Types of headaches: symptoms, possible causes and treatment features. Headache Causes and treatment of headaches
Headaches can occur due to pathology of the spine, diseases nervous system, heart and blood vessels, when taking certain medications, viral infections, as a complication during pregnancy. Headache characteristic of brain tumors. To distinguish its signs, X-ray examination, magnetic resonance imaging and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid are performed. The symptoms and treatment of cephalalgia are closely related. Treatment of headaches includes stopping the attack and eliminating their cause.
Definition
Headache is the most common symptom various diseases. The frequency of its occurrence is influenced by gender, age and previous illnesses. Headaches are diagnosed from infants in the first days of life to the elderly. They have a number of mechanisms of occurrence, so effective treatment of headaches is difficult in some cases.
Classification
The classification of headaches divides them depending on the mechanism of occurrence and the underlying disease. In this regard, the classification distinguishes between primary (occurs when the nervous system is damaged) and secondary (a symptom of other pathological conditions) cephalgia.
Headache and its classification helps to separate the types of headaches according to their causes.
The mechanism of occurrence of cephalalgia
The nature of the headache depends on the mechanism of its development. There are the following types of headaches depending on the cause:
- vascular;
- muscle tension;
- liquorodynamic;
- neuralgic;
- infectious.
One disease in different people may have several mechanisms for the occurrence of an attack and a different nature of headaches.
Type of headache |
Development mechanism |
Description of headache |
Vascular (has 3 subtypes) |
Overflow of blood vessels at the moment of heart contraction. Characteristic for hypertensive patients |
Pulsating. It may hurt half your head or in a small area, but over time it can spread throughout your entire head. The patient clearly indicates the location of the discomfort |
A spasm of the vessel is characteristic, its wall swells, the lumen narrows. The tissue in this place does not receive enough nutrients and oxygen and feels their lack |
There is a feeling of squeezing. There may be nausea, flashing black spots before the eyes, tinnitus, a feeling of “the earth falling out from under your feet” |
|
Due to obstruction of outflow through the veins, they become overfilled with blood |
An attack occurs after the neck remains in one position for a long time. Expanding, dull. My whole head hurts. Often occurs in the morning, gradually disappears when staying in an upright position. The face becomes pasty, the eyelids swell |
|
Muscular |
Spasm of the muscles of the neck and upper back, deterioration of blood supply to brain tissue |
Bilateral, obsessive, monotonous, squeezing. Wearing tight hats and pulling hair into a bun provokes an attack. The muscles of the shoulder girdle are tense |
Liquorodynamic |
Occurs when intracranial pressure increases as a result of obstruction of the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid |
Expanding, worsens with tension and coughing |
Neuralgic |
Appears with pathology of the nervous system |
Sharp, burning, cutting. The attacks are short in duration and can follow one after another. The patient tries not to make unnecessary movements and freezes in place in one position. It always occurs after a certain situation - touching any part of the skin, chewing food, brushing teeth. Sends to other parts of the body |
Infectious |
In the presence of a pathological infectious process in the body. There is a toxic effect of waste products of microbes and their destroyed cells on the human body |
Occurs against the background of fever, accompanied by general weakness and drowsiness. Lasts for a long time |
The effectiveness of its treatment depends on the correct determination of the mechanism of occurrence of the symptom in question.
What diseases does it occur with?
Headache occurs as a symptom of a number of diseases.
Nervous system diseases:
- migraine (often affects half the head);
- tumors of the nervous system;
- inflammatory diseases of the meninges and brain.
Pathology of the musculoskeletal system:
- osteochondrosis;
- injuries;
- poor posture.
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels:
- hypertonic disease;
- hypotension;
- heart defects;
- pathology of vascular development.
Infectious diseases:
- acute viral infections;
- purulent inflammatory processes of the ears, nose, sinuses, tonsils.
Hormonal disorders:
- premenstrual syndrome;
- menopause
Acute poisoning:
- medicines;
- poisons that affect the nervous system.
Blood diseases:
- anemia;
- polycythemia.
- skull tumors;
- metastases to the brain from tumors of other organs.
Row medicines(for example, nitroglycerin) has a side effect that causes a headache (covering half the head or the entire head).
Why do men and women get headaches? In middle-aged people, the cause of headaches may lie in disruption of sleep and rest patterns, frequent nervous stress, abuse of alcohol, strong coffee and smoking. In older people, the causes lie in various diseases.
The characteristics of headaches in spinal pathology depend on the presence of dysfunction of the spinal cord. What headaches occur with cervical osteochondrosis and vertebral injuries?
In the initial stage of osteochondrosis, due to irritation of the nerve plexuses, a change occurs in the lumen of the vessels through which blood flows to the brain. The vessels narrow or, on the contrary, expand too much. As a result, the blood supply to the brain deteriorates. As osteochondrosis progresses, the vertebrae begin to shift and the condition worsens.
Headache syndrome includes:
- pain in the head is localized mainly in the occipital region;
- may begin after an awkward movement of the neck;
- has a sharp, burning, shooting character;
- accompanied by tinnitus;
- may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting;
- in severe cases, vision may deteriorate and black spots may appear before the eyes.
Headaches often occur when working with the neck held high.
Migraine is a disease in which headache occurs as a result of dysfunction of the autonomic part of the nervous system. In this case, there is an increased excitability of the autonomic centers to any stimuli. Pain in the head most often covers half of the head.
