Health

Introduction to Headaches

Cephalalgia, or a headache, is pain or discomfort in the head, neck, or upper back. One of the most prevalent ailments, it can be brought on by everything from aneurysms and meningitis to tumors and stress. Causes that are more readily apparent to the naked eye include strikes to the head, neck, or face.

Table of Contents

Toggle

Why Does It Hurt

Because it lacks the proper nerve fibers, the brain cannot register pain as an organ. A network of nerves surrounds the head and neck, making the scalp, face, and throat sensitive to pain. In addition, the muscles and membranes of the head can feel pain together with the blood vessels.

Headache Classifications

There are four main types of headaches, though there are numerous subtypes. The four main types are blood vessels, muscle, muscle-on-bone, and inflammation.

Headaches brought on by blood vessel irritation or enlargement are called vascular headaches. Migraines (characterized by excruciating pain, nausea, and blurred vision), toxic headaches (caused by a high body temperature or excessive exposure to toxic chemicals, such as alcohol), cluster headaches (characterized by intermittent, intense pain centered on one eye), and hypertension-related headaches are all in this category.

Myogenic headaches, on the other hand, are brought on by tense muscles in the head and neck. The most common type of headache, tension headache, is classified as a Myogenic headache. These can be chronic (happen frequently) or episodic (occur occasionally). Sleep deprivation, negative peer pressure, nervousness, poor body mechanics, hunger, and overwork are common contributors.

Transaction and inflammatory headaches can point to a more serious underlying health issue. Without therapy, these symptoms will worsen and become more frequent. Sinusitis is an example of an inflammatory disorder that can lead to headache symptoms. Infections by bacteria, fungi, viruses, allergies, or autoimmune reactions can all contribute to this inflammation.

Headache Diagnosis

Even while most headaches don’t necessitate medical attention, there are exceptions to this rule. A medical diagnosis is sometimes urgently required since some headaches may be symptoms of life-threatening diseases.

You should see a doctor if you have a headache that lasts more than a few days, gets worse over time, is common in children, is the result of a head injury, or is accompanied by other symptoms like fever, neck stiffness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. Head CT scans, and MRIs are standard procedures in such situations.

How to Treat a Headache

In most cases, over-the-counter pain relievers will be enough to alleviate a headache not caused by another medical condition. However, Rebound Headaches (headaches caused by withdrawal from medication) can occur with excessive or prolonged use of these drugs. Therefore, caution is advised. Magnesium and vitamin B2 are two examples of vitamins occasionally suggested alongside caffeine.

Keeping track of when you get headaches can help you identify the “trigger” that triggers your migraines. Some meals and medications, for instance, have been linked to increased headaches. When a person keeps note of when they consume these foods and drugs, they may discover that they experience headaches a few hours after eating or taking medication.

Ancestry and Migraine Attacks

Some types of headaches do tend to run in families, even if there is no genetic link between different types of headaches. In the case of migraines, this is especially true. Most kids and teens who say they suffer from migraines frequently have family members who also have this condition. There is a 70% chance that a child will acquire migraines if both parents suffer from them. However, if only one parent suffers from migraines, the offspring are only about a quarter as likely to get the condition themselves.

A headache can be anything from annoyance to a warning message from your body. No matter how frequent headaches may be, it would be best if you never overlooked anything that persists or worsens.

In Brief: A firm believer in what it calls “The Osteopathic Difference,” the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, Colorado, is committed to providing quality care. The Center seeks out the root causes of health problems instead of simply treating the symptoms. Osteopathy’s “Hands on Therapeutics” approach to diagnosing and treating pain, illness, and other symptoms is a key differentiator. The Osteopathic Distinction will use the well-established osteopathic principle that structure determines function and vice versa.

While the primary goal of everyone who enters The Center is health and, more importantly, prevention, sometimes the best that can be done is to identify the cause of the “DIS-EASE” and instruct each person on how to deal with its symptoms. The Center’s mission is to educate and equip patients to take an active role in their health care since we consider this to be the most critical responsibility of any medical professional.

Health is elusive as well, but The Center will make every effort to provide a way to it that, if followed by the patient over time, will result in a favorable return on the patient’s rehabilitation investment. The Center offers a Mindfulness Yoga Program to help patients learn to use their minds to alleviate physical discomfort. The Center for Osteopathic Medicine acknowledges the value of medicinals and their appropriate use of them. Still, it stresses the importance of a drug-free lifestyle as the ultimate objective of health. At The Center, we use various “Hands on Manipulation” techniques. The Center for Osteopathic Medicine uses a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates manipulative techniques with Structural Integration, massage, meditation, and conventional Western medicine to help patients prevent the onset of disease, alleviate symptoms of chronic conditions, and adopt a present-focused, holistic outlook that allows them to thrive in the here and now fully.

This article’s contents are intended solely for educational and informational purposes. Please see a doctor if you are having any health issues. The information presented here is not designed to substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified medical practitioner.

Center for Osteopathic Medicine, where Jennifer Jordan serves as senior editor. She mostly writes health and wellness-related articles to give readers the knowledge and tools they need to achieve optimal health and fulfillment.

linda