How to understand what causes a headache. Headaches - causes - why the head hurts - what to do. Headache due to hormonal changes
Headache is a common symptom of a non-specific nature, which manifests itself in the form of pain of a different nature in the head area, often radiating to the neck. It is impossible to ignore such a pathological process, since it can be a sign of the development of a life-threatening disease. It should be noted that any ailment can provoke such a condition, in the pathogenesis of which there is an effect on the pain receptors of the human body. The periodic and short occurrence of such a symptom is not always a reason to see a doctor, while frequent headaches require immediate medical attention.
Etiology
Headaches can be caused by:
- spasm of arterial vessels;
- hypoxia;
- (observed in the back of the head);
- excessive tension of the muscles of the head and neck;
- the development of certain pathological processes that affect the nerve endings;
- a sharp change in weather conditions;
- excessive physical activity;
- starvation;
- , nervous tension;
- trauma;
- hypokinesia;
- chronic pathologies of the sinuses -,.
In addition, a headache is often observed during pregnancy, which is due to changes in the functioning of the body and an increase in the load on some systems.
It should be noted that these are far from all etiological factors in which cephalgia is observed. In any case, if a person is concerned about frequent headaches, you should consult a doctor, and not take medications on your own. It is likely that this symptom is one of the signs of the clinical picture of a certain ailment. Ignoring this factor can lead not only to the development of complications, but also to death.
We should not forget that a headache is possible from overexertion, overwork or lack of sleep. In this case, you should simply review your regimen and make the appropriate adjustments. Otherwise, the development of concomitant diseases is possible.
Classification
According to the international classification of ICD-10, headache is divided, depending on the etiology, into two groups:
- primary;
- secondary.
The primary group includes the following subspecies:
- tension headache (neuralgia of the occipital type, overstrain of the neck muscles, psychosomatics);
- various types (in this case, nausea joins);
- cluster headache or cluster headache.
The secondary types of cephalalgia include those that are the result of a certain pathological process or mechanical impact (impact, trauma). In general, the following factors can be distinguished:
- post-traumatic cephalgia or trauma of the cervical spine;
- vascular pathologies in the head and neck;
- intracranial pathologies;
- long-term use of certain medications or abrupt withdrawal of medications;
- infectious or viral diseases;
- symptomatic, which are caused by diseases of the respiratory tract, oral cavity (for example, a strong one can provoke a headache in the temples and radiate to the eyes and ears).
In such cases, only a doctor should prescribe treatment, taking into account not only the general clinical picture, but also the pathogenesis of the underlying disease.
Symptoms
Additional signs of the clinical picture will depend on the etiology of the disease that provoked this symptom. However, it should be said that each type of cephalalgia has its own characteristic features. In general, the following symptoms can be distinguished:
- general weakness;
- irritability;
- deterioration or complete.
The most common tension headache, which has the following characteristics:
- noted in the forehead, occiput and temporal areas;
- is aching in nature, there is a feeling of constriction of the forehead with a hoop;
- discomfort is long lasting.
In addition to these signs, tension headache may have such additional symptoms that are caused by the person's condition:
- irritability;
- nervous tension;
Cluster headache is most common in men. The clinical picture in this case is as follows:
- one-sided nature of the pain (headache in the forehead or temple, often radiates to the neck);
- the short nature of the pain - no more than 5 minutes;
- attacks 5-6 times a day.
It should be noted that such attacks can be so strong that pain shock can develop. These headache symptoms require immediate medical attention.
Often there are attacks of migraine pain. In this case, the following clinical picture is observed:
- throbbing pain in the head;
- pain duration up to 72 hours;
- , sometimes with bouts of vomiting;
- intolerance to light and loud sounds;
- irritability;
- insomnia.
In some cases, the head in the back of the head may hurt. It should be noted that clinicians have determined the manifestation of such a localization site with.
The general clinical picture may be supplemented by specific signs, depending on what exactly caused the development of such a symptom.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic measures will depend on the general condition of the patient and the alleged etiological factor. First of all, a detailed physical examination is carried out with the clarification of the general anamnesis. In general, the diagnostic program may include the following laboratory and instrumental methods of examination:
- x-ray studies.
Additional diagnostic methods will depend on the localization of GB, the general clinical picture and the patient's history.
Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor, after an accurate diagnosis and identification of the etiology of the development of this pathological process. Unauthorized use of drugs in the event that a headache every day is strictly not recommended. This can lead not only to the development of serious complications, but also to a blurred clinical picture, which will complicate further diagnosis and may lead to ineffective treatment.
