Posts Tagged ‘headaches’

The Causes Of Migraine Headaches

April 22nd, 2010

Headaches in any form are always very painful for the sufferer. However, some headaches, such as migraines, for example, can cause even more problems than just a headache. These problems could be sickness, light sensitivity and a banging pain in the head. Sometimes the headache is felt on one side of the head, although at other times you can feel the pain on both sides of your head at the same time.

The actual causes of migraine headaches has not yet been discovered, although there are some theories why we experience migraine headaches. The most common theory is that an alteration in the blood flow within the brain is one of the triggers that causes migraine headaches. Another theory about migraine headache is that it could possibly be caused by pain sensing chemicals called neuropeptides.

Many medical professionals speculate that neuropeptides relax the muscle that surrounds the cranial blood vessels. This relaxation causes the blood vessels to dilate. The relaxed blood vessels increase the flow of blood and other cranial fluid to the brain. This increase in fluids is thought to be the cause of migraine headaches.

These cranial fluids cause inflammation, pain, sensitivity, tissue and blood vessel swelling during the time of the migraine headaches. Some people think that the aura that is sometimes seen during a migraine headache is caused by the constriction of the blood vessels that became dilated during the starting phase of the migraine headache.

Another theory as to the causes of migraine headaches has been linked to the genetics of inheritance. These theories say that a child of migraine sufferers will have a 50% probability of having migraine headaches too.

The probability of having migraine headaches is even greater if both parents are sufferers of this painful sort of headache. If both parents have frequent migraine headaches the chances of the child inheriting migraine headache symptoms rises to about 70%.

Now even though many professionals think that inheritance plays a large part in migraine headaches the genes that may be considered as the causes of migraine headaches have not been identified or even isolated. When we begin to experience migraine headaches the only warning signs that we may receive are a throbbing pain in the temple area and light sickness.

As the symptoms of the migraine progresses, the pain becomes much worse. Unfortunately, since the causes of migraine headaches have not been discovered and we don’t know what triggers these attacks, there are no medications to cure this kind of headaches yet.

If you suffer from migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

Headache Medication

April 18th, 2010

Usually when people feel a headache coming on, they start searching for a medication that can stop their headache from becoming much worse. As there are so many different sorts of headache medicine to choose from, people have to think about what they want the treatment to do.

The headache medications that are found at the supermarkets and pharmacies come in various forms. You will find that there are tablets you can swallow, tablets that dissolve under your tongue, nasal sprays, suppositories, and injections that you administer yourself. All of these headache treatment are known to work well at stopping your headache from becoming worse.

When you reach for headache medicine on a supermarket shelf, you need to decide how fast-acting you want the medication to be. We are normally used to taking pills and capsules to cure whatever ailments that we have. We take these types of treatments because they are easy to take and easy to carry around with us.

Although these kinds of headache medication do work for many people, it takes some time for the treatment to take effect, which is why any person who has a severe headache, like a migraine, will not gain advantage from these tablets or capsules. Also the different fast-developing headaches will not do well either with these medications.

Anyone who has a tension type headache, a slow-acting migraine attack or a migraine attack without nausea and vomiting, can try these tablets. There are tablets that you can use that are absorbed more quickly into your bloodstream. These so-called ’sub-lingual’ tablets or lozenges are put under the tongue, where they get absorbed by the membrane that lines the mouth. These sorts of headache medicine work a little more quickly than the normal tablets as they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

Another way that you can cure your headache is with a nasal spray. These sprays can provide you with quick-acting relief. They are good for headache sufferers who need quick relief and they are also good for people who become nauseous. You may have to test various kinds before you get good results, but these headache treatments are still pretty good.

The best possible pain relief can be got quickly from self injected drugs. However, if you take this kind headache treatment you will have to take extra care at first, so that you don’t overdose yourself with too much of the headache medication.

Other considerations are whether you can endure the discomfort that you may first feel when you try to inject yourself. The possible embarrassment about injecting yourself in public with your headache medicine is also something that you will have to consider.

There is a vast amount of headache medicine for the person who is looking for ways to cure their headache misery. The best way to find your right medication is to test different products in order to see what works best for you.

If you suffer from migraine headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website on http://stopping-headaches.the-real-way.com. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

What are Stress Headaches?

April 11th, 2010

I think we all have an idea what stress is and how we react during a stressful period. Some people can cope very well with the pressures that problems bring with them. Other people are overcome by the great pressure that they are experiencing. In some individuals this strain manifests itself as stress headaches.

Stress headaches are usually caused by excessive amounts of stressful situations; ie more than an individual would normally find themselves in. The ability to deal with these situations fades gradually, and so stress begins to take its toll on them and a stress headache can develop.

