Headache Causes

Almost all of us have experienced a terrible headache at least once in our lifetime. It can be defined as a discomfort experienced in the head or/and the surrounding body structures such as the neck, shoulders, scalp and jaw. A headache can be triggered due to numerous reasons, some serious, some non-serious and some unknown. Below is a list of all the major causes, followed by the treatment for the same.

Stress
Headaches can be experienced if a person is suffering from stress or anxiety. A person who is under stress may feel that the muscles of his shoulders, jaw, neck and scalp have become very tight. If such a person does not sleep well or smokes/consumes alcohol in excess or misses his meals, the headache can get worse.

Foods
It is seen that certain people can experience headaches if they eat food such as cheese, chocolates and those that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG). People who are addicted to drinking lots of tea/coffee may experience headaches if they do not get their daily dose of caffeine.

Over-exertion
If a person keeps his head in the same position for a very long time, such as while working on a computer or watching TV, it can cause a headache. Exercising incorrectly, sleeping in a wrong posture, clenching teeth are some of the other causes.

Sinusitis
Sinus headaches can be distinguished from other types of headache as they are generally experienced in the face as well as the front of the head and they tend to get worse when a person bends forward. These occur when there is swelling in the sinus passages which lie at the back of eyes, nose and cheeks. In fact, sinusitis is one of the main causes of headache behind the eyes. Along with this other symptoms of sinusitis such are nasal discharge, sore throat and sometimes fever might also be present.

Health Conditions
Some of the common causes in children as well as adults are health conditions such as fever, cold, flu, tonsillitis and hay fever. Many women suffer from severe headaches during their periods which are caused by premenstrual syndrome. People above the age of fifty may suffer from a condition known as temporal arteritis, whose symptoms include headache and impaired vision.

Eye Problems
A person having difficulties with his vision, like short sightedness or long sightedness, may strain his eye muscles in order to focus more, thus, leading to a headaches. Certain eye problems such as glaucoma may cause headaches too.

Medication
Certain medications can trigger recurring headaches, which are known as 'rebound headaches' in people. Some of the medicines which cause such headaches include painkillers and those given to diabetic patients. It is seen that women who take birth control pills experience rebound headaches too.

Migraines, Tension Headaches and Cluster Headaches
The reasons behind all these types of headaches have still not been clearly understood. Researches say that migraine is actually a neurological disease caused due to a genetic abnormality. There are often certain 'triggers', such as serotonin levels, hormonal levels, sunlight, etc. which cause migraines. As far as cluster headaches are concerned, researches say that they are caused due to sinuses, serotonin levels and some nervous system phenomenon. Lastly, tension headaches are seen when the muscles around the skull contracts, thereby decreasing the flow of blood to the head.

Besides the ones mentioned above, some of the rare causes are brain tumor, stroke, brain infections such as meningitis and brain aneurysm, that is, bleeding in the brain.

Treatment and Cures

Headache causes and cures are interrelated, in the sense, that the treatment will depend upon the reason behind the headache. Non-threatening headaches such as those triggered by foods, over-exertion and stress can be cured if a person makes certain lifestyle and dietary changes. Eating a healthy diet and giving up the foods that trigger a headache, exercising everyday, improving one's posture, taking regular breaks while working on a computer and following certain relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation and head massages will help in eliminating headaches.

Tension and migraine headaches can be resolved by following these lifestyle and dietary changes, along with certain medicines. Adults can take medicines such as ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen for getting rid of tension headaches. For migraine relief, there are certain medication which are available on prescription, such as ergotamine, isometheptene rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, etc. Sinus headache treatment entails taking steam, painkillers and decongestants such as nasal steroid sprays and antihistamines. Headaches caused by health conditions such as fever, flue, tonsillitis, etc and some rare diseases such as tumor and stroke can be cured only if these diseases are treated first.

As you can see, there are a number of causes, some serious and life-threatening while others which resolve by themselves. In any case, a person experiencing regular headaches should not take them lightly. He should get them diagnosed and treated by a doctor immediately, especially if the headaches start interfering with his day-to-day activities, are very explosive and are accompanied by symptoms such as a change in vision, loss of balance, confusion, slurred speech, memory loss, vomiting and fever.