Treatment
Headache treatment depends not only on the underlying ailment, but also on its localization. So, a headache during pregnancy involves a minimum of medication, as this can harm the health of the child.
Traditional pain relievers can only be used for occasional headaches from tension, fatigue, and similar factors. In all other cases, it is the root cause that needs to be eliminated, and not the symptom itself.
Headache in the back of the head may indicate high blood pressure. In this case, the doctor may prescribe drugs to stabilize the blood pressure.
In general, the treatment program is based on the following aspects:
- if the back of the head hurts, use antihypertensive drugs and drugs to normalize the tone of arterial vessels. Also, the doctor may prescribe physiotherapy procedures;
- medicines for migraine headaches are prescribed strictly individually, as well as for tension headaches;
- if the back of the head and the temporal region hurt, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with an analgesic effect can be used;
- with a headache that is caused, Carbamazepine and its analogues are prescribed.
A list of headache pills, dosage, regimen and duration of their intake can only be prescribed by the attending physician. Unauthorized taking of drugs, in this case, is unacceptable, as this can lead to serious consequences.
Paracetamol is used for short-term headache relief. For more intense headache attacks, No-shpa can be used.
How to get rid of a headache can only be said by a doctor after an examination and an accurate diagnosis. As for non-traditional methods of treatment, folk remedies for headaches can be used, but only as an addition to the main course of treatment or as a preventive measure.
Prevention
Since severe cephalalgia is not an independent disease, but a nonspecific symptom, there are no specific methods of prevention. However, to prevent ailments in the clinical picture of which there is this symptom, the following should be put into practice:
- complete and timely nutrition;
- exclusion of bad habits, including alcohol and tobacco abuse;
- timely and complete treatment of all ailments;
- systematic preventive examination by specialized medical specialists;
- avoidance of stress, nervous strain and similar psychological disorders.
In addition, self-treatment should not be started, as this is fraught with serious consequences, and death is no exception.
If you have symptoms of the above diseases and persistent headache, you should immediately seek medical help.
Headache ( cephalgia) - an exhausting state that every person felt at least once in a lifetime. It is especially characteristic of residents of metropolitan areas. Many brush it off by taking an analgesic pill without thinking about why they have a headache.
Practitioners urge - in case of pain in the head several times a month, it is necessary to carry out a series of diagnostic procedures in order to identify the root cause in a timely manner.
The mechanism of development of pain in the head
The human brain is a complex, truly unique organ created by Mother Nature, capable of controlling an even more complex machine - the rest of the body. Like any technology, the human brain needs energy to feed. It is estimated that neurocytes absorb it up to 80% of all incoming from the outside.
Nutrient elements come to the brain structures through intracranial vessels, uniquely closed in a circle. With the formation of circulatory disorders, there are interruptions in the work of the “head control center”: blood pressure parameters are disturbed and fatigue increases, and also, without obvious reasons, mood changes and memory deteriorates significantly. But the main signal - a harbinger - is pain in the head.
Why does my head hurt
Today, experts can cite many different causes of pain in the head.
The most significant are:
- Stay in state chronic stressful situation- very important for residents of metropolitan cities.
- Availability atherosclerotic deposits on the walls of intracranial vessels (atherosclerosis), leading to blockage of vessels important for the brain, bringing nutrients. This causes complaints that the head hurts in the temples.
- Chronic intoxication(for example, smoking). Spasmodic against this background, the vessels also cannot fully deliver the required amount of nutrients.
- Traumatization. It is necessarily included by experts in the top ten most important reasons why a person has a headache. The fact is that the affected neurocytes die, forming a kind of scars in the nervous tissue, which subsequently is no longer able to fully fulfill its functional purpose.
- Availability diabetes. Negative processes caused by metabolic disorders lead to thickening of the vascular wall, its fragility, thereby disrupting local blood flow.
- Another significant root cause, of course, is recognized persistent hypertension. Intracranial vessels constantly change their diameter, brain structures do not adapt well to such negative modifications, and the result will be a throbbing pain in the head.
- Destructive states in . They are formed more often in persons with sedentary work, reminding themselves of pain in the head.
Symptoms
At the first stages, pathological changes in the structures of the brain make themselves felt by previously uncharacteristic increased fatigue, often occurring dizziness, as well as absent-mindedness and sleep imbalance. For example, in the daytime a person is ready to sleep even standing up, but at night he tosses and turns for a long time, unable to fall asleep.
