Headache

“Headaches” are one of the most common medical complaints. They are caused by blood vessels that can abnormally constrict (narrow) or dilate (widen) around your skull. Besides occurring in conjunction with other frequent illnesses such as the common cold and influenza, the pain also occurs in those with anxiety, stress, or those who work under pressure.

Headache symptoms
Headaches can range from a condition of mild to severe pain. A headache may signal a more serious condition.

Tension headaches
Tension headaches are the most frequently occurring type of headache due to factors such as insufficient sleep, stress, and eyestrain. They may cause an aching or squeezing sensation located in the temples with radiation to the middle and back of the head. The headaches may be unilateral (on one side of the head) or bilateral (on both sides of the head). The pain of a tension headache often occurs in the afternoon or throughout the day and may not disappear completely. Migraine headaches are characterized by rapid onset of severe pain that then completely disappears.

One-sided headaches or migraines
Migraine pain, triggered by heat and bright light, usually throbs in the rhythm of a person's pumping heart. Each time the pain occurs, it may be unilateral or bilateral. Headaches may occur on the both sides at the same time for some people. If the pain is intense, patients may experience nausea and vomiting. The pain gradually decreases and lasts between 4 and 72 hours.

Headaches in women
Migraines are common symptoms that occur in conjunction with menstrual periods or menopause.

Headaches in children
If children have a chronic headache occurring daily and consistently, it is caused mostly by brain abnormalities such as meningococcal meningitis and brain tumors. If it occurs sporadically (infrequently and without a pattern), the headache may originate from migraines.

Headaches in the elderly
Much rarer are headaches due to vascular abnormalities. The main symptom is dizziness. This symptom is triggered by several factors such as hypotension caused by body movement, balance problems caused by ear or eye diseases or loss of sensory nerves. In addition, the elderly may experience neck pain caused by degeneration in the cervical spine (neck region).

Headaches can be caused by several different kinds of diseases
Hypertension, glaucoma and brain tumors can trigger headaches.

Prevention and Protection
• Headaches should be treated based on the specific type of disease causing then.
• Headaches caused by stress or anxiety can be treated by getting sufficient rest and regular exercise. Do not take your work too seriously. If the pain is severe, you can massage around your neck or take painkillers every 4 to 6 hours.
• Migraine headaches can be treated by:
• Observing and finding out your trigger factors and avoiding them
• Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or aspirin immediately if you start to feel intense pain
• Exercising regularly

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