Can you get a headache during pregnancy? The cause of headaches during pregnancy may lie in preeclampsia. This is a serious complication of pregnancy, in which blood pressure rises and swelling of the body appears (starts in the legs and arms and spreads throughout the body). If you do not seek help in time, a pregnant woman may experience seizures.
In this case, headaches are localized in the back of the head and have an intense, relieving or bursting character. A woman may complain of blurred vision.
Why do school-aged children get headaches? Most often, the causes of headaches lie in incorrect posture, blurred vision, tension in the neck muscles, and stress associated with the educational process. If a schoolchild has a headache after school, the reason may lie in a violation of the diet, staying for a long time in a stuffy, poorly ventilated room. The possibility of developing anemia cannot be ruled out.
Which doctors should I contact?
Identifying the cause and treating headache problems is the responsibility of a number of specialists in different fields. When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a physician. He will prescribe a series of examinations to identify the cause of the headache, make a preliminary diagnosis, and indicate how to treat the headache. If necessary, he will refer you for consultation to other specialists - a neurologist, hematologist, neurosurgeon, oncologist and hematologist.
Surveys
Laboratory and instrumental methods will help to identify everything about the cause of the headache.
X-ray, computed tomography allows you to see the following signs:
- violation of the integrity of the bones of the skull and spine;
- size of the skull, its shape;
- condition of the sutures of the skull;
- the condition of the vascular grooves on the inner surface of the bones;
- presence of bone tumors;
- condition of intervertebral discs;
- growth of bones in place of cartilage;
- displacement of the vertebrae one in relation to another.
Contrast radiography is performed using air or a special contrast agent. This method allows you to diagnose the movement of cerebrospinal fluid and the presence of tumors of brain tissue.
A contrast agent injected into the vessels makes it possible to determine the state of the blood supply to the brain, the pathology of vascular development, and the presence of tumors.
Electroencephalography allows you to determine the activity of brain cells to determine why headaches occur with epilepsy, tumors, and infectious processes of the brain.
Rheoencephalography - determines the state of blood supply to brain tissue, the degree of vascular damage by atherosclerosis, hypertension.
Echoencephalography - examination of the brain using ultrasound helps to see tumors, abscesses, brain cysts, blood clots formed as a result of hemorrhage or head injury.
A general blood test will reveal a decrease in the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells, and the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
Cerebrospinal fluid examination is carried out to diagnose increased intracranial pressure, the presence of pus, blood, and pathogens of infectious diseases.
If headache attacks occur or become more frequent, you should immediately contact a specialist. Early diagnosis will allow you to timely identify the type and begin to treat headaches.
You need to change your lifestyle. To do this, you need to balance your work and rest schedule. The day should be devoted to work, and the night to rest. If possible, it is better to go to bed no later than 22 hours, since the human body is programmed by nature in such a way that this time is the most comfortable for falling asleep. If possible, it is better to work only day shifts.
The bed should not be too soft and the pillow should not be too high. You can use a small cushion under your neck.
Exercise is very important, especially if a person spends most of his time sitting. To do this, at certain intervals you need to get up and spend a few minutes doing gymnastics.
To relieve muscle spasms, perform several exercises:
- In a sitting position, slowly turn your neck to the sides and down. At the same time, they find the position in which the discomfort in the neck is felt most strongly, and hold the neck for 30 seconds to a minute. After this, they change position and do it all over again.
- Hands are crossed with fingers and placed behind the neck. The bases of the palms actively compress the neck on both sides, without unclenching the fingers.
- From a standing position, straighten your back, raise your arms up. After this, without lifting your feet from the floor, stretch your entire body up behind your hands. The exercise is performed 10-15 times.
When performing these exercises, the spine is aligned and the muscles of the upper back are relaxed.
Treatment
Effective treatment of headaches is possible after a complete examination of the patient. The treatment regimen includes:
- help with headaches in the acute period;
- eliminating the cause of the pathology.
It is much easier to eliminate an attack when the headache just begins to hurt. To this end, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- take off your hat, let your hair down;
- take a comfortable position;
- turn off loud music;
- dim the lights;
- try to relax and calm down.
Headaches and what to do when they occur? To relieve suffering you can use:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- medicinal plants;
- massage.
The types of headaches influence the choice of medications. Half of the episodes of pain will disappear when using non-traditional techniques. Traditional medicine recommends the use of cabbage among medicinal plants. A cabbage leaf should be applied to the sore spot and wrapped with a scarf. Willow bark is rich in a natural analogue of aspirin. It is recommended to chew it if you no longer have the strength to endure the pain.
Traditional massage is combined with acupressure and su-jok therapy methods. Traditional massage is performed in a sitting position. The neck muscles are massaged intensively until pain appears in them. Points (their locations are indicated below) - rotational movements or press on them, gradually increasing the pressure. Then they pass along the scalp from the back of the head to the forehead and back in front and back.
Hand massage can be done using special rings. They are put on each finger in turn and extend from the nail to the base of the finger. The feet are rubbed with hands or using roller devices.
Among acupuncture points, the most commonly used points are on the back of the head, temples, and forehead. Types of headaches and their selection are closely interrelated.