If all of the above symptoms have become constant companions of a person, he is strongly recommended to visit a neurological specialist.
In the absence of specialized medical care, the symptoms are aggravated:
- The head hurts constantly, analgesics do not bring relief
- Personal changes are formed
- Increasing and aggravated tendency to depression
- There is a complete breakdown
- There is always heaviness or "woolness" in the head
The most severe complication is acute cerebral stroke. You will not surprise anyone with a stroke at working age, although some 100-150 years ago a stroke at the age of 20-30 was nonsense.
Mankind is saved from general disability, as a result of developed disorders of cerebral circulation, only the ability of the body to mobilize its own forces. The functions of dead neurocytes are taken over by other nervous structures that were previously in reserve.
This process is very complex and lengthy. That is why the human brain must be treated with care, regularly carried out "prevention" - quality rest, taking vitamins and courses of neuroprotectors.
The nature of pain in the head
A person has a severe headache due to a number of reasons.
The nature of such phenomena is explained by experts by the presence of:
- Vegetative-vascular pathologies in persons prone to constant stress, having hormonal abnormalities.
- A persistent increase in pressure (arterial hypertension), which leads to complaints of pain in.
- Migraine is a real "scourge" of the people of the twentieth century. According to experts, every fifth inhabitant of the planet suffers from its attacks.
- Histamine headache, a symptom of which is soreness in the area of one eye, its tearing and redness, swelling of the cheeks and nasal congestion. Persons with negative habits, for example, smoking or alcohol abuse, are especially prone to it.
- Occipital headache is a companion of hypodynamia. Spasms of intracranial vessels and local ischemia occur due to pathologies in the cervical spine, or neoplasms of the human brain stem.
- The post-traumatic nature of pain in the head can disturb a person for many decades later.
- Vascular abnormalities, for example, an aneurysm or malformation. Unfortunately, the presence of pain in this case indicates the neglect of the condition. The first stages of negative deviations are asymptomatic.
- Muscle strain in people whose work involves prolonged sitting, such as office workers
Other reasons why the head hurts very much include:
- Feverish conditions
- Neuroinfections
- High intracranial pressure
- Hemorrhage in brain structures
- Arteritis
- Having a cold or flu
- Neuritis of the facial nerve
Each of the above reasons requires the obligatory consultation of a specialist with the necessary diagnostic studies, as well as adequate treatment tactics. Self-medication is not recommended.
Let us dwell in more detail on the most common reasons why the head hurts.
Tension headache
The most common reason why the head constantly hurts is the overstrain of the muscle groups of the shoulder girdle, as well as the superficial tissues of the skull.
A person initially experiences only minor discomfort in the head. Then the symptoms worsen, the pain is girdle in nature (like a squeezing hoop). The pain becomes dull and debilitating.
The reasons for such phenomena are called:
- Chronic stressful situations, anxiety and depression
- Overexertion of the muscles of the neck and eyes
- Abuse of analgesics, tranquilizers
- Lack of walks and a good night's rest
- Working in stuffy rooms
Headache in this case is only a protective reaction of the human body to the depletion of its protective properties. Experts recommend starting to do fitness, attend yoga classes, and also conduct massage sessions.
Migraine
More often, the female half of humanity is affected by it, but in some cases men also suffer from pain in the right or left side of the head.
Before a migraine attack begins, a person experiences the following warning signs:
- Visual focus is disturbed
- Zigzags or lightning flash before the eyes
- There are olfactory, gustatory or tactile hallucinations.
The person is concerned about:
- Significant decrease in appetite
- Feelings of nausea or vomiting
- Maximum susceptibility to light and noise
The most common underlying causes of a migraine attack are:
- Chronic physical or psycho-emotional overwork
- Lack of night rest
- Bright light
- Individual hypersensitivity to individual products
- Alcohol, smoking
- Menstruation
Regular supervision by a specialist, the rejection of negative habits, as well as a quality night's rest and appropriate therapy courses, help a person significantly reduce the number of migraine attacks.
Histamine headache
It is characterized by a sudden onset and a duration of 20 minutes to two hours. In the vast majority of cases, this pathology affects males.
The most characteristic symptoms include:
- Pain in the eye area or above the ears.
- Previously uncharacteristic tearing, swelling of facial tissues, sagging eyelids.
- Rush of blood to the face
The frequency of such phenomena is varied: every day, and once a week.
Occipital headache
This option is due to the presence cervicalgia- degenerative changes in the cervical elements of the spine.
