kind of headache, serious medical attention is required. Cluster headaches are easily identified by the pain level that they induce. Patients frequently describe cluster headaches as like having an icepick driven into the eye. Treatment includes powerful sedatives and pain medications. Secondary headaches usually indicate some other issue that is at work.
Chronic tension headaches should be approached from a stress management point of view. Physical and emotional stress are both known to trigger chronic tension headache. Circumstances that trigger significant emotional stress can prompt the occurence of chronic tension headaches. Prolonged physical stress is another potential cause of chronic tension headaches. Steps to manage both kinds of stress are necessary to bring the problem under control. If these steps do not succeed, then further treatment via pain medications may be necessary. Chronic tension headaches that do not abate should be a signal to see a doctor.
The search for things which might trigger a migraine is a continuing battle for those people hard to avoid the sometimes unbearable pain that follows the start of a migraine attack. Stress is perhaps the most famous of all migraine headache triggers and sufferers from this neurological condition try hard to either avoid stress or to mitigate the effects as far as they can. Some other triggers to stay away from are nicotine, alcohol, chocolate, and nuts.
There is however some folklore which holds that weather might trigger migraine headaches, so is this indeed true?
People who suffer with arthritis and chronic back pain recognize that the their pain is greatly affected by the weather and this lends some belief to the claims of chronic migraine sufferers that the weather also adversely influences their ability to avoid migraine headaches.
The announcement of a forthcoming pressure system may well herald the arrival of a storm to many of us but for those people who suffer from migraines it often spells trouble. As the sheer weight of the air changes it affects the ease with which oxygen is breathed and moved around the body in the blood vessels. Capillaries may constrict more as a result of the changed pressure and this could be the very trigger event for a migraine. It is also interesting to note that counteracting this effect using caffeine is normally one of the fastest and best remedies.
Windiness is another weather pattern which can set migraine sufferers on edge. Even if the changes in pressure which come with windy conditions are negligible the fact that airborne pollutants which could be triggers for the migraine sufferer are flying all around and cannot be avoided makes this a distinct migraine trigger.
In some cases a migraine might actually be secondary to a different type of headache like a sinus headache. This could present with difficulty breathing, a temperature, and bodily aches and pains. If this is added to the burgeoning pain of a migraine the effect may be not only extremely painful but debilitating.
If the root cause of the sinus headache is allergens there might also be a subsequent infection which the body will seek to fight off. During that time it is possible that migraines will be triggered by the weakened body and its heightened susceptibility to stress factors.
A change in the weather not only proclaims the potential for one migraine headache trigger, but it actually acts as a jumping off point for a number of such trigger events which might lead to numerous migraine attacks. Unfortunately, weather triggers are unavoidable and even staying indoors has only a limited effect when it comes to avoiding a migraine trigger event.
As a substitute therefore, it is advisable to use a variety of preventive measures to avoid a trigger event from actually taking place. In some cases this will involve medication while at other times you can turn to holistic solutions to avoid migraine triggers. These might include such things as cardiovascular exercise, relaxation techniques, stress relief, biofeedback, aromatherapy, massage therapy and also acupuncture.