Headaches are something that are prevalent among people of all age groups. I’m sure almost everyone has experienced a headache at some point of time due to one or other reasons. Like the word says, headaches are just something that’s unbearable and completely undesirable. In this blog we’re going to talk about the types of headaches and some remedies we can take to make them better or help prevent them.
What Are Headaches?
A headache is basically pain or discomfort at the scalp, forehead, eyes and areas around the upper neck. It feels as though your brain is hurting whereas it’s an indication that other parts of the body are hurt through a headache.
What Causes Headaches?
The exact causes for a headache are still to be identified. A headache is usually caused by pain signals sent by the brain between muscles and nerves. However, there are many reasons that can induce headaches, some of which are:
- Muscle tension. The muscles around the head and neck area tighten and can cause headaches.
- Common illnesses like fever, cold, throat infections, sinusitis, ear infections etc.
- Lifestyle is a major cause for headaches. Things like alcohol abuse, smoking, not getting enough sleep, dehydration and over medicating could contribute to this.
- Certain smells of chemicals, allergens, caffeine products, pollution etc.
- Hormonal imbalance.
Types Of Headaches
There are around 300 distinct types of headaches. The International Society For Headache classified and grouped various headaches to improve the awareness of the disorder.
The principal classifications for headaches are as follows:
- Primary headaches
- Secondary headaches
- Other headaches include cranial neuralgias and facial pain
Primary Headaches
Pain at the head region and illnesses caused by head pain are primary headaches. It can be due to overstraining the brain, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. They do not indicate any underlying health conditions. It is not considered severe and is quite common. Home remedies have a high potential in curing primary headaches. These primary headaches can be further classified into migraine headaches, tension headaches and cluster headaches.
#1 – Tension Headaches
These are the most common types of headaches. It’s predominant in teens and in individuals between the age of 20 and 40. The cause of this headache is stressed muscles covering the skull. This can be physical or emotional stress and can be caused due to manual labour, prolonged screen time etc.
#2 – Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches cause an intense amount of pain often described as a pounding pain. Apart from the pain, it causes sensitivity to intense sound and light and can induce nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, dizziness, fever, blurred vision etc. Severe migraines include loss of balance in verbal and motor coordination. It can last for like 5 hours to even several days.
#3 – Cluster Headache
These are very severe forms of headache. They usually occur in the eye region on one side. The eyes start watering and become red and droopy. The pain occurs suddenly and lasts for a few minutes to a few hours. These headaches happen multiple times a day and as groups, thus we call them cluster headaches.
Secondary Headaches
Pain or illnesses that arise from other disorders and cause headaches are called secondary headaches. They could be symptoms of a severe health condition. Therefore, they are rare and a qualified doctor is necessary to treat secondary headaches. The reasons for secondary headaches could vary from sinus, brain tumours, aneurysm, meningitis etc.
How Do You Prevent Headaches?
Prevention is always better than cure and headaches are the best examples for it. Some prevention techniques include lifestyle modifications such as:
- Balanced diet
- Good sleep pattern
- Reducing stress
- Regular exercise
- Reduction in caffeine intake
Conclusion:
Headaches are a prevalent disorder and will continue to be so. A positive about it is that they are not life threatening and remedies for it are homemade or natural. A few lifestyle changes themselves can prevent the onset of headaches and a stress free environment is vital for it’s prevention. However, if your headaches are too severe, you should consult a doctor and treat it appropriately.
