Well, we have all suffered from headache once in a life time. So here the reasons of what causes headache. I hope you find it beneficial. It's bit lenghty but trust me it's worth it!
Scientists once thought headaches to be the result of dilation and constriction of blood vessels and tension headaches due to muscle constriction. But recent scientific researches regarding the causes have thrown up some interesting findings. According to these findings, there are multiple causes of headaches such as inflammation, sinus cavities, eyestrain and other serious conditions such as encephalitis and other diseases.
There can be a number of different obscure causes of headaches and there is no single reason which behind all headaches. The numerous types of headache have different types of trigger mechanism. There are a number of factors which can trigger a headache, such as diet, emotions, physical exertion and noise.
According to an estimate, almost 80% of the population experiences one or the other type of headache at some point or the other in their life. However, most of the headaches are common headache. Only 25-30% of the sufferers have migraines. You need to know about the causes of your recurrent headaches in order to eliminate them. Let us have a
quick look at what are the common causes of headaches.
1. Stress and tension: Stress is an integral part of modern life. No matter how hard you try, you can not avoid it. Stress results in tension in the shoulders leading to headaches. Undergoing physical activities during stress will surely help.
2. Sinus, ear and tooth trouble: Very painful headaches may be the result of congested and dry sinuses or tooth and ear pain. There is very little which can be done to avoid such headaches as the causative factors are beyond our control.
3. Sleep: Irregular sleep patterns, sleeping more or less than habitual are reasons which may trigger headaches. Make sure to have a consistent sleep pattern. It is always advisable to getup and go to sleep at regular timings.
4. Dehydration: Properly hydrating the body by having 8 to 10 glasses of water is important to keep common headaches at bay. Not having enough water can lead to dehydration.
Most of the common headaches are thus the result of one of the above common causes. These common headaches can be easily treated without resorting to medicines or pain killers. But in case of migraines, recent findings have shown that migraine is the result of lack of serotonin levels in the brain. Lack of serotonin can lead to headaches, depression and sleep disorders.
Some people wake up every morning with headache. Study reveals that 1 in 13 people have headache when they get up. As per study, 7.6% people have had continuous headache for four years. This is suffering for a long period. Mostly this type of headache happens with women between the age group of 45 and 64.
In sleep apnea, man feels sleepy during day. In sleep apnea, he stops breathing for one or two seconds during the sleep. This is a cause of worry. It is common in US. About 18 million people have this problem. This gives a strange feeling. You wake up with headache. You feel as if you have not slept. You have dry throat. You snore too loud. You wake up abruptly.
People with sleep apnea do not have deep sleep. They are deprived of sleep. This is the prime cause of headache. Consult a doctor in case symptoms persist. The doctor will diagnose the condition by sleep study. General remedy is CPAP machine with mask.
Some people grind teeth during the night. In case they grind teeth in excess, the muscles and jaw become tight. This causes pain. This makes them wake up with headache. There is a solution though. Such persons need to see the dentist. He will fit them with night guard. It is a soft plastic appliance. It sits in the mouth in much comfort. This appliance proves effective to stop grinding. This is also available online.
Suffering people can toss and turn during night. There is a horrid sensation when they move legs on the bed. They feel as if insects are crawling on legs. To get rid of this, they must reduce smoking, caffeine and alcohol intake. Some people are benefited by hot and cold packs. They need supplements of iron and magnesium in such a condition. Ropinirole, a drug for Parkinson’s disease, is useful for restless legs, one of the causes of wake up headache.
No one is exempt from migraines and women are especially prone so it’s just a matter of averages to expect that migraines will affect pregnancies. Women should naturally be concerned about taking medications during pregnancy, whether over the counter or prescription, and since most people turn automatically to medication to treat the severe headaches caused by migraines, it’s doubly important to be aware of the consequences of taking migraine medication during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the plain fact of the matter is that the effects of most headache medications on pregnant women and their unborn children still remains in the dark. Because of this uncertainty, women who suffer from migraines really need—when possible, of course—to work their migraine relief into their pregnancy plan right from the beginning, even before conception. Most experts in migraine prevention and relief strongly advise a slow tapering off medication prior to attempting to conceive. A slow tapering off means about a week, by the way, not several months.
Of course, many women suffer from headaches far too extreme to even consider tapering off their medication. If this is the case with you, it is highly recommended that before attempting to become pregnant you make an appointment with your doctor and to talk over the risks of sticking with your medications while pregnant. It’s been well established that some medications such as Depakote have caused birth defects, but many other preventative medications such as beta-blockers and tricyclics have been proven relatively safe. If you’re taking drugs by injection, like Imitrex, you’ll definitely have to stop taking it because there just simply isn’t enough evidence of its safety during pregnancy.