Localization of pain |
Point location |
1-1.5 cm from the corner of the forehead towards the temporal cavity along the edge of the hair |
|
Above the center of the eyebrow in the hollow of the frontal bone |
|
Above the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows |
|
At the inner edge of the eyebrows on both sides |
|
At the outer edge of the eyebrow |
|
1 cm above the outer edge of the eyebrow |
|
On the hand between the thumb and index finger, at the top of the corner with the fingers apart |
|
Under the occipital bone, 1 cm above the hairline in a depression at the edge of the muscle. It is easy to find if you feel the muscle in the neck, located along the spine |
|
The point on the hand between the thumb and index finger, at the apex of the angle with the fingers apart |
|
Eliminating the cause of headaches will cure the patient. Distinguishing headaches is important for choosing a treatment method. It can be carried out conservatively or surgically.
Navigation
Cephalgia, which occurs from time to time, can significantly reduce a person’s quality of life, regardless of its severity. Constant headaches are a more alarming and dangerous symptom. It can occur not only as a result of lack of sleep or overexertion, but also be a sign of a serious illness. Ignoring the phenomenon and trying to cope with it on your own with the help of analgesics can lead to an aggravation of the situation and the disease becoming chronic. In some cases, permanent cephalalgia turns out to be a harbinger of an emergency condition, for example, a stroke.
Causes of constant headaches
Cephalgia, which occurs without disturbing the general condition of a person, is often ignored by him. Many people do not believe that a “non-dangerous” symptom is serious and that it can be effectively treated. They learn to endure, using analgesics and physical therapy methods as first aid. As a result, their health gradually deteriorates and the clinical picture becomes more complex. Only after this do they go to the doctor to find out the causes of the constant headache.
People whose work is closely related to computers, books, microscopes and looking at small details may often have headaches. This is due to constant tension in the muscles of the eyeball, drying out of the mucous membrane due to infrequent blinking, which leads to the development of inflammation.
Also, the cause of cephalalgia is often the refusal to use glasses or wearing the wrong pair. The sensations arise in the afternoon, they are intrusive and growing. Localized in the frontal part of the head, spreading to the temples. Complemented by weakness, mood swings, and fatigue.
Head injury
Persistent headaches result from traumatic brain injuries. The occurrence of a symptom after a head impact, even if several days or weeks have passed, should be reported to the doctor and further diagnostics carried out.
Pain can have any location, shape and degree of intensity. It is often accompanied by dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, decreased quality of vision, and fainting. Particularly dangerous are cases when cephalgia is complemented by impaired consciousness or altered perception of the patient.
Taking medications
Headache is a side symptom of using many pharmaceutical drugs. It usually goes away after stopping drug therapy. Abuse of medications or violation of the schedule for taking them can cause persistent and painful abusive cephalgia. The sensations are pressing or squeezing, they respond poorly to treatment and persist for several weeks or even months.
Most often, persistent headaches are caused by taking the following medications:
- analgesics;
- NSAIDs;
- triptans;
- opiates;
- ergotamines;
- combination drugs;
- oral contraceptives.
Modern research methods will not help make such a diagnosis. It becomes obvious only after identifying the connection between medication and headaches. To confirm suspicions, the patient is advised to stop taking medications for a while. Symptoms of the disease should subside within a couple of months after this.
Hormonal disbalance
The causes of headaches associated with changes in hormonal levels can be physiological and pathological. The first include pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause. The symptom is mild or moderate in severity, lasts several days or weeks, and goes away on its own. The pain does not have a specific localization; often it covers the entire head. The symptom is accompanied by moodiness, mood swings, and fatigue. If there is no suspicion of the listed conditions, it is worth visiting an endocrinologist and checking the functionality of the endocrine glands, in particular the parathyroid gland.
Normally, a person should sleep 8-9 hours a day. Doctors recommend not dividing this time into several segments, but getting proper rest at night. In this case, the body will work like a clock, and the risks of headaches will be minimized.
Constant headaches due to violation of the regime can be caused by:
- lack of sleep - during rest, the brain tissue is actively cleansed of toxins. If you regularly do not get enough sleep, these processes will fail, the organ will begin to be poisoned by its own waste products, which will provoke cell destruction and headaches;
- excess sleep - exceeding normal sleep levels leads to oxygen starvation of the brain due to lack of access to fresh air in the room. Blood sugar levels also drop. The body, which has not received food for more than 9 hours, begins to give signals that it is hungry;
Don't overuse daytime sleep. Attempts to take a nap during the day are usually accompanied by taking an uncomfortable position, lack of fresh air in the room, and high noise levels. All this does not contribute to the rest of the body and brain, but only increases the risk of discomfort.
After conception, a situation may arise when the mother’s body is poisoned by the waste products of the fetus. Cephalgia is accompanied by nausea, weakness, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, and dizziness. This does not mean that a constant headache indicates some kind of problem with the child. You just need to endure the period, if possible, refusing to take medications in favor of physiotherapy and traditional medicine. The list of acceptable medications and manipulations is selected by the doctor.
Brain hematoma
The rupture of a vessel inside the skull leads to the formation of a cavity filled with blood. Depending on the degree of tissue damage and the size of the formation, the patient may experience severe headache, nausea and vomiting due to the pressure of the mass on the membranes, and confusion. Depending on the location of the hematoma, a person may experience problems with vision, speech, memory, and hearing. Lack of timely assistance leads to loss of consciousness, coma and death.
Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges as a result of their infection is characterized by constant pain in the head, which does not allow you to do your usual activities. They do not respond to taking analgesics and antispasmodics, or physiotherapy methods. The patient experiences nausea. He may start vomiting, which does not bring relief. Due to the sensations and stiffness of the neck muscles, the patient takes a forced position - on his side, with his head thrown back, eyes closed and legs pulled up to the stomach.
