What are headaches? Almost everyone has experienced a headache at some point in their life. There are different types of headaches which are triggered by different factors. If you are someone who has experienced a headache, you know how irritating it can be. I am going to discuss the different types of headaches, their classifications, causes, and the treatments that are available to help people minimize the pain effects that headaches have on a person.
Headaches are typically classified as Primary or Secondary. Primary headaches are those for which no specific structural etiology has been found (hopkinsmedicine.org, 2014). More than 90% of headaches are considered primary (Painter, 2014). The four primary headache types include tension, migraine, cervicogenic, and cluster headaches and are not caused by other underlying medical conditions. (Painter, 2014)
Tension headaches are the most common primary classification and affect more than 75% of headache sufferers (Painter, 2014). They can be divided into three categories based on how often they occur:
1. Infrequent episode – When is happens less than once per month
2. Frequent episodic – When it occurs 1 – 14 times per month
3. Chronic – When it happens 15 days or more in a month
Tension type headaches usually cause pain that radiates in a band-like fashion. Tension headache can cause pain in the head, scalp, or neck and is usually associated with muscle tightness in these areas. Tension headaches can affect a person of any age however, it is most common in adolescents and adults. These headaches occur when the neck and scalp muscles become tense, or contract. People experience a dull, pressure-like pain and it is all over the head, not centralized ...
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...ymptoms, new or unusual type of headache, older age, immunocompromised state, sudden or worst headache of your life, fever, stiff neck, swelling of the optic nerves, or headache not responding to treatment or becoming increasingly worse. Secondary headaches are caused by some other condition that triggers the headache. Some common causes of secondary headaches are brain tumors, head and neck trauma, stroke, infection, or carbon monoxide poisoning. In order to treat secondary headaches, you have to diagnose what the primary cause of the headache is. Once that is determined and treated, the secondary headache should subside.
There is no cure for those that suffer from primary headaches but, there are options that allow some relief from the pain of these headaches. Secondary headaches can be relieved by treating the underlying problem that is causing the headache.
Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias (TACs) are highly interesting to me: This group of unilateral, excruciating primary headaches is accompanied by ipsilateral cranial autonomic symptoms and comprises of three major forms:
Psychguide (2016). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms, Causes and Effects. Retrieved August 20, 2016, from http://psychguides.com
Helmets won't cure football's concussion headache. 2014. Helmets won't cure football's concussion headache. [ONLINE] Available at:https://theconversation.com/helmets-wont-cure-footballs-concussion-headache-7483. [Accessed 20 March 2014].
“What Is a Concussion?” What Is a Concussion? | Brain Injury Research Institute, www.protectthebrain.org/Brain-Injury-Research/What-is-a-Concussion-.aspx. Accessed 30 Jan. 2018.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the brain causing people to have seizures. A seizure is a big disruption of electrical communication between neurons, leading to the temporary release of excessive energy in a synchronized form Epilepsy is very unpredictable. Having a seizure disorder doesn't mean that you can only have one type of seizure. People can have many different types of seizures; it can vary on the person. In some cases depending on the type of seizures someone may have they can grow out of them. (“Epilepsy Foundation." What Is Epilepsy? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2014.)
A concussion may be caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head or by any fall or hit that jars the brain. A concussion causes the brain to work longer and harder. A concussion affects the mental stamina and function of the brain. Even though concussions are very serious and potentially life threatening to the young athlete, studies show that less than 50% of high school athletes will report their concussions. Almost all athletes
Concussions occur time after time throughout different sporting events and many are familiar with the word concussion, but what really is a concussion? A concussion is a head injury that can leave damaging effects on athletes of all sports and ages. Concussions are regularly caused by a hard hit to the head or body that causes the brain to shake inside of the skull. While there is fluid within the skull to protect the brain, when an athlete is hit hard enough, the brain moves to the point of hitting the skull, causing a head injury otherwise known as a concussion (“Concussions”). Terry Adirim, a medical doctor who writes articles for Clinical Pediatrician Emergency Magazine, says that an individual may have many different symptoms after receiving a concussion. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and vomiting, but each of these symptoms do not necessarily happen with every concussion. While many athletes are fine after receiving one concussion, it is the second concussion that can be very unfavorable and even deadly. When an athlete receives a second concussion before the first concussion has fully healed, it ...
Concussions are an injury that falls under the Traumatic Brain Injury category. A concussion occurs when a force causes the brain to rock back and forth inside the skull, and hit the interior walls of the skull. When this happens it can result in bruising on two parts of the brain, the Coup and the Countercoup. This may result in Loss of consciousness, confusion, headaches, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of short-term memory. I know from experience the nausea and blurred vision. I noticed that during what I thought was a concussion though after the initial hits my ears would ring and give me very painful headaches.
They are the definition of a migraine, probable causes of a migraine, and several treatment options for a
Migraines, which are three times more dominant in women than in men, are characterized by frequent attacks of moderate to severe, painful headaches that are often associated with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light. This headache pain typically occurs on one side of the head and is described as pulsing, pounding or throbbing pain lasting 4-72 hours if left untreated. Migraines may also present with or without an aura (sensory warning symptoms).1
Chronic migraines are a disease that has affected my life and the life of someone close to me. The illness has added stress, frustration, anxiety, and responsibility to my mother and our family. Migraines are a real concern that hinders the lives of hundreds worldwide. Primary migraines are a strenuous sickness, which creates negative experiences and prevent migraine sufferers as well as their families from living normal lives. This condition has changed my life for the worse and has prevented me from living without weariness and stress.
Pain: stress can cause pain because the body stimulates the muscles while fighting the stressor. Stress also causes migraines which can last for several days.
If an individual has never experienced a migraine headache, it is difficult to understand. Migraines are more than just a headache and can touch many areas of someone’s life. Migraines have played a significant role in how I go about each day, how I feel about myself and how I interact with people in my life. Migraines have affected my work life and have had a major influence on my personality, not to mention the impact it has made on my finances.
The "Migraine". Definition - a. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Cox, Lauren. (2011, Nov. 02) 5 Experts Answer: Does Caffeine Cause or Cure Headaches? Live Science.