Since most birth defects occur during the first few months of life, often before the mother even realizes she is pregnant at all, it is not a good idea to wait until confirming the pregnancy before making decisions on medication and pregnancy.
Of course, there is more to pregnancy and migraines than just being careful with medication. Pregnancy means food cravings and food cravings means eating things you don’t normally eat, or least eating them in a bulk you don’t normally eat them in. Food and food additives are major league triggers of migraines so when pregnant, be sure to be careful about what you eat. In particularly, avoid foods high in MSG and stay away from strong aged cheeses, which are well known triggers for migraine attacks. It couldn’t hurt to avoid low blood sugar by eating complex carbohydrates rather than refined sugars. On the other hand, when using sugar substitutes be sure to stay away from aspartame (NutraSweet).
Generally speaking, a woman who doesn’t have any other health problems besides migraines probably doesn’t run any special risk. On the other hand, if your first migraine onsets during pregnancy, it is vitally important to get to a doctor so that he can rule out any other dangerous conditions such brain hemorrhage, meningitis, or even tumors. Further testing may be needed to determine the cause of the headache.
Migraine treatment during pregnancy tends to be of the medical alternative variety such as the use of cold packs, darkened room, and sleep. Although caffeine is one of the trickiest of all food-related migraine triggers to deal with, taking it in small doses during the first trimester is usually safe, as is the use of acetaminophen in small doses.
When it comes to both pregnancy in general and migraines in general, one of the best thing you do to is to relieve the amount of stress in your life. Yes, it’s very easy to say you’re going to reduce stress and it’s altogether something else to actually do it, but if you can take small steps here and there to reduce or eliminate tension-causing elements from your life, you’ll be surprised at the effect it has on your migraines. Not to mention the effect it will have on your pregnancy.
One last thing to be aware of concerning pregnancy and migraines. Patients are often giving hormones to induce labor and this frequently causes migraines. Labor is painful enough without adding migraine pain to it so be sure your delivery care person knows you are prone to migraines before the decision is made to induce labor.
Myth #1: Migraines are easily recognized and diagnosed by doctors.
Reality: Migraines are among the least properly diagnosed and most mistreated of all illnesses. Up to 70% of migraines sufferers have never been properly diagnosed with having the illness. Migraines remain seriously underestimated and misunderstood, even among doctors treating the problem.
Myth #2: Migraines are annoying and uncomfortable, but there’s nothing life-threatening about them.
Reality: Migraines can induce several life-threatening conditions such as stroke, aneurysms and coma.27% of all strokes experienced by those under the age of 45 are preceded by a severe migraine headache. 25% of all cerebral infarctions are associated with migraines. In addition, studies have also found links between migraines and epileptic seizures.
Myth #3:
Migraines are nothing more than really bad headaches.
Reality:
The headache is really just a symptom of a disease and the cause of the migraine pain is the opposite of the cause of the headache pain. Migraines are a disease that are genetically based. Those with a single parent who experience migraines themselves have a 50% chance of developing migraines.
Myth #4:
Migraines are psychological in nature, caused by external environmental factors.
Reality:
A migraine is a neurological disease, not a disorder.
Migraines truly are neurological diseases, caused by physiological and not psychological triggers. Migraines happen when cranial blood vessels dilate, causing nerve endings to release serotonin, a crucial factor in the development of the headache.
Myth #5:
Only women suffer from headaches.
Reality:
Women, men, adults and children all suffer from migraines.
While it’s true that the overwhelming majority of migraine patients are adult women, a significant number of suffers are male and an increasing number of children are being treated not just for migraines but for a particular type called abdominal migraines.
Myth #6:
There’s no doubting about whether that headache you’re suffering is really a migraine or not. If you’ve got a migraine, you’ll know it.
Reality:
Millions of people suffer from migraines without having been correctly diagnosed or thinking that it’s just a regular tension headache.
Myth #7:
If you aren’t suffering from the most severe symptoms like nausea and auras, then it’s probably not a migraine.
Reality:
Only 20% of migraine suffers experience the kind associated with auras. And many never experience the more extreme symptoms such as nausea or vomiting.
Myth #8:My headaches are triggered by or changes in the weather conditions; therefore they are probably sinus headaches.
Reality: Allergic reactions and changes in the weather can trigger migraines, but they are never the cause. In addition, migraines are offer accompanied by symptoms such as a runny nose or watery eyes that can be mistaken for sinus-based headaches.
Myth #9: Migraines are caused by stress and tension.