There is a clamping of the vessels feeding the brain by the muscle fibers of the shoulder girdle, and the person feels that he has a headache in the back of his head. Painful manifestations gradually rise from the neck to the ears, and then to the back of the head and forehead. They grow all day long. The slightest movement can only increase pain symptoms. It is possible to prevent such conditions - it is enough to regularly perform a set of exercises suggested by a neurological specialist.
Arterial hypertension
This is one of the most common causes of pain in the head. Medical statistics show an annual significant increase in the number of people with persistent arterial hypertension recorded in them.
If your head hurts every day, you must definitely purchase a pressure measuring device (tonometer) and track the measurement results. With their increase, take antihypertensive drugs recommended by a specialist.
Do not dismiss such a seemingly insignificant symptom as a headache. It can only be the first "swallow" of many formidable conditions. Only a comprehensive examination helps to establish the root cause, and specialist advice and adequate treatment tactics can save a person from debilitating headaches.
Headache is a common complaint of people, pain can occur for various reasons, so the treatment and prevention of different types of pain should also differ. It is worth remembering that pain can be a sign of a serious illness, so it should not be ignored.
How, by the nature and place of pain, it is possible to determine the causes of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment, we explain further.
Causes of headache: throbbing pain on the left or right side of the head
Usually the pain in this place is dull and pressing, sharp or burning. If, along with pain, you have a sharp reaction to light, nausea, chills, or an acute reaction to smells, this is a migraine. In this case, to make yourself feel better, it is worth drinking hot black tea and a triptan-class pain reliever.
Migraine - what is it?
A migraine is a severe headache that throbs on one side, worsens with activity, and lasts from two to 48 hours. Migraine attacks are characterized by: sensitivity to light, dizziness, nausea, temporary visual disturbances.
Headache Causes: Pain due to high blood pressure
This headache often starts in the morning and goes away with time. The pressure in this case is 200/110, and you need to take drugs to reduce pressure.
In Ukraine, most people with high blood pressure are not aware of the problem, because hypertension can be asymptomatic. Some people know but believe that they do not need to take drugs. However, not all people with high blood pressure have headaches.
Causes of headache: Pain when bending the head forward
If you feel like your head is in a vise, and the pain is accompanied by spasms, and when you tilt your head forward, the unpleasant sensation intensifies - this is tension pain. A relaxing massage and pain medications containing aspirin will help improve your well-being.
Causes of headache: sharp boring pain in the eye
Such pain often appears in combination with a burning sensation of the face and redness of the skin, stuffy nose and tears. And such unpleasant sensations can haunt you up to 8 times a day - you most likely have a cluster headache.
It is worth saving yourself from pain with drugs-triptans and oxygen masks. In addition, it is imperative to consult a doctor, because a headache may indicate a serious pathology, in particular, cerebral vessels.
Causes of headache: dull pain all over the head
If you have such a headache accompanied by buzzing in your ears, you feel dizzy, weak and cold in the limbs - you have low blood pressure.
In this case, try eating a piece of dark chocolate or strong coffee. If this does not help you, then take the drug to normalize the pressure.
Causes of headache: headache in the back of the head
If the back of the head hurts, then it is probably a secondary headache due to the condition of the neck, the so-called cervicogenic pain (cervix is the neck). The cause may be very high blood pressure, an infectious disease, or a neck injury.
Nausea, stuffy ears, numb hands, "flies" before the eyes and pain that presses - you have high blood pressure.
It is necessary to measure blood pressure, and if it is 140/90 and above, call an ambulance, and while the doctors are coming, take a drug to normalize the pressure.
Independently, taking painkillers (including, on the recommendations of a friend in misfortune, who is also familiar with the problem of frequent headaches). Consult a doctor!
What causes frequent headaches?
The head can hurt due to violations of the tone of the arteries and veins that form the vascular system. It can also be caused by high blood pressure.
Migraines are often the cause of frequent headaches. The nature of this is still not fully understood. In most cases, migraine attacks begin suddenly, and the pain syndrome increases rapidly, spreading to the frontal or temporal part of the half of the head. It is impossible to predict when the next attack will begin.
Other symptoms of migraine are increased sense of smell, painful perception of light, irritability, and numbness of the extremities.
Frequent headaches can also occur due to atherosclerosis of the arteries that feed the brain. In addition, a common cause of this phenomenon is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, leading to compression of the artery. It also happens that headaches are provoked by congestion in the muscles of the neck and upper shoulder girdle.