Stressful situations
To understand why you often have a headache, sometimes it is enough to assess your general condition. Constant psycho-emotional overload provokes tension headaches. It is characterized by a pressing sensation around the perimeter of the head, which occurs in the afternoon and gradually increases.
Alcohol consumption
Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to changes in the structure of blood vessels, changes in blood pressure, poisoning of brain tissue with toxins and breakdown products of alcohol. The cephalgia is constant, aching, irritating. It is accompanied by dizziness and nausea, redness of the skin and mucous membranes.
Vertebrogenic pain
Painful sensations in the head appear due to problems arising in the cervical spine. They can be the result of vascular spasm, damage to the nerve roots, hypoxia or intoxication of the brain due to decreased patency of the blood channels.
Cephalgia can be unilateral or symmetrical. It is accompanied by dizziness, numbness of the skin, the appearance of spots before the eyes, problems with balance and hearing.
Pain due to infections
The course of infectious diseases of various natures in the body leads to the appearance of signs of intoxication. Headache occurs against the background of increased temperature, general deterioration of health, weakness, fatigue, and drowsiness. Depending on the type of pathology and the degree of its severity, the clinical picture may be supplemented by nausea and vomiting, intestinal disorders, and changes in consciousness. Persistent cephalalgia of moderate severity and uncertain localization persists until the infectious agents are eliminated.
Constant migraine pain
Unilateral cephalalgia of a pulsating nature, which appears after an aura or without any warning signs, is characteristic of migraine.
In some cases, the condition does not respond to therapy, causing symptoms to persist for several days. In this case, the severity of sensations is weak or average. They may go away in response to taking strong drugs or on their own.
Vegetovascular dystonia
The disease, which occurs as a result of malfunctions of the nervous system, is very often accompanied by constant headaches. It is difficult to escape from unpleasant sensations in the forehead, temples, crown and back of the head, nausea and dizziness, weakness and ringing in the ears. Even rest and medication do not guarantee the desired result. For many patients, symptoms disappear only at night.
The pain is localized in the temples and back of the head, but can spread throughout the entire skull. It is intense, bursting or pulsating. Does not allow you to close your eyes and rest or be distracted in any way. May be accompanied by loss of coordination, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Arterial hypertension can lead to the development of a crisis or stroke, so it cannot be ignored.
Treatment of persistent headaches
Chronic cephalgia is an indication to see a doctor. First, you should visit a therapist, who will make a preliminary diagnosis and, if necessary, refer you to a doctor of a narrow specialization. Diagnosis of diseases that cause persistent headaches begins with an examination, medical history, and general analyzes. Sometimes it is necessary to do a computed tomography, MRI, or apply approaches to assess the functioning of the vessels of the neck and head.
If you have a constant headache, treatment may be as follows:
- taking medications – you should not choose medications for headaches on your own; it is better to trust your doctor. Depending on the cause of the disease, the desired effect can be provided not by analgesics, but by antispasmodics, NSAIDs, antihypertensive or sedatives, nootropics, muscle relaxants and other medications;
- carrying out massage – treatment of the head or collar area can be carried out with the help of an assistant, a special device or on your own;
- the use of physiotherapeutic procedures - high or low temperatures, currents, magnetic waves can be used to combat headaches;
- surgical intervention - sometimes it is possible to get rid of headaches only after surgery (hematomas, tumors, vascular pathologies);
- reflexology – stimulating biologically active points with fingertips or needles allows you to quickly get rid of constant pain.
Patients who, due to the complexity of the situation, need to take medications on an ongoing basis, fear for the development of side effects. Some of them are trying to replace pharmacy products with traditional medicine. This treatment option should be agreed with your doctor. Typically, natural medicines act as a complement to traditional approaches.
Prevention of headaches
Treatment of chronic cephalgia requires significant time and financial costs. Constantly taking pills for headaches can provoke the development of a number of complications and adverse reactions in the body. Carrying out simple and effective prevention of the condition will allow you not to encounter such problems. It includes adherence to a daily routine and night sleep of 8-9 hours a day. To strengthen the body, it is recommended to switch to healthy eating, give up bad habits, go in for sports.
Even minor headaches can cause serious mental problems if they bother you constantly. If a symptom occurs, do not delay visiting a specialist. Additionally, it is recommended to undergo an annual preventive examination with a therapist and neurologist in order to reduce the risks of developing diseases that are characterized by the symptom.
A headache, be it spontaneous, growing, sharp, aching, throbbing or pressing, occurs in the life of any person, but it happens quite rarely without a reason. Almost always it warns about a malfunction in the body or its exposure to harmful factors. Reveal the real reason The appearance of headaches is quite difficult, given the large list of diseases and disorders that provoke it, but it is quite possible to do this if you take into account your own sensations and accompanying symptoms when diagnosing.
Causes of headaches
In most cases, a headache is a symptom that signals the influence of unfavorable factors on the body or the development of a hidden pathology that requires immediate treatment.
Unfavorable factors that can cause headaches include:
- sudden change in climate or weather conditions;
- environmental pollution with harmful fumes, toxins, carbon monoxide;
- low-quality food products that contain high concentrations of monosodium glutamate and nitrites;
- emotional fatigue due to frequent stressful situations;
- alcohol abuse and hangover syndrome as a consequence;
- long exposure to the sun.