Reality: Again stress and tension can be triggers for migraines, but unlike tension headaches, migraines are not actually caused by any rise in your tension or stress levels.
Myth #10:Only hypersensitive, uptight, perfectionist, compulsive types get migraines.
Reality: Research has been concluded that there is no such thing as a particular personality type who develops migraines. Therefore, put to rest all misconceptions you may have about a so-called “migraine personality."
Myth #11: You can make the pain go away and feel better if you take more medication.
Reality: Far from providing relief, exceeding the recommended dosage of migraine medication may do far more harm than good. In fact, taking more medicine than recommended could result in even more serious health problems.
Myth #12: People who complain about migraine headaches are just lazy slackers trying to get out of work.
Reality: Migraines are one of the most disabling diseases around. It disrupts lifestyles, affects relationships and is the cause behind over 10,000 annual visits to a physician each year. Most people who take days off from work due to migraines would be more than willing to trade in the pain for the work.
Myth #: 13 People bring migraines on themselves. It’s psychosomatic, man.
Reality: Only to the extent that heart disease is brought on by sufferers. Migraines have a physiological cause that takes place inside one’s head. That does not mean that it is all in your head!
Everybody might have a different cause for what triggers their headache. But one thing is for sure that whatever be the cause, the pain can be unbearable. Scientists have identified some common causes for headaches. See which one triggers yours.
-Any kind of alcohol or caffeine that is found in cola, coffee, tea or soda pop.
-Sudden caffeine withdrawal may also lead to headaches.
-Smoking…even passive smoking can cause headaches!
-Very salty foods can be the culprit. However, some foods may prove totally unsuitable for certain people, particularly Chinese that contains MSG commonly known as Ajinomoto.
-Poor eating habits like missing meals, extreme diets or fasting may also trigger headaches.
-Dehydration is one of the most common causes. So make sure to drink loads of water.
-Missing sleep or changing the sleep patterns might also cause headaches. But do you know that oversleeping might also be a cause of headache?
-Stress, anxiety, tension and depression are quite common culprits.
-Some medications for the heart, blood pressure and hormones may also trigger headaches.
-And yes, not to forget poor posture and body mechanics can also lead to headaches.
strong sunlight and strong odors may cause headaches.
-What about chewing gum or clenching and grinding teeth? Their usage may also trigger headaches.
These are just a few of the commonly identified features that may cause headaches. You ought to find out the main culprit in your case to take remedial action. Best of Luck!!
Scientists once thought headaches to be the result of dilation and constriction of blood vessels and tension headaches due to muscle constriction. But recent scientific researches regarding the causes have thrown up some interesting findings. According to these findings, there are multiple causes of headaches such as inflammation, sinus cavities, eyestrain and other serious conditions such as encephalitis and other diseases.
There can be a number of different obscure causes of headaches and there is no single reason which behind all headaches. The numerous types of headache have different types of trigger mechanism. There are a number of factors which can trigger a headache, such as diet, emotions, physical exertion and noise.
According to an estimate, almost 80% of the population experiences one or the other type of headache at some point or the other in their life. However, most of the headaches are common headache. Only 25-30% of the sufferers have migraines. You need to know about the causes of your recurrent headaches in order to eliminate them. Let us have a
quick look at what are the common causes of headaches.
1. Stress and tension: Stress is an integral part of modern life. No matter how hard you try, you can not avoid it. Stress results in tension in the shoulders leading to headaches. Undergoing physical activities during stress will surely help.
2. Sinus, ear and tooth trouble: Very painful headaches may be the result of congested and dry sinuses or tooth and ear pain. There is very little which can be done to avoid such headaches as the causative factors are beyond our control.
3. Sleep: Irregular sleep patterns, sleeping more or less than habitual are reasons which may trigger headaches. Make sure to have a consistent sleep pattern. It is always advisable to getup and go to sleep at regular timings.
4. Dehydration: Properly hydrating the body by having 8 to 10 glasses of water is important to keep common headaches at bay. Not having enough water can lead to dehydration.
Most of the common headaches are thus the result of one of the above common causes. These common headaches can be easily treated without resorting to medicines or pain killers. But in case of migraines, recent findings have shown that migraine is the result of lack of serotonin levels in the brain. Lack of serotonin can lead to headaches, depression and sleep disorders.
Some people wake up every morning with headache. Study reveals that 1 in 13 people have headache when they get up. As per study, 7.6% people have had continuous headache for four years. This is suffering for a long period. Mostly this type of headache happens with women between the age group of 45 and 64.
