Nearly 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women have experienced having headaches at some point in their lives. Headache is the term used to refer to any pain felt in the areas if the head, face, mouth or neck. It involves the network of fibers in the tissues, muscles and blood vessels located in the head and the base of the skull. Headaches can be considered as either primary or secondary. Primary headaches accounts for more than 90% of headaches. These are not caused by underlying medical conditions. Primary headaches include tension-type, migraine and cluster headaches. Tension-type headaches are the mist common type. These are triggered by stress, anxiety and depression. These usually begin in middle age. Cluster headaches occur daily over a period of weeks, sometimes months. These may seem to disappear over time but happen again during the same time in the following year. Migraines headaches are exhibited by severe pain on one or both sides of the head. An upset stomach and disturbed vision can also go along with the headache. Secondary headaches results from underlying medical conditions. Cerebrovascular disease, head trauma, infection, tumor and metabolic disorder are some of these conditions.
The most common cause of headaches is muscle tension caused by spinal misalignment. Food reactions are also a significant contributor to headaches. So are drugs that cause the blood vessels to dilate or to constrict. A low level of endorphins which are painkilling compounds found in the brain are also said to contribute to headaches. These can cause frequent, severe or chronic headache pain. Other factors that may lead to headaches are overworking, not getting adequate sleep, missing meals, drinking, using street drugs, poor sleep position and clenching or grinding your teeth. Holding your head in one position for a long time may also lead to a headache.
If your headache occur three of more times in a month, a preventive treatment is helpful. Drug therapy, biofeedback training, stress reduction and eliminating certain food from your diet are also some of the forms of treatment necessary. Medications may vary according to the type of headache that an individual has. For migraine headaches, the most common drug used is sumatriptan. Methysergide maleate on the other hand is for counteracting blood vessel constriction. Propranolol hydrochloride reduces the frequency and severity of migraine headaches and ergotamine tartrate is used to help counteract the painful dilation stage of the headaches. Other medications used are amitriptyline, an antidepressant; valporic acid, an anticonvulsant and verapamil, a calcium channel blocker. Lifestyle changes also need to be done to treat the headache. Maintaining a diet based on fresh fruits and vegetables, animal protein and non-glutinous grains can prove to be helpful. Acupuncture has also been said to help treat headaches.
It is very important for an individual to get enough sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly to prevent headaches from occurring. Learning a proper posture and stretching your neck and upper body, especially if your work involves typing or using a computer can also help. Meditation, deep breathing, yoga and other techniques that can help you relax can also prevent having to experience headaches.