Frequent pathological causes of headaches are:
- vascular diseases of the circulatory system and the development of arterial hypertension, hypotension, as a consequence;
- liquorodynamic disorders and those that arise during the development and other diseases of the membranes of the brain structures;
- neurological diseases, including neuralgia trigeminal nerve, vertebrogenic apparatus, infringement of the nerve processes of the cervical spine;
- injuries of the brain and skull bones, as well as chronic post-traumatic conditions;
- poisoning with drugs, food, toxic substances;
- inflammatory processes occurring in the visual and ENT organs;
- viral or cold diseases accompanied by high temperature and a headache as a result.
Any headache that appears regularly, becomes protracted and is not relieved by painkillers should be alarming.
In this case, it is better to play it safe and see a specialist so as not to waste time and prevent the development of complications if the painful sensations are caused by a pathological process.
Types of headaches
To identify the cause of cephalalgia, you need to determine its type based on the corresponding signs. Most often in medical practice, headaches are classified into the following areas:
Headaches caused by vascular diseases
Due to narrowing, dilatation, inflammation or rupture of blood vessels, pressure occurs, which is often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and a decrease in the main reflex functions. This type of pain is typical for:
- migraine attacks;
- blood pressure disorders (hypertension or hypotension);
- temporal arteritis;
- multiple sclerosis;
- atherosclerosis of spinal vessels;
- strokes.
Psychogenic headaches (tension pain, tension pain)
A squeezing and spreading headache of a constant nature causes the feeling of a hoop squeezing the head, and occurs against the background of prolonged physical and psychological stress in people who are not resistant to stress. In a calm state, the pain is mild or moderate; with bending, physical exertion and nervous shock, its intensity will increase.
Headaches associated with liquorodynamic and intracranial pathologies
Painful sensations of a local or spreading nature are disturbing due to impaired circulation of cerebral fluid through the cerebrospinal fluid system, its excessive accumulation in the meninges and its occurrence as a consequence. The intensity of headaches increases at night and in the morning, painful sensations are often complemented by nausea, vomiting, decreased vision and hearing. This type of headache is typical for:
- post-traumatic conditions;
- congenital or acquired brain pathologies;
- severe infections of brain structures (encephalitis,).
Cluster headaches
Intense pain of unknown etiology, most often found in men. They arise suddenly and are unilateral. Seizures of various durations occur at regular intervals (days, weeks, months). The condition is aggravated by accompanying symptoms - swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and lacrimation. .
Head pain not associated with disorders of brain structures
- viral or infectious diseases in which aching headache occurs due to general intoxication of the body;
- inflammatory processes occurring in the organs of hearing, smell, vision, oral cavity or facial nerves (in this case, the patient feels a shooting or aching headache, radiating to a painful place);
- excess dosage of medications, alcohol abuse;
- caused by traumatic processes, low physical activity and limited movement.
If headaches bother you regularly, and the condition is aggravated by symptoms of a pathological nature, then you should consult a doctor.
Regardless of the cause and nature of the origin, doctors do not recommend enduring headaches and, in case of intense pain, prescribe painkillers in tablet form.
Depending on the type of headache and the cause of its origin, you can take one of the following medications:
- Paracetamol. The safest painkiller and antipyretic drug approved for pregnant women and children. It relieves moderate headaches caused by colds or infectious diseases, inflammatory processes.
- Migrenol. A combination drug in which the action of the main substance paracetamol is complemented by caffeine. The drug is prescribed to hypotensive patients to relieve pain attacks caused by decreased blood pressure, weather dependence, VSD, and migraine.
- Solpadeine. Painkiller containing codeine and caffeine. These substances enhance the effect of the main component of paracetamol, so the drug effectively relieves intense attacks of headaches.
- Analgin. The analgesic effect of the drug is very pronounced, but its long-term use negatively affects the structure of the blood, reducing the production of leukocytes.
- Ibuprofen. A pain reliever with minimal side effects treats cephalalgia of various etiologies.
- Sedalgin Plus. An analgesic whose complementary substances are caffeine and vitamin B1. The drug effectively relieves attacks of pain caused by psycho-emotional fatigue, hypotension, migraines, colds or chronic fatigue.
- Spazmalgon (Spazgan). An analgesic drug with a pronounced spastic effect. Prescribed for headaches caused by vascular spasms.
- Brustan. A tablet combination product that combines two painkillers that complement each other - paracetamol and ibuprofen. Prescribed to relieve severe headaches when other drugs do not help.
Painkillers should not be taken continuously, combined with each other or mixed with alcohol. The choice of a specific drug and dosage, depending on the degree of pain intensity and individual tolerance, should be made only by a doctor.
Folk remedies
If headache attacks are mild and short-term in nature, and there are no accompanying pathological symptoms, then simple but effective folk remedies can be used to relieve discomfort.
- Melissa tea with the addition of chamomile or valerian flowers. The drink dilates blood vessels and relieves spasmodic headaches.
- Soothing tea with rosemary and mint. Taken to relieve headaches caused by nervous fatigue.
- Inhalation or rubbing with essential oils of grapefruit, lavender, mint, rosemary or lemon balm. One of the oils or a mixture of them is applied in a small amount to the temples and gently rubbed. You can also light an aroma lamp, and first dilute the essential oil with water to reduce the concentration.
- A compress of saline solution on the area of the frontal lobes and temples. To do this, you need to dissolve tbsp in warm water (1 l). spoon sea salt, moisten a cloth in the solution and apply it to the sore area of the head.
- An express method for relieving headaches in the summer is fresh leaves of mint, lemon balm or knotweed, which should be applied to the back of the head or temples. In winter, you can use cabbage leaves for these purposes, which must first be mashed until the juice appears.
