Types and Common Causes of Headaches

General Headaches

A headache is generally known to be occurring due to lack of sleep, stress, or other external factor. About 99% of headaches are harmless, and might need no further treatment, just a few counter medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, or aspirin etc works well for these types. There are, however, over 150 categorized headache types; some of them should never be ignored. If the pain is severe, medical attention is indispensable. Some may even be associated with aneurisms. A sudden pain with no cause is often associated with the onset of an illness such as a cold or flu.

The Most Common Types

The most frequent types of headaches are migraines, tension, and sinus. The causes and symptoms of all of them differ. Migraines are more common in adults and teenager, the symptom is a severe headache either on one or both sides of the head which moves form one area of the skull to another. The other ailments associated with migraines are upset stomach, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, and moodiness.

A tension headache is a different type of a pain which is not only restricted to head but a mild pain often resides in the neck, shoulders, or another stress point. The pain in the head associated with tension headaches is often a side effect of the other pain. Over the counter medications are generally sufficient to cure the pain, however any chronic pain should be investigated by a doctor.

A sinus headache attack on weather changes and is a continuous pain; Most of the time however, it is mistaken for a migraine. True sinus headaches are caused by pressure of draining nasal passages, fever, eye strain, and excessive coughing. The over the counter treatment is often effective for these types of headaches. Sinus headaches are not reoccurring, however if so happens a doctor should be consulted.

Other Specific Problems

The most common headaches symptoms which are known are mostly environmentally induced, injury related, hormonal changes, and more. Injury related headaches are the most obvious of all, however, in case of a severe or varied pain, loss of consciousness, or confusion a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Hormonal changes may be a cause for headaches, especially in women. This is because a female body undergoes hormones change through puberty, monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause and other hormonal variances. However, if the pain persists for more than 3 times a week or if it becomes frequent and severe, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Certain environmental factors, including smoke, pollution, neon lights, traffic lights, etc can cause head pain. If you are sensitive to all these avoid it as much as possible and invariably consult a doctor to combat unavoidable triggers with prescription medications.

For More Help Please Visit: Migraine Information.

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