In sleep apnea, man feels sleepy during day. In sleep apnea, he stops breathing for one or two seconds during the sleep. This is a cause of worry. It is common in US. About 18 million people have this problem. This gives a strange feeling. You wake up with headache. You feel as if you have not slept. You have dry throat. You snore too loud. You wake up abruptly.
People with sleep apnea do not have deep sleep. They are deprived of sleep. This is the prime cause of headache. Consult a doctor in case symptoms persist. The doctor will diagnose the condition by sleep study. General remedy is CPAP machine with mask.
Some people grind teeth during the night. In case they grind teeth in excess, the muscles and jaw become tight. This causes pain. This makes them wake up with headache. There is a solution though. Such persons need to see the dentist. He will fit them with night guard. It is a soft plastic appliance. It sits in the mouth in much comfort. This appliance proves effective to stop grinding. This is also available online.
Suffering people can toss and turn during night. There is a horrid sensation when they move legs on the bed. They feel as if insects are crawling on legs. To get rid of this, they must reduce smoking, caffeine and alcohol intake. Some people are benefited by hot and cold packs. They need supplements of iron and magnesium in such a condition. Ropinirole, a drug for Parkinson’s disease, is useful for restless legs, one of the causes of wake up headache.
No one is exempt from migraines and women are especially prone so it’s just a matter of averages to expect that migraines will affect pregnancies. Women should naturally be concerned about taking medications during pregnancy, whether over the counter or prescription, and since most people turn automatically to medication to treat the severe headaches caused by migraines, it’s doubly important to be aware of the consequences of taking migraine medication during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the plain fact of the matter is that the effects of most headache medications on pregnant women and their unborn children still remains in the dark. Because of this uncertainty, women who suffer from migraines really need—when possible, of course—to work their migraine relief into their pregnancy plan right from the beginning, even before conception. Most experts in migraine prevention and relief strongly advise a slow tapering off medication prior to attempting to conceive. A slow tapering off means about a week, by the way, not several months.
Of course, many women suffer from headaches far too extreme to even consider tapering off their medication. If this is the case with you, it is highly recommended that before attempting to become pregnant you make an appointment with your doctor and to talk over the risks of sticking with your medications while pregnant. It’s been well established that some medications such as Depakote have caused birth defects, but many other preventative medications such as beta-blockers and tricyclics have been proven relatively safe. If you’re taking drugs by injection, like Imitrex, you’ll definitely have to stop taking it because there just simply isn’t enough evidence of its safety during pregnancy.
Since most birth defects occur during the first few months of life, often before the mother even realizes she is pregnant at all, it is not a good idea to wait until confirming the pregnancy before making decisions on medication and pregnancy.
Of course, there is more to pregnancy and migraines than just being careful with medication. Pregnancy means food cravings and food cravings means eating things you don’t normally eat, or least eating them in a bulk you don’t normally eat them in. Food and food additives are major league triggers of migraines so when pregnant, be sure to be careful about what you eat. In particularly, avoid foods high in MSG and stay away from strong aged cheeses, which are well known triggers for migraine attacks. It couldn’t hurt to avoid low blood sugar by eating complex carbohydrates rather than refined sugars. On the other hand, when using sugar substitutes be sure to stay away from aspartame (NutraSweet).
Generally speaking, a woman who doesn’t have any other health problems besides migraines probably doesn’t run any special risk. On the other hand, if your first migraine onsets during pregnancy, it is vitally important to get to a doctor so that he can rule out any other dangerous conditions such brain hemorrhage, meningitis, or even tumors. Further testing may be needed to determine the cause of the headache.
Migraine treatment during pregnancy tends to be of the medical alternative variety such as the use of cold packs, darkened room, and sleep. Although caffeine is one of the trickiest of all food-related migraine triggers to deal with, taking it in small doses during the first trimester is usually safe, as is the use of acetaminophen in small doses.
When it comes to both pregnancy in general and migraines in general, one of the best thing you do to is to relieve the amount of stress in your life. Yes, it’s very easy to say you’re going to reduce stress and it’s altogether something else to actually do it, but if you can take small steps here and there to reduce or eliminate tension-causing elements from your life, you’ll be surprised at the effect it has on your migraines. Not to mention the effect it will have on your pregnancy.
One last thing to be aware of concerning pregnancy and migraines. Patients are often giving hormones to induce labor and this frequently causes migraines. Labor is painful enough without adding migraine pain to it so be sure your delivery care person knows you are prone to migraines before the decision is made to induce labor.
Myth #1: Migraines are easily recognized and diagnosed by doctors.
Reality: Migraines are among the least properly diagnosed and most mistreated of all illnesses. Up to 70% of migraines sufferers have never been properly diagnosed with having the illness. Migraines remain seriously underestimated and misunderstood, even among doctors treating the problem.
Myth #2: Migraines are annoying and uncomfortable, but there’s nothing life-threatening about them.
Reality: Migraines can induce several life-threatening conditions such as stroke, aneurysms and coma.27% of all strokes experienced by those under the age of 45 are preceded by a severe migraine headache. 25% of all cerebral infarctions are associated with migraines. In addition, studies have also found links between migraines and epileptic seizures.
Myth #3:
Migraines are nothing more than really bad headaches.
Reality:
The headache is really just a symptom of a disease and the cause of the migraine pain is the opposite of the cause of the headache pain. Migraines are a disease that are genetically based. Those with a single parent who experience migraines themselves have a 50% chance of developing migraines.
Myth #4:
Migraines are psychological in nature, caused by external environmental factors.
Reality:
A migraine is a neurological disease, not a disorder.
Migraines truly are neurological diseases, caused by physiological and not psychological triggers. Migraines happen when cranial blood vessels dilate, causing nerve endings to release serotonin, a crucial factor in the development of the headache.
Myth #5:
Only women suffer from headaches.
Reality:
Women, men, adults and children all suffer from migraines.
While it’s true that the overwhelming majority of migraine patients are adult women, a significant number of suffers are male and an increasing number of children are being treated not just for migraines but for a particular type called abdominal migraines.
Myth #6:
There’s no doubting about whether that headache you’re suffering is really a migraine or not. If you’ve got a migraine, you’ll know it.
Reality:
Millions of people suffer from migraines without having been correctly diagnosed or thinking that it’s just a regular tension headache.
Myth #7:
If you aren’t suffering from the most severe symptoms like nausea and auras, then it’s probably not a migraine.
Reality:
Only 20% of migraine suffers experience the kind associated with auras. And many never experience the more extreme symptoms such as nausea or vomiting.
Myth #8:My headaches are triggered by or changes in the weather conditions; therefore they are probably sinus headaches.
Reality: Allergic reactions and changes in the weather can trigger migraines, but they are never the cause. In addition, migraines are offer accompanied by symptoms such as a runny nose or watery eyes that can be mistaken for sinus-based headaches.
Myth #9: Migraines are caused by stress and tension.
Reality: Again stress and tension can be triggers for migraines, but unlike tension headaches, migraines are not actually caused by any rise in your tension or stress levels.
Myth #10:Only hypersensitive, uptight, perfectionist, compulsive types get migraines.
Reality: Research has been concluded that there is no such thing as a particular personality type who develops migraines. Therefore, put to rest all misconceptions you may have about a so-called “migraine personality."
Myth #11: You can make the pain go away and feel better if you take more medication.
Reality: Far from providing relief, exceeding the recommended dosage of migraine medication may do far more harm than good. In fact, taking more medicine than recommended could result in even more serious health problems.
Myth #12: People who complain about migraine headaches are just lazy slackers trying to get out of work.
Reality: Migraines are one of the most disabling diseases around. It disrupts lifestyles, affects relationships and is the cause behind over 10,000 annual visits to a physician each year. Most people who take days off from work due to migraines would be more than willing to trade in the pain for the work.
Myth #: 13 People bring migraines on themselves. It’s psychosomatic, man.
Reality: Only to the extent that heart disease is brought on by sufferers. Migraines have a physiological cause that takes place inside one’s head. That does not mean that it is all in your head!
Everybody might have a different cause for what triggers their headache. But one thing is for sure that whatever be the cause, the pain can be unbearable. Scientists have identified some common causes for headaches. See which one triggers yours.
-Any kind of alcohol or caffeine that is found in cola, coffee, tea or soda pop.
-Sudden caffeine withdrawal may also lead to headaches.
-Smoking…even passive smoking can cause headaches!
-Very salty foods can be the culprit. However, some foods may prove totally unsuitable for certain people, particularly Chinese that contains MSG commonly known as Ajinomoto.
-Poor eating habits like missing meals, extreme diets or fasting may also trigger headaches.
-Dehydration is one of the most common causes. So make sure to drink loads of water.
-Missing sleep or changing the sleep patterns might also cause headaches. But do you know that oversleeping might also be a cause of headache?
-Stress, anxiety, tension and depression are quite common culprits.
-Some medications for the heart, blood pressure and hormones may also trigger headaches.
-And yes, not to forget poor posture and body mechanics can also lead to headaches.
strong sunlight and strong odors may cause headaches.
-What about chewing gum or clenching and grinding teeth? Their usage may also trigger headaches.
These are just a few of the commonly identified features that may cause headaches. You ought to find out the main culprit in your case to take remedial action. Best of Luck!!