- Inhalation with apple cider vinegar solution for migraine attacks. To do this, add apple cider vinegar to water in equal proportions, bring the resulting mixture to a boil, after which, slightly tilting your head over the container, gently inhale its fumes.
Is something bothering you? Illness or life situation?
You should stop using folk remedies if the cause of the headaches is unclear and the patient exhibits clearly expressed pathological signs. In this case, you should immediately see a doctor and only after making an accurate diagnosis agree with him on the advisability of using folk remedies.
Every person has experienced a headache at least once in their life. Regardless of the cause and intensity, this symptom always adversely affects daily activities. A person suffering from a headache becomes irritable, absent-minded, his performance decreases, and he cannot absorb new information. Frequent occurrence of this problem can significantly impair the quality of life. Why does headache occur and how to deal with it?
Types of headaches
Not many people know that headaches can hurt in different ways. It is important to be able to differentiate the symptoms that arise, as this greatly facilitates the establishment of the cause and the development of a treatment regimen. The most common types of pain are:
- Tension pain. Every person has experienced it at least once in their life. It occurs when the neck is in an awkward position or when there is a long static load on it. For example, if you sit at a table for a long time and write, read, or work at a computer. In this case, the muscles of the neck and back experience prolonged tension, which is transmitted to the tissues of the head. Such pain can be compared to a tight hoop or hat that squeezes the head from the outside inward.
- Hypertensive. Headaches often occur in people suffering from arterial hypertension. It usually has a pulsating nature, often localized in the temples or occipital region. The main way to diagnose it is to measure blood pressure.
- Hypotensive. Lack of cerebral circulation also leads to the development of headaches. It occurs when arterial hypotension or compression of the vessels supplying the brain. This pain is accompanied by dizziness, and in some cases, syncope. To diagnose it, it is also necessary to measure blood pressure. Sometimes it is worth additionally examining the functioning of the blood vessels in the neck.
- Migraine. How and why it appears is not known exactly. This is one of the most unpleasant types of pain. It occurs suddenly and differs in that it is localized in one half of the head. Such pain is accompanied by a fear of light, intolerance to loud sounds and a pronounced decrease in ability to work. It is very intense, difficult to treat and can last for several days.
- Cluster pain. They occur predominantly in representatives of the stronger sex. There is an opinion that cluster or cluster pain affects men who try to appear strong, despite their internal vulnerability and sensitivity. Distinctive feature This type is paroxysmal pain. They appear as if in bunches, go away after a few minutes, and then can repeat again.
Pathological conditions and diseases that can cause headaches
It is worth saying right away that the brain itself does not have pain receptors. Even operations on this organ can be performed without anesthesia, after first anesthetizing all overlying tissues, which is often done by neurosurgeons. But the membranes of the brain have a lot of pain receptors and are a powerful reflexogenic field. Nerve endings also contain blood vessels in the brain.
There is an opinion that a headache can be a symptom of encephalitis, but in fact this is not the case. Even an extensive pathological focus with many other symptoms may not hurt at all until the inflammation spreads to the membranes of the brain. This phenomenon is also true for other diseases. This often prevents the diagnosis of tumor processes in the brain. What diseases can cause headaches? The following deserve special attention:
- Meningitis. This is an inflammation of the meninges with specific changes in the cerebrospinal fluid. It can occur for many reasons, but is most often caused by a bacterial infection. The pain is intense, accompanied by photophobia and phonophobia, muscle rigidity and specific meningeal symptoms.
- Meningism. Subjective symptoms are similar to those observed with meningitis, but there are no changes in the cerebrospinal fluid.
- Tumor. The development of cancer cells in the cranial cavity is not always accompanied by pain. But there are multiple signs of focal brain damage: paresis, paralysis, decreased sensitivity.
- Concussion. Occurs as a result of hitting the head on a hard surface. Moreover, a slight concussion can occur even with a minor impact. Often this condition is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sometimes loss of consciousness.
- Fracture of the skull bones. This injury is more dangerous than a regular concussion and requires urgent hospitalization. In this case, not only the membranes of the brain hurt, which may not be affected, but also the bones themselves and the tissues surrounding them.
Headache does not necessarily indicate the conditions listed above, but it is worth remembering that it can be a symptom of these diseases.
Sometimes even the doctor himself cannot determine the type and cause of the headache. There are entire scientific institutes that deal with this problem. They look for the causes, development processes and possible treatments for headaches.
These rules will help reduce headaches until the main treatment takes effect. Sometimes using these simple methods you can completely get rid of a headache. If this symptom occurs, do the following:
- Go out into the fresh air or open a window. This will increase the oxygen concentration in the blood and reduce the carbon dioxide content. Even if this technique does not get rid of the headache, it should definitely reduce it.
- Remove anything that is squeezing your head. This applies to hats, headbands, hoops and even hair ties. Braids and ponytails should also be unbraided. Free your head as much as possible.
- Do a little warm-up. This advice is for those who suffer from tension headaches. A few exercises for the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle are enough.
- Measure your blood pressure. If the pain is caused by a decrease or increase in blood pressure, just one tablet that normalizes blood pressure can solve the problem.
- Lie down. This will help reduce discomfort regardless of the type of pain and the reasons that caused it. In this case, you should take the most comfortable position, preferably lying in a dark and quiet room.
- Apply a cold compress. Soak a piece of gauze, a handkerchief or any other cloth in cool water and apply it to your forehead. Turn it over when it's hot, and then repeat the process again.
