Determining the Causes of Headaches
Headaches are not something that are fully understood by doctors and scientists. However, most headaches are the results of a few common causes. There are three main types of headaches that doctors and scientists classify all headaches into in order to diagnose and treat them. Primary headaches are the least serious and are the headaches that we all get from time to time. These are also the most common types of headaches. Just because they aren’t potentially dangerous does not mean that primary headaches do not cause a lot of pain. The next most serious type of headaches are cluster headaches although as painful as they are they are almost never fatal. The most serious kind of headaches are secondary headaches which are the result of a problem, either chemical or structural, in the brain.
The biggest reason for primary headaches is stress and tension. As many of 90% of headaches are caused by these problems. What happens is that when we are stressed, the muscles around the skull tighten up and cause pressure to build up on your head. This can be a very painful experience. Usually, the tension in the skull muscles is from mental or physical stress. Mental or emotional stress causes our muscles to tighten up all over our body but especially in our head causing tension headaches. Physically demanding labor can also cause our muscles to tighten up including those in the head and can cause a tension headache.
Cluster headaches are when a person has very painful headaches repeatedly over a short period of time. These are rare and do not happen in a large percentage of people. It can be difficult to find the right treatment for cluster headaches because of the way they come and go. Cluster headaches can cause additional symptoms such as intense pain in your head right behind your eyes, watery eyes, and a runny nose. If you experience cluster headaches you should call your doctor right away to get treated and relieve the pain.
Secondary headaches are themselves a symptom of a possibly life threatening problem. These painful headaches can be a result of bleeding in the brain, brain tumors or other issues with the brain. If you have intense, frequent headaches you should see your doctor to rule out a more serious condition. These headaches can be debilitating because they are so painful and can cause other sensory issues as well.
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- Available Headache Treatments
- Contact us
- Dealing with Hormonal Headaches
- Determining the Causes of Headaches
- Frequent Headaches Make Life More Difficult
- Headache Clinics: Help for People with Severe and Chronic Headaches
- Headache Medicines Available for Treating Headaches
- Learning About the Different Headache Types
- Pinpointing the Causes of Migraine Headaches
- What are Cluster Headaches and How are they Treated?