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August 9, 2024

Understanding Common Headaches: When to Worry About Them

If you ask anyone what’s the most common physical discomfort they face, it will be headaches. Almost everybody experiences headaches at some point or another. Let’s understand them in more detail and learn to differentiate between the ones we need to be concerned about and the ones we don’t.


What are Headaches?

A headache is a pain in the face or head that can feel like pressure that’s constant, sharp, dull or throbbing. People experience different kinds of headaches which can vary based on their type, severity, pain, location and frequency.

They can interfere with one’s daily life and are one of the foremost reasons why someone misses school or work. While most headaches are harmless, some can be indications of severe health conditions.


Causes of Headaches

What causes a headache? It results from signals interacting inside the brain, nerves and blood vessels. Multiple mechanisms activate specific nerves during a headache that affects blood vessels and muscles. The nerves, in turn, send pain signals to the brain, causing a headache.


Types of Headaches

Headaches are primarily of two types:

1. Primary Headaches

Primary headaches are caused by overactivity or dysfunction of pain-sensitive features in the head. They are not caused by any underlying medical condition. Primary headaches can be the result of some people’s genetic disposition. They are generally not dangerous, although can cause significant discomfort.

The most common examples of primary headaches include:

  • Tension-type headaches: Feels like pressure on the temple or forehead.
  • Migraines: Throbbing and debilitating pain on one side of the head that can leave one in bed for days.
  • Cluster headaches: Severe, one-sided pain that can last for at least half an hour and can happen multiple times a day. Cluster headaches follow a pattern and usually show up at the same time each day.
  • Daily persistent headaches: A rare disorder that happens for unknown reasons. These headaches are unpredictable. This kind of headache doesn’t get better with treatment.

Common Triggers of Primary Headaches

In most cases, primary headaches are triggered by lifestyle factors such as:

  • Alcohol consumption, especially red wine.
  • Consumption of nicotine (nicotine headache).
  • Eating certain foods such as processed meats (food-triggered headaches).
  • Changes in sleep pattern or lack of sleep.
  • Physical activity such as exercise. This is known as exertion headache.
  • Skipping meals. This is known as a hunger headache.
  • Bad posture.
  • Sneezing, coughing (cough headache), straining (trying to poop during constipation), blowing your nose, crying vigorously or laughing.

2. Secondary Headaches

Secondary headaches are generally caused by an underlying medical condition. Hence, they are a symptom of a disease and hence should not be taken lightly. Some secondary headaches are not dangerous and resolve once the underlying condition is treated such as:

  • Sinus headaches: This is an indication of a sinus infection. It feels like a dull pain behind your eyes, on the forehead or bridge of the nose or in your cheekbones.
  • Dehydration headaches: This headache is caused by dehydration and indicates that your body needs more fluids. Dehydration headache often happens alongside other symptoms of dehydration such as extreme thirst, dizziness and dry mouth.
  • Medication overuse headaches: Also known as rebound headaches, this kind of headache happens when you treat headaches with medication too often.

However, some secondary headaches can be dangerous such as:

Thunderclap headaches

An extremely painful headache that appears out of the blue, like a clap of thunder. This kind of headache reaches the most intense pain within one minute and lasts for at least five minutes. While in many cases these headaches are harmless, they can be an indication of:

  • Brain bleed
  • Head injury
  • A sudden and severe rise in blood pressure
  • Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome – A condition that causes thunderclap headaches and looks similar to brain bleeds or strokes.

Spinal Headaches

These headaches are intense and occur when spinal fluid leaks out of the membrane that covers your spinal cord. This usually happens after a spinal tap. If left untreated, spinal headaches can lead to seizures.

Thunderclap headaches and spinal headaches should not be taken lightly. Contact a doctor immediately if you face a tearing headache out of the blue. Emergency care on time can be very helpful.


Headaches and Heredity

Are headaches hereditary? Some headaches can run in the family such as migraines. Usually, children who suffer from migraines often have one biological parent who experiences them. Parents having migraines increase the likelihood of children getting migraines by up to four times.


Headaches and Environment

Headaches are often triggered by environmental factors such as:

  • Second-hand smoke
  • Eating or drinking certain items such as alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, cheese and fermented foods
  • Allergen exposure
  • Strong odours such as perfumes or chemicals

When Should You Visit a Doctor?

It can be difficult, as a layman, to differentiate between a common headache and a headache that requires medical attention. Obtain medical attention if you experience any of these:

  • Fever, stiff neck, rash or shortness of breath along with the headache
  • A sudden and severe headache
  • Headaches after an accident or a head injury
  • A new type of headache after the age of 55
  • If your headache is associated with other neurological symptoms such as:
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Paralysis
  • A sudden loss of balance or falling
  • Seizures
  • Mental confusion
  • Speech difficulties
  • Inappropriate behaviour or personality changes
  • Blurry vision, seeing blind spots or double vision

A Final Word

We often take headaches lightly. However, some headaches are more serious than others. If you’ve been having persistent headaches or get headaches often, it is a good idea to get it checked out.

There’s no harm in taking precautions. It can help you to avoid any major medical issues in the long term.



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