- See your doctor. If the pain does not go away for a long time or often recurs, is accompanied by dizziness, nausea or other symptoms, contact your local physician. He will prescribe an examination plan to exclude all possible types of pathology and choose treatment tactics.
In fact, analgesics were invented to relieve pain. But it is worth considering that they cannot cope with all types of pain, and they also have a number of contraindications and side effects. You should not get carried away with taking such drugs. In addition, they usually do not eliminate the cause of the symptom, but only reduce its manifestations. Headaches should be relieved with the following medications:
- Paracetamol. The most famous remedy that is widely used specifically for headaches. Indeed, the drug copes with this symptom perfectly, but doctors do not like to prescribe it. This is because paracetamol has a bad effect on the liver and there is a risk of getting hepatitis while treating a headache.
- Aspirin. Also often used for headaches. In addition to reducing discomfort, it can reduce body temperature. This useful property if the pain is a symptom of a cold. With frequent uncontrolled use, it can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure.
- Analgin. It acts similarly to aspirin, but the antipyretic effect is less pronounced.
Trigan. It is an antispasmodic that effectively combats pain caused by muscle tension and vascular spasm. - Solpadeine. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitussive drug. Most often used for colds.
- Ibuprofen. Belongs to the same group as analgin and aspirin, but less often causes side effects and has a more powerful analgesic effect.
- Pentalgin. It contains antispasmodics, stimulants and analgesics. It is a fairly strong drug, but has many side effects. It cannot be used often. In addition, it is contraindicated for athletes who are about to undergo doping control.
- Migrenol. It is used to treat migraines. Conventional analgesics and antispasmodics rarely cope with this task. It is worth considering that the drug has a hypnotic effect.
- Imigran. Its action is different from migrenol, but this drug is also used to relieve migraine symptoms.
It can be concluded that headache is a common symptom for many people. It can appear due to various reasons, most of which do not pose any threat to life and health. However, under certain circumstances, it is worth undergoing a number of additional examination methods to rule out serious brain pathology. Headaches can be treated using various methods.
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Headache is the body’s most common signal about the presence of physiological disruptions or organic problems. Even his one-time appearance deserves attention. People who have headaches regularly or severely need to undergo a thorough diagnosis and identify the causes of the symptom. In 10-20% of cases, the symptom turns out to be one of the secondary consequences of serious disorders in the functioning of organs. Such situations require immediate initiation of adequate therapy. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing chronic diseases or emergency conditions that can lead to a decrease in quality of life, disability, and death.
Why does my head hurt?
Pharmacies offer drugs for cephalalgia that vary in price, composition, type of action and rules of use. In some cases they quickly relieve discomfort, in others they do not give the desired result. The effectiveness of funds depends not so much on their quality as on their suitability for a specific situation. The mechanism of development of pain in the head can be different, and it is according to this that the medicine must be selected.
There are five common causes of the symptom:
- muscle strain – the result of prolonged physical activity or being in an uncomfortable position;
- decreased functionality of cerebral vessels - pathological narrowing or expansion of blood channels, increased permeability or stretching of their walls. Excessive blood thickness, atherosclerotic plaques, tissue swelling, tumors, and blood clots increase the risks. They interfere with normal blood flow, which disrupts metabolic processes;
- impaired circulation of cerebrospinal fluid - most often the result of compression of certain areas of the brain by a cyst, hematoma, tumor, or displaced bone;
- failures of a neuralgic nature - appear when nerve fibers are irritated (pinching, compression, malnutrition, infection);
- the effect of psychogenic factors - the consequences of mental disorders in the form of depression, apathy, stress, genetic diseases, chronic fatigue.
One-time or regular pain in the head can occur under the influence of two hundred more factors. This list includes smoking, drinking alcohol, eating unhealthy foods and caffeine.
Cephalgia occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to heat and high humidity. Often headaches occur due to lack or excess sleep, wearing incorrectly selected glasses or contact lenses. The danger is posed by strict diets, head injuries, hypothermia, and sludge in the body.
Symptoms
Headache manifests itself in different ways. Its intensity, localization, and character are influenced by provoking factors, the mechanism of development, stage, and features of the course of the pathology. An experienced doctor is able to make a preliminary diagnosis based only on the specifics of the clinical picture.
The type of pain in the head depends on the causes of cephalalgia:
- vascular - most often the patient is tormented by pulsation or aching sensations. They are accompanied by dizziness and decreased quality of vision. The symptom increases with changes in body position, physical activity, and bending;
- liquorodynamic – the pain comes in waves, reminiscent of pressure from the inside. Complemented by nausea, dizziness, weakness, general deterioration of health;
- neuralgic – acute and severe cephalalgia of a local nature. Often, when you press on the affected area, the sensations intensify, becoming cutting or piercing, unbearable. The sensitivity of the skin in the problem area increases or decreases. The symptom does not respond well to conventional analgesics and may persist for several days or weeks;
- tension – constant, moderate or mild, aching. Accompanied by irritability, dizziness, and neck pain. Goes away quickly after a light massage of the collar area or rest;
- psychogenic – capable of acquiring the most different type, supplemented by obsessive states and decreased mental abilities.
In each case, special therapy is required, selected by a specialized doctor. If you suddenly have a headache, you can try to cope with it folk ways or taking analgesics. If there is no effect or the symptoms soon return, you should seek medical help.
The most common reasons why a headache
Doctors identify dozens of factors whose action can lead to the appearance of cephalgia. This list includes not only diseases of the head, but also pathologies of distant localization. Five conditions are worth mentioning separately - they account for about 95% of all cases of symptom occurrence. You should not diagnose yourself, even when the clinical picture is obvious. Some diseases follow a similar scenario, but require different approaches to treatment. It is better to initially visit a specialist and strictly follow his instructions.
Tension headache
If you have a headache for a long time and obsessively for no apparent reason, this diagnosis should be considered first. The sensations occur in the afternoon or after a long stay in an uncomfortable position. They are similar to pressure due to a tight hairstyle or a tight headdress. Most often, the pain covers the skull like a hoop. Initially, only one side of the head or the frontal part hurts, gradually the symptom spreads along the perimeter. It is accompanied by dizziness, decreased mental activity, and impaired attention.
To get rid of the problem, just breathe fresh air, relax, and drink soothing tea. Prolonged, persistent sensations indicate a violation of blood flow. In this case, you may need to take medications to protect nerve cells, increase brain activity, and improve circulation (nootropics, neuroprotectors).
Migraine
A neurological disease of a vascular nature is more often diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It manifests itself in the form of cephalalgia, nausea and vomiting at the peak of sensations, and an increased reaction to external stimuli. The head usually hurts on one side, the sensations are pulsating, intense, aggravated by loud sounds and strong odors. Attacks last from 2-4 hours to 3 days. In a quarter of cases they are preceded by an aura. Depending on the specifics of the case, the headache occurs every few months or up to several times a week. Therapy is required to be comprehensive, aimed at alleviating the patient’s condition and preventing subsequent exacerbations.
Histamine headache
The disease is also called Horton's or cluster cephalgia. It is especially susceptible to middle-aged, strong-built men who drink alcohol and have an impressive smoking history. The pain is unilaterally localized, radiates to the eyeball, and lasts from 15 minutes to 2 hours. The sensations are sharp, sharp, burning. They prevent a person from doing normal activities and react poorly to taking any type of medication. The onset of an attack may be preceded by lacrimation, nasal congestion, dull pain in the head, and drooping of the upper eyelid in one eye.
Occipital headache
When cephalgia is localized in the back of the head, there is a high probability of disruption of the process of blood flow to the brain. Often this occurs due to problems in the cervical spine. The picture in this case is complemented by dizziness, pain and crunching in the neck, decreased skin sensitivity, and numbness in the fingers. The patient has a headache mainly in one place, but the sensation radiates to the ear, jaw, eye or shoulder on the affected side. The symptom increases during the day and intensifies over time. It worsens with sudden movements, bending, turning the head.
The therapy involves combating pathological changes in the spine with the help of chondroprotectors, massage, physiotherapy, and exercise therapy. Additionally, the patient is prescribed medications to normalize the functioning of brain vessels, protect nerve cells from toxins, and improve circulation in tissues.
Arterial hypertension
With high blood pressure, your head may hurt in different places.
Cephalgia can be bursting or pulsating, constant or increasing. It is accompanied by nausea, flashing spots before the eyes, redness of the face, changes in the frequency and quality of breathing, and increased heart rate. To confirm the diagnosis, it is enough to measure blood pressure. Treatment is carried out strictly under the supervision of a doctor. The fight against arterial hypertension is not limited to taking medications. Be sure to introduce changes to the diet and take measures to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Diagnostics
Features of the manifestation of diseases allow the doctor to make a preliminary diagnosis. Then various research methods are used to confirm or refute suspicions. Only after this is a treatment regimen developed, aimed not at cephalgia, but at its cause.
Diagnosis of headache may include the following measures:
- MRI and/or CT;
- Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and neck;
- EEG, REG;
- X-ray of the head and neck;
- Lumbar puncture.
General and biochemical blood tests are mandatory. They help evaluate the composition of biological material, its viscosity, cholesterol level, and eliminate the presence of infection in the body.
Medicines that can be used to treat headaches
If possible, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication. When you suddenly have a headache, it is better to start fighting the symptom with the safest and most accessible approaches - rest, a walk in the fresh air or ventilating the room, tea with lemon and sugar. Massage of the head and collar area, inhalation give a good effect aromatic oils or rubbing them into temples.
If you still have a severe headache, you can use the following medications:
- NSAIDs - Ibuprofen, Aspirin;
- analgesics – “Paracetamol”, “Pentalgin”;
- antispasmodics – “No-Shpa”, “Baralgin”;
- antihypertensives - only after measuring blood pressure and preferably those that were previously prescribed by a doctor;
- nootropics - Piracetam, Phenibut.
Experts have developed a simple and accessible program for the prevention of cephalalgia. To never have a headache, just follow healthy image life, walk a lot in the fresh air, play sports, follow a daily routine and refuse to eat harmful foods. You should also be attentive to your health and promptly report complaints to doctors. You should not self-medicate; it is recommended that you take any medications in consultation with your healthcare provider.
It is difficult to find a person who does not have a headache at least from time to time. A one-time occurrence of a symptom is not a reason to panic. Unpleasant sensations after a hard day or stress indicate the body's need for rest and relaxation. Sometimes colds or inflammatory diseases begin with cephalgia. The body reacts with pain in the head to toxin poisoning, slagging, and changing weather conditions. The main thing is not to grab the pills every time, even if it is not clear what caused the symptom. Independent experiments pose a great risk to the body and make it difficult for doctors to make a diagnosis.