The head can often hurt due to severe intoxication of the body as a result of a number of chronic diseases, as well as due to injuries. In some cases, frequent headaches are caused by pregnancy complications.
Finally, the most dangerous cause of frequent headaches is malignant neoplasms in the brain. This disease requires immediate medical attention.
Why You Should See a Doctor When You Have Frequent Headaches
Only a specialist can determine the reason why a person suffers from frequent headaches. Therefore, you should not take painkillers on your own, even on the recommendation of well-known people whom they have effectively helped. After all, these drugs can be good for one disease and be of little use, if not completely useless for another.
In addition, any medicine has its own contraindications, which the doctor should warn about.
If the pain is caused by malignant neoplasms, treatment should begin as soon as possible. Delay can be very costly.
Headaches are a very common problem, it is hard to find a person who has never experienced it. Why the head hurts: most often due to inflammation, circulatory disorders, muscle tension and other causes that are caused by other diseases and disorders, the headache is an indirect symptom. Headache develops on its own as part of a migraine, where it is not a symptom, but the basis of the disease.
Why does the head hurt - the main reasons.
Headache is unpleasant, it causes a lot of inconvenience and anguish, but at the same time it is beneficial in nature. It signals that something is wrong somewhere in the body, sometimes warning us of very serious violations. In case of systematic, unusual or very severe headaches, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.
- Inflammation affecting the structures of the brain that are sensitive to pain. It occurs with infections and inflammations, such as encephalitis, meningitis. In this case, a headache is a signal of a very serious illness and it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to start treatment on time. If you recently caught a bad cold, walked around with a wet head in the cold, had contact with sick people, or picked up a tick, a severe headache is a very bad sign.
- Intoxication is essentially poisoning. It disrupts the metabolism in the body, replaces the necessary substances with harmful ones. This can be poisoning with volatile vapors or compounds, poisonous mushrooms or chemicals, and even alcohol.
- Vasodilation or vasodilatation - this usually occurs with changes in atmospheric pressure in weather-sensitive people and with changes in blood pressure in people with hypertension and hypotension.
- Increased intracranial pressure - it is associated with vascular activity and is often accompanied by bleeding from the nose. At the same time, after bleeding, the headache may go away, as the pressure has decreased.
- Tumors - when a tumor occurs in the brain, it creates internal pressure on the cranium, which causes a headache. Any tumors in the brain are very dangerous, even if they are benign, due to the limited space of the cranium, they will put pressure on the brain structures and can damage them. The tumor may be the reason why the head often hurts.
- Injuries - with injuries of any severity, it is quite normal that your head hurts. These can be concussions, bruises, cracks in the bones of the skull and fractures. You might not notice yourself how you got injured, but a headache will definitely remind you of this.
- Neuralgia - with violations of a neuralgic nature, pain can occur for no reason. These are wandering pains that occur in different parts of the body and are not associated with organ disorders, but only with nerve endings.
- Pinched nerve endings - in this case, the pain in the head will be given from the cervical region to the head and is more of a side symptom.
- Psychological factors - due to stress, excitement, overwork in the cervical and shoulder regions, a person develops tension, which makes it difficult for blood to flow to and from the brain, as a result of which a headache may occur. In a chronic form, this option looks like osteochondrosis, if you are constantly in an uncomfortable position and overwork at work, then the headache can become chronic.
- Migraines - the reason why the head hurts badly, may be a migraine. this is an independent type of headache, it manifests itself in very severe pain, and additional symptoms: nausea, increased sensitivity to light, noise and smells, as well as visual disturbances are possible: stars and zigzags jumping before the eyes, and blind spots. Many people suffer from migraines and its treatment is carried out with the help of medicines and folk remedies.
How to treat headaches
Consult a neurologist - he will help to find out the cause of headaches and either send you for further examination or he will provide you with treatment options.
Rest - if you have a headache during stress and overstrain, then you need to protect yourself from these stresses. In this case, sedatives or infusions of chamomile, valerian or motherwort can also help.
Massage - if the reason why the head hurts lies in the tension of the neck and shoulders, then massage will help to relax them and restore blood circulation.
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs - it is customary to take pills for headaches, most often aspirin or analgin, but they may not cope with the cause or, on the contrary, be too strong. In this case, it is better to take more modern drugs based on ibuprofen.
Prevention - treat pressure disorders, colds and viruses in a timely manner, do not be stressed and you can avoid headaches.
