How do headaches feel?

Headaches are pains in your head or face that are frequently described as throbbing, continuous, severe, or heaviness, dull pressure. The type, intensity, location, and frequency of headaches varies.Most headaches do not have an underlying serious cause, but certain features may indicate a more serious issue.

What is the primary cause of a headache?

The interaction of signals between your brain, blood vessels, and surrounding nerves causes headaches. During a headache, several processes affect specific nerves that influence muscles and blood vessels. Your brain receives pain signals from these nerves, which results in a headache.

Do headaches run in families?

Migraines, in particular, tend to run in families. Usually, if one biological parent of a child suffers from migraines, there are higher chances that the child will, too. In fact, children whose parents have migraines are up to four times more likely to experience headaches themselves.

What are the different types of headaches and how they are treated?

Here is some more information about different types of headaches and their treatment options.

Migraine

Intense, throbbing pain on one side of the head is a common presentation of a migraine headache. A person may experience frequent nausea and vomiting along with heightened sensitivity to sound, light, and smell.

Treatment:

The course of treatment is influenced by the severity of the symptoms, how frequently they occur, and whether the patient has nausea and vomiting.

Commonly used treatment options include:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS)
• Triptans, as recommended by your doctor
• Antiemetics, which control nausea and vomiting

If one is experiencing regular headaches with impact on quality of life, then prophylactic or preventative medications to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks are recommended. Many interventions can also help in controlling the headaches such as

• BOTOX injections
• Nerve Blocks including supraorbital, supratrochlear, zygomaticotemporal, auriculotemporal, and greater and lesser occipital nerves.
• Sphenopalatine ganglion block
• Trigger point injecitons

Tension-type headache

Most people get tension-type headaches at some point, which are continuous, dull headache on both sides of the head often described like a tight band around the head.  There may also be other signs and symptoms, such as:

• Pressure behind the eyes
• Soreness in the face, head, neck, and shoulders
• Sensitivity to sound and light

Treatment:

Majority of the time, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines work well to stop or reduce pain. Tension headaches may be avoided with lifestyle modifications and treatments. They may consist of:

• Obtaining enough rest
• Regular exercise and stretching
• Managing stress, worry, or depression
• Getting an eye exam
• Better posture

Cluster headache

Cluster headaches present as intense piercing or burning pain behind or around one eye.They are painful and recurrent and may be accompanied by additional symptoms such as:

• Swollen eyelids
• Watering eyes
• A runny or plugged nose
• Restlessness or anxiety
• Sensitivity to light and sound

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to reduce the intensity and frequency of attacks. Treatment options include oxygen therapy, steroids, other medications such as verapamil, sumatriptan etc.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH)

This is a common secondary type of headache also referred to as rebound headache. It presents as aregular/everyday headache with symptoms resembling migraine or tension headaches.

Treatment:

Stopping the drug that is causing the headaches is the only way to treat MOH. Your doctor can help you draw up a plan on how to reduce and stop the painkiller medications.

Hypnic headaches

In most cases, hypnic headaches affect adults after the age of 50, waking sufferers from their sleep, that is why they are also addressed as "alarm clock" headaches. It can last up to three hours and is described as mild to moderate throbbing pain.

Treatment:

A thorough medical evaluation is required to diagnose and treat hypnic headaches. Treatment options include caffeine, lithium, Indomethacin.

Sinus headaches

Sinusitis, an infection of the sinuses, can cause sinus headaches. Usually, an allergy or infection is the cause. The pain site depends on which sinus are involved but generally a dull, throbbing pain around the eyes, cheekbones, and forehead.

Treatment:

In most cases, sinusitis resolves in two to three weeks.

Options for treatment include:

• Antihistamines/ Nasal decongestants
• Drinking fluids and resting
• Simple pain reliving medications
• Steroid nasal sprays
• Saltwater nasal sprays or solutions
• Antibiotics

Caffeine-related headaches

These headaches can occasionally result from a high caffeine intake of more than 400 milligrams (mg), or roughly 4 cups of coffee per day although individual thresholds can vary. Headaches may be accompanied by nausea, low mood or irritability and difficulties focusing.

Hangover headaches

Drinking too much alcohol can give you a throbbing headache the next day or even later that day. These headaches that resemble migraines usually affect both sides of the head and can get worse with movement.Together with a headache from a hangover, nausea and sensitivity to light are other possible effects.

Treatment:

Although there is no known treatment for hangovers, symptoms can be lessened by consuming sweet foods and drinking lots of water. OTC medicines may assist in easing or ending the headache. The majority of hangover symptoms disappear within 72 hours.

Menstrual headaches

Hormone changes usually cause headaches. As the estrogen levels fluctuate during menstruation, migraines may develop.Hormone-related headaches frequently start 2 or 3 days prior to or after a period, as well as during ovulation. The symptoms can continue longer but are similar to migraine without an aura.

Other causes of headaches brought on by hormones are:

• Menopause
• Oral contraceptives
• Pregnancy

Treatment:

Menstrual headaches are treated in the same way as migraines without an aura. Taking a trip tan or anti inflammatories around the time of your period is one possible preventive intervention.

Exertional headache

Exertional headaches can be caused by intense physical exercise. Although they frequently last just a few hours, these headaches can occasionally persist for up to two days. Those with a family history of migraines are more likely to experience them, which usually manifest as throbbing headaches.

Treatment:

Among the remedies for exertional headaches are:

• Beta-blockers
• Over-the-counter painkillers

A note from the best pain management specialist in Delhi and Gurgaon

Headaches can affect almost everyone and over the counter painkiller swill frequently make them go away. However, headaches can occasionally be a sign of a significant underlying medical problem, or they may impact on your quality of life.To rule out potential reasons and gain assistance with treatment options, you can seek specialist opinion from Dr. Amod Manocha, the best pain management specialist in Delhi and Gurgaon.

The post Does Different Type Of Headache Need To Be Treated Differently? appeared first on Dr Amod Blog.

Headaches can hinder day to day activities and severely affect the quality of life especially in individuals who experience frequent severe headaches or long lasting / constant headaches . Recurrent headaches can be quite difficult to handle since they tend to develop suddenly, not giving you an opportunity to prepare for it and plan your day. There a variety of measures that you can take in order to reduce the impact and frequency of these headaches. Some of these are quite simple, but most people doubt the effectiveness and hence are hesitant to implement. These can work synergistically with the other management options suggested by your pain specialist. These include

General lifestyle modifications

• Regulating your sleep cycle: Having a regular sleep cycle goes a long way in helping to reduce these headaches. Good sleep environment plays an important role and includes a darkened bedroom, a quiet place where you are comfortable and it helps to unwind. Some find a relaxing hot bath helpful in unwinding prior to heading off to bed. It is advised to avoid watching TV, using laptops or mobiles before you go to bed.
• Hydration: Keep yourself well hydrated, because dehydration is a known trigger of headaches, and can worsen pre-existing headaches.
• Regular meals: Have you meals on time. This another important factor that plays a role in the development of headaches. Low blood sugar/ hypoglycemia can trigger headaches. If you are in the habit