Recent sources indicate that over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. An astonishing 28 million consider these headaches migraines. A migraine is similar to a regular headache but it is marked by more severe and intense pain. It can also be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity both to light and noise, and a centrally located pain (such pain in one temple or behind one eye).
Headaches
These can affect anyone of any age. Nearly 20% of children and adolescents suffer from headaches. They can be very frustrating and debilitating. There are many types of headaches, which is why this problem can be so frustrating. There are 150 types of headaches, each caused differently by different stressors.
The most common types of headaches include tension headaches, migraines cluster headaches, sinus headaches, hormone headaches, and migraines. There are common threads that can be applied to any type of headache, no matter what kind.
Pain Signals
All headaches result from pain signals being sent by your brain via blood vessels or nerves. The basic physiological cause of pain is constriction and dilation of blood vessels, followed by the release of certain chemicals like serotonin. The type of headache you have will determine the reason these pain signals are triggered.
In some cases, however, it is not clear why the pain signal activates.
Types
There are two types of headaches: acute-onset and tension headaches. Acute-onset headaches occur suddenly and without warning. These headaches are often associated with colds, fever, or infection. They can also be caused by inflammation of the sinuses, throat, or ear. Tension headaches can be caused by a variety of factors, including emotional stress, excessive alcohol consumption, poor eating habits and poor sleep patterns.
Headaches may also be a sign of a larger problem at work. Many people who suffer from headaches are either clinically depressed or overly stressed. A headache can be triggered by many things. The triggers that can cause headaches are just as varied as the types of headaches. Exposure to strong odors and second-hand smoke can cause headaches.
Triggers
Some foods can even cause headaches in sensitive people. Other environmental factors that can trigger headaches include excessively bright lights, extreme weather changes, and pollution. An easy way to trigger an attack is to overstress your body. Any of these could cause pain, whether it’s sore muscles in your neck or upper back or over-exerting yourself. Sometimes, headaches can be caused by trauma. For millions of headache sufferers all over the world, the good news is that diagnosing the cause of your headache is only half the battle. It is much easier to treat headaches when a doctor understands the cause.