In other cases, having other kinds of headache can result in stress headaches due to the fact that we need to deal with the headache and get on with our everyday life. As the pain from the headache seems to take control of our life, we start to feel stressed and unable to cope. All of these headaches (including stress headaches) can be controlled safely and, in some cases, prevented from occurring again with the right medicine.

There are other methods of dealing with stress headaches besides using drugs. These other methods include: cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and physical therapy.

Cognitive therapy seeks to “redirect” a stress headache. In this method of treatment, the patient is taught how they can recognize what starts the stress symptoms and how they can alter their response to these conditions.

Behavioural therapy is the another method of treating a stress headache. When people become stressed by a particular situation, they try coping with their headache by consuming drugs, alcohol, over-the-counter tranquilizers, pain medicine and some people also take illicit drugs. As taking these substances can only offer short-time help, it is better to give them the means to build a healthy lifestyle, which will help that person to cope better with their stress headaches.

Physical therapy attempts using biofeedback response. Individuals experiencing stress headaches learn to recognize and reduce the amount of physical tension in their body. The treatments that are recommended for this method are muscle relaxation, deep breathing, yoga and other self-relaxing methods. It is possible to see what effect these measures have on sufferers of stress headaches, as these techniques relax and calm the body.

The various methods of therapy that were mentioned above are all interrelated. Using all three of these therapies, including headache medication, will provide the individual with a form of relief that will work for them for the rest of their lives and not just the short period when they are undergoing a stress headache.

If you have a problem with stress headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website on http://stopping-headaches.the-real-way.com. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

What Are Coital Headaches?

February 2nd, 2010

Although orgasm is usually an enjoyable and happy activity for most people, it can be painful for those who find that it triggers coital headaches. For these people, sexual activity can actually cause these coital headache attacks.

Medically speaking, a headache, or cephalalgia, is a symptom of various conditions of the head and sometimes the neck too. They can be classified into two main categories: primary or idiopathic, and symptomatic, although there are other ways of grouping them as well; for example by severity or by area.

Put simply, primary headaches have a known or unknown cause, whereas symptomatic headaches are often the result of injury. Primary headaches include: migraine, tension headaches, cluster headaches and coital headaches, amongst others.

Coital headaches, also called coital cephalalgia or sexual headaches, is a rare, but severe type of headache that starts in the nape of the neck during sexual intercourse, but before climax. It can occur in all conditions where climax is the expected result. The pain can move to behind the eyes and can then become even more severe. Typically the pain will last from a few minutes to an hour or so, but it has been known to last for days in the worst cases.

It is surprising to many to discover that men are three times more likely to experience coital headaches than women and the age groups most at risk are those between 20 and 25 and 30 and 44. Doctors do not really knows why this should be. Coital headaches affect about one percent of the population, although this figure could be much higher because of people being embarrassed to discuss it.

Coital headaches are benign, meaning that they have no long-term ill effects, as far as doctors know. It seems that people taking sexual stimulants, like Viagara, are about 10% more at risk to a bout of coital headache. In fact, besides the obvious, temporary pain, the worst effects of coital headaches are varying degrees of dizziness, confusion and stiffness of neck.

However, it is still worth while seeing a doctor though, especially in the early cases, just to rule out the more serious reasons for headaches, such as brain tumours and blood clots. However, the doctor can do rather little to help by way of cure. He could suggest a complete abstention from any kind of sexual practice for a period varying from days to weeks or he may recommend trying taking medication a short time before sexual foreplay commences.

A few of the headache medications that can be used are indomethacin, imitrex, zomig and propranolol, although if the headaches continue, your doctor may suggest some other preventive medicines to be taken on a daily basis. Sufferers of frequent coital headaches may also experience a positive response to migraine preventive medications, such as beta blockers or verapamil. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen may similarly be helpful. Coital headaches and migraines are also more likely to occur if a person is in poor physical shape.

However, the treatment for coital headaches for a lot of sufferers can be as simple as bringing your weight up or down to the normal weight for your size. Coital headaches can also be cured in some sufferers by an increased level of exercise, although this could bring on exertion headaches in a few cases.

Now the good news is that most headaches related to sexual activities are not at all serious in nature. In deed, research actually suggests that orgasm can relieve headaches and even migraine in some cases. This implies that for some adults, refusing sex may actually be the cause of their headache in the first place.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Chronic Tension Headaches

January 7th, 2010

There is a fairly reasonable chance that someone you know has experienced some type of headache recently, just because there are so many different sorts of headaches about. These kinds of headache could be the result of dehydration, missed meals, migraines or other types of headache like a tension headache or even a chronic tension headache.

A tension headache can feel like a tight elastic band wrapped tightly around your head, however, the pain from a tension headache goes away after a short while. But just think about having to suffer from a tension headache every day – for weeks on end. This type of tension headache is called a chronic tension headache because the symptoms is experienced at least 15 days a month for a period of several months.

With the case of chronic tension headaches, the symptoms of the headaches are quite similar to those of tension headaches, except that the pain never actually seems to go away. People who have experienced chronic tension headaches, say that the pain is as if they were wearing a tight band around their heads. Other people may describe severe chronic tension headache pain as a hooded cape that hangs down over their shoulders.

In the case of both tension headaches and chronic tension headaches, the pain can be located at the forehead region, sides of the head or sometimes even at the back of the head. At its usual strength the chronic tension headache is a dull, aching pain, although sometimes the pain is like a pressurized tightness. Generally the pain is mild to moderately intense.

The severity of the pain varies with the general physical condition of the individual concerned and it can also vary with the various kinds headaches. Many people start to experience chronic tension headaches the moment they wake up in the morning, although others say that their chronic tension headaches begin in the early hours of the day.

Normal tension headaches are more common than chronic tension headaches, however twice as many women as men suffer from chronic tension headaches. The duration and the severity of the pain is about the same as a normal tension headache, although the pain from the chronic tension headache is almost a daily occurrence and is also of a continuous nature.

People who suffer from chronic tension headaches are supposed to be more prone to anxiety and depression than non-sufferers of tension headaches. It is also known that chronic tension headaches are more common during or after heightened periods of stress and anxiety. Anyone who has mood disorders like depression or anxiety should have these conditions treated before getting their chronic tension headache seen to.

People suffering from chronic tension headaches can lead pretty normal and fulfilling lives with the correct medication and treatment. In time, they may come to understand what triggers their headaches and how avoiding these triggers can prevent the onset of another bout of chronic tension headaches.

If you suffer from migraines or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website on Stopping Headaches. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

The Treatment of Headaches

December 25th, 2009

While we are suffering from a headache it is normal to try to think of ways to stop the pain. However, because there are various kinds of headaches, the treatments may be effective for only a few of the headache types. There are two different ways of curing the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are called prophylactical and abortive headache treatments.

The prophylactic type of headache treatment needs to be ingested everyday in order to reduce the frequency of and to control the pain of the headache. The abortive type of headache treatment is started only when the headache starts.

However, you should realize that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are suffering from several, frequent headache attacks a month. Furthermore, when you take the prophylactic medication you will be checked for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.

The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medication begins with a low dose. The dose amount is then increased as time passes. You will be tested every month or so to see if the treatment is taking effect. Your doctor will also make sure that, during this phase of your headache treatment, you are not taking any other types of medication or vitamins.

It is vital to inform the doctor whether the patient is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor must be informed, so that checks can be done to discover any possible side effects on the unborn foetus.

The primary prescription drugs used for the treatment of headaches are beta blockers such as Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers like Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also used. Doctors can also prescribe anti-depressants like Elavil and Zoloft. You may also be prescribed Serotonin Antagonists like Sansert.

Usually, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert (ergot derivatives) may also be given by your doctor. The ‘abortive’ headache treatment types available for your headache pain are usually the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to mention only a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil belong to the family of drugs known as Ibuprofen.

Besides these headache treatments, medicines include nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache treatment medications can also cause some people to get a different type of headache.

Since these drugs can cause other problems you should consult your doctor and find out whether they are suitable for you or not. People who prefer an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks it will work.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go along to our website on Stopping Headaches. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Headache Types

December 22nd, 2009

There are a fair number of well-known kind of headache. These include, but are not limited to: cluster headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches, chronic daily headaches, blood pressure headaches, chronic cluster headaches and sinus headaches.

A migraine headache is a very severe, debilitating headache. This kind of headache has a profound impact upon the daily lives of its sufferers. The pain can be a pulsating sensation or sometimes a throbbing sort of head pain. This throbbing pain can vary from moderate to severe. The symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea with high audio-visual sensitivity. The migraine kind of headache often comes with a precursory warning sensation called an aura.

This aura is experienced in the form of changes in visual perception. You may see bright flashes or blurs and sometimes you may even lose part of your vision. You may even experience a numbness or a tingling in your arms. These warning symptoms will dissipate a while before the migraine attack begins. A migraine headache can last for up to three days without any medication, before it subsides.

The kinds of tension headache cause a dull, constant pain in the forehead, the sides or back of the head. Some people compare a tension headache to a tight band wrapped around the head and it is considered to be one of the most common types of headache. A tension headache does not create symptoms such as light sensitivity, loss of sight, nausea and vomiting.

Tension headaches occur in episodic or chronic kinds. Usually, most sufferers of this sort of tension headache, experience chronic headaches. It is estimated that about 40% of the population suffers from tension headaches. Chronic daily headaches are another of these kinds of headache.

Most chronic daily headaches are tension headaches or headaches that are the result of taking too many pain killers. With these kinds of headache, the pain is of a constant, dull nature – there may also be a feeling of tightness like a rubber band around the head. A chronic daily headache is distinguished by its duration: the pain must last for a minimum of 15 consecutive days per month during a three month period of time.

Another sort of headache is the Cluster headache group, which is a rare but very painful sort of headache. The name of the headache arises from the fact that the headache happens in clusters of pain. Often, periods of continuous Cluster headaches may last weeks or months. This time is followed by long periods of no headaches at all.

Cluster headaches are usually experienced only on one side of the head at a time. The sharp, penetrating pain starts behind one eye. Furthermore, cluster headaches may cause red, watery eyes, a stuffy nose and sometimes symptoms like nausea and light sensitivity are occur too.

These are a few of the many types of headaches that can occur. The pain from the headache can be mild or it can be excruciating in its severity. To find relief from these headaches you must talk to your doctor about medication or you can buy some over the counter headache pain tablets.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

Why Do I Get Frequent Headaches?

December 21st, 2009

Many of us live with headaches afflicting us for no apparent reason. Some of these headache types may occur once and then we may live for many years before we experience them again. Other kind of headaches happen pretty often in our lives. These headaches are known as ‘frequent headaches’.

Frequent headaches in general seem to be tension headaches. Other times, frequent headaches are the result of ingesting too much over-the-counter (OTC) medications. This type of frequent headache is also called ‘rebound headaches’. While it is safe to take the recommended dosage to treat headaches, rebound headaches occur because the dosage amount has been surpassed.

So, one of the methods to alleviate the pain that frequent headaches bring is to slowly reduce the amount of method that you are taking. For people who may find this step difficult, talking with their doctor can help find the best method to achieve this without making their headaches or other complaint worse.

Besides overdosing on headache medicine, there are also other things that can bring the onset of frequent headaches. These can be an excessive amount of smoking and drinking lots of alcohol. Therefore, reducing your alcohol intake to a moderate level can assist with lessening the severity of your frequent headaches.

Since smoking any type of tobacco can increase your chances of getting frequent headaches, it is best to stop smoking altogether. While it might sound easy to control these frequent headache triggers, you may actually need professional to help you to reduce your frequent headaches.

So, when you talk with your doctor you should find out about headache clinics and if they have the facilities to help you with your rebound and/or frequent headaches. People who prefer to cope with controlling their headache medication themselves can start by reducing the dose a little.

When your body can deal with that reduction, you can lower the amount some more. Should you feel that the headaches are becoming overwhelming, you have the choice of taking cortisone to help tolerate the pain of the headaches while your body slowly adjusts to the new regime.

Since frequent headaches are probably caused more by the overdose of headache medication, it could be a good idea for you to take the medication only if you absolutely need to. This way you can manage your dosage of the medication that makes you to suffer from other headaches in addition to what you originally started the pain medication for.

If you suffer from frequent headaches, you ought to definitely go along to our website on Stopping Headaches. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

Headache Clinics, What Are they?

October 16th, 2009

Headaches are very widespread amongst people of all ages in both men and women. Sometimes these headaches may be severe and might even take place regularly for long periods of time. The headache might be a ache all over the head or a throbbing pain at on

So, where do you go to get help with your headaches? Over- the-counter prescriptions may not always be effective and you may not even be able to identify the source of your headache. Where then, do you go, find out what the problem is?

The answer is a headache clinic.

Headache clinics can be located all over the country, sometimes as independent clinics and often at various major hospitals. Headache clinics are well-equipped with all that is required to deal with headaches. These clinics are run by specialists and neurologists, who are well-trained, so as to be able to identify the cause of the headache and start the required therapy for it.

There are several types of headaches varying in severity from cluster and migraine headaches to mild headaches. It is therefore imperative to see a specialist as sometimes general practitioners may not be able to identify precisely what form of headache you are suffering from. Independent headache clinics would inform you if you require special care or if you have to be hospitalized, often sending you to a specific hospital.

Headache clinics take in patients after a brief appraisal of the history of your headaches, posing questions such as: how long you have been getting them, the rate of recurrence of the headaches and what treatment, if any, you have acquired, and possibly other questions that may be relevant to understanding your headache more thoroughly. These clinics also offer behavior therapy if necessary. Most headache clinics offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Furthermore, occasionally headaches can be the sign of a more critical problem such as a brain tumor, and it is best if such cases are diagnosed at an early stage. Your primary care physician can refer you to a well-known headache clinic if you want to receive special treatment for your headaches.

To visit a headache clinic, your headaches do not need to be frequent. Even the sporadic, but unbearable headache may necessitate a visit. You may require special treatment for your headache, so its best for you to see a specialist at one of these headache clinics as soon as possible.

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