Headache Pain: When To Worry, What To Do Harvard Health Publishing

Why Do I Have A Headache:

why do i have a headache

A doctor may also use imaging tests, such as a CT scan or MRI, to help diagnose the cause of your headache. Headaches felt over the entire head are referred to as “generalized” headaches. They are not localized to a single area like the forehead or the back of the head. These infections must be treated immediately with intravenous antibiotic therapy. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly half of adults the world over will have a headache at some point this year. One theory suggest that a problem with the electric charge through nerve cells causes a sequence of changes that cause migraines.

The key to preventing headaches is figuring out what triggers them. Triggers are very specific to each person ‘ what gives you a headache may not be a problem for others. Once you determine navigate to these guys your triggers, you can avoid or minimize them. Anyone can have a headache, including children, adolescents and adults. About 96% of people experience a headache at least once in their life.

You’re more likely to develop this type of headache if you’re treating high blood pressure. Also, if your headaches are getting worse or seriously impacting your via daily life, it may be time to speak with a doctor. They can identify what is causing your headache or the type of headache you have and treat it appropriately.

Not everyone will respond to the same treatments, even for the same types of headaches. If you’re experiencing headaches you cannot treat on your own, speak with a doctor about putting together a treatment plan. If you’re getting headaches more than 15 days out of the month over 3 months, you might have a chronic headache condition. Even if you can manage the pain with OTC medications, consider talking with a doctor for a diagnosis. These headaches feel like tension headaches or migraine episodes.

It can lead to liver and kidney damage, brain injury, and other serious problems. Headaches are common ‘ nearly everyone experiences one every now and then. While headaches can be uncomfortable, painful, and even debilitating, you usually don’t have to worry about them. Some headaches are a sign of a more serious problem and need medical attention right away. Generally, the headaches go away if you stop or reduce intake of these drugs. However, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider first before making any changes.

Depression and caffeine withdrawal can also cause cluster headaches. Even many chronic headaches, such as migraines and cluster headaches, aren’t considered signs of more severe, underlying problems. They may need to be treated to improve your life, but they won’t put your life at risk. With sinus headaches, you feel a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or on the bridge of your nose. They happen when cavities in your head, called sinuses, get inflamed. The pain usually comes along with other sinus symptoms, like a runny nose, fullness in the ears, fever, and a swollen face.

why do i have a headache

Clinically referred to as ‘unilateral headaches,’ headaches on one side of the head arise due to a variety of factors. Everything from lifestyle choices the advantage to head injury can be at fault. Some of these can be self-managed, while others may need the help of a healthcare provider’in some cases, urgently.

The right medications combined with lifestyle changes can be helpful to improve the lives of those living with migraine. There are ways to manage and minimize the triggers of migraine using the SEEDS method. Improve your sleep routine by sticking to a specific schedule, reducing screens and distractions at night. Start small, even five minutes once a week and slowly increase the duration and frequency to make it a habit. E is for eat healthy, well-balanced meals at least three times a day and stay hydrated. Bring that diary with you to your follow-up appointments with your doctor to review.

Migraine pain can come on without warning and can be severe and debilitating. If you have chronic migraine, talk to your doctor about treatment to help you manage this pain. This may be one of the first possible culprits to cross off the list. Depending on your sensitivity to alcohol, even one cocktail the night before can lead to a pounding headache the next day. Especially if you’re binge-drinking shortly before you go to bed, you’ll likely experience head pain the next morning. Plus, alcohol dehydrates your body a lot, and that lack of H20 can contribute to headaches as well (whether they happen during the day or night).

If spinal fluid leaks through the puncture site, it can cause a headache. The pain tends to be moderate, but for some people, it’s severe. The visual above is a general representation of where headaches may occur, but many can exist outside the areas noted.

Others share symptoms of migraine, such as nausea or sensitivity to light. You could have intense burning or piercing pain behind or around one eye. The pain can be so bad that most people with cluster headaches can’t sit still and will often pace during an attack. On the side of the pain, the eyelid droops, the eye reddens, pupil gets smaller, or the eye makes tears. The only treatment for medication overuse headaches is to wean yourself off the medication you’ve been taking to manage pain. Although the pain may initially worsen, it should completely subside within a few days.

If any of these symptoms are new to you, seek immediate medical attention. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month. These headaches affect people who often use pain relievers to treat migraines. Overuse of these medicines can cause withdrawal, which leads to more headaches.

In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend prescription medication or physical therapy. A tension headache is a headache that feels like there’s a tight band wrapped around your head that puts pressure on your forehead and temples. Many factors cause tension headaches, and you may be unable to avoid all potential triggers. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to prevent a tension headache. And if home treatment doesn’t work, healthcare providers may have medications and other therapies to ease tension headache pressure.

‘In the context of repeated rPMS applications, we have observed that headache can be reduced,’ Sollmann adds. In these instances, the neck pain could suggest a tumor or meningitis, she notes. Read on to learn the signs and symptoms that will help you know when you do need to worry about a headache.

They shouldn’t reoccur as long as high blood pressure continues to be managed. Exertion headaches happen quickly after periods of intense physical activity. Weightlifting, running, and sexual intercourse are all common triggers for an exertion headache. It’s thought that these activities cause increased blood flow to your skull, leading to a throbbing headache on both sides of your head. Hi, I’m Dr. Amaal Starling, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic specializing in headache disorders.

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