Why Do We Get Headaches?

I think there can't be a single person on earth, who can claim never to have suffered from headaches. If you say so, then I am mighty envious of your luck. Headaches is supposed to be one of the most common chronic complaints of patients around the world. It is said even kids under the age of 10 years have headaches. There are different types of headaches like tension headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, that can lead to severe pain. But, why do we get headaches? Let us find out the common reasons by going through the information in the below paragraphs.

Why Do We Get Headaches Everyday

Headaches occur in the head and upper neck region of the body. The nerves, blood vessels and muscles in these areas tend to swell, tighten or undergo pressure. This causes pain or aching sensation in the above mentioned area. Tension headaches are one of the most common forms of headaches. It causes dull, constant pain in the back of the head, frontal region as well as side of the head. A cold or flu can cause inflammation of the sinuses leading to sinus headaches. Even an allergy can lead to sinus headaches. One of the most irritating and debilitating headaches is a migraine attack. It causes throbbing pain in the head. All one wants to do is sleep in a dark room with no noise. It causes one to miss school, work and other activities. Migraines can be triggered by a number of factors like stress, hormonal imbalance, eating spicy foods, chocolates, or drinking too cold drinks. Migraines tend to linger longer than tension headaches, and can also lead to excessive nausea and vomiting. Let us see some of the reasons why do we get headaches everyday.

Genes
Our genes play a major role in our life and even with the headaches that we suffer from. If your grandparents, parents, uncles or aunts have suffered from headaches, chances are, you too may have inherited the susceptibility to headaches. So, next time you suffer from a throbbing, sharp or dull pain, blame it on your genes.

Eye Strain
People who continuously watch TV, look at the computer screen, read books in dim light, can suffer from eye strain. Also, inability to focus can lead to eye strain that causes headaches. If you suffer from constant headaches everyday and feel you have to strain your eyes to read or focus on things, better get your eyesight checked. It may happen you need glasses to correct your vision. Wearing glasses will help you see better and reduce eye strain that leads to headaches.

High Blood Pressure
In most adults, high blood pressure is the root cause of their headaches. You may not realize it, but high BP may be causing excessive pressure on your blood vessels that leads to headaches. It will be wise to get your blood pressure checked by a doctor, in order to lay your suspicions to rest.

Menstruation Cycle
One of the most common causes of headaches in women is menstruation. The hormonal imbalance before the start, or after the start, of their monthly menstruation leads to headaches. Many women have complained of migraine attacks, just before they start their periods. So, if you too suffer from headaches near your period date, be prepared for the start of your periods.

Chemical Reactions
It has been found many foods tend to cause headaches due to presence of some naturally occurring chemical substance in them. For example, chocolates, caffeine, aspartame, red wines, alcohol, aged cheese, have the ability to trigger off a headache. So, watch what you eat, it may lead to a pain in the head. Drinking a lot of coffee can also lead to headaches. Coffee leads to caffeine addiction. When one stops drinking coffee, it causes caffeine withdrawal symptoms one of which is headaches. Thus, watch the number of coffee cups you drink.

Psychological and Physical Stress
The muscles of your neck, shoulders, scalp and jaw contract due to stress, depression, anxiety, causing head pain. Even over work, irregular meal time, lack of sleep, can lead to headaches. Sometimes, performing a particular activity that causes your head to remain in one position like looking at the computer for a long time, sleeping in an odd position, grinding or clenching your jaw, traveling, sitting or sleeping in low temperature, can lead to headaches everyday.

Why Do We Get Headaches When We Sleep Too Much

One of the common questions asked is why do we get headaches when we oversleep. Too much of sleep, as well as too little sleep, is bad for health. The main reason for waking up with headaches is dehydration. When the body is low on fluid, it leads to pressure on the meninges covering our brain. This causes headaches due to dehydration. When one sleeps for more than 8 hours or so, the kidneys and other organs continue to function. This causes increase in the level of toxins, poisons and other waste products in our body. As we are sleeping, we do not drink water and do not urinate. This increase in levels of toxins and decrease in fluids in the body causes headaches after we wake up from a really long, deep sleep.

Why Do We Get Headaches During Pregnancy

Women often face the problem of headaches during pregnancy. The main cause of headaches during the first trimester is hormones. The hormonal imbalance due to the sudden surcharge of chemicals leads to headaches. Especially, if you are prone to tension or migraine headaches. However, most women seem to have fewer migraine attacks during pregnancy. Apart from hormones, during the second and third trimesters, headaches can occur due to lack of sleep, low blood pressure, stress (physical as well as psychological), etc. Also, pregnant women are more prone to dehydration and starvation that leads to headaches.

Why Do We Get Headaches When We Are Hungry

Many people often complain of headaches when they are hungry. The reason being low blood sugar levels. When one is hungry, their body begins to use up the existing glucose for energy and other body functions. This causes the blood sugar level to drop significantly. When this happens, a signal is sent to the brain, and a neurotransmitter substance called serotonin is released. This chemical substance is involved with many processes like sleep, mood, thirst, hunger, etc. Some people tend to react to the high levels of serotonin in their system and suffer from headaches. Thus, serotonin gives you a signal that you are hungry and low on glucose. Better munch on something as soon as possible, before the serotonin levels increase, leading to nasty headaches.

This was some information on why do we get headaches. As you can see there are a number of factors that can lead to headaches. Over the counter medications, balms and ointments help relieve these headaches. A change in diet may also prove to be helpful for some. If you suffer from sharp headaches frequently, that may cause you to lose consciousness, then better get yourself examined. Some headaches can be an indication for tumors or brain cancer. Speak to your doctor for some remedies for headaches that will help reduce the occurrence of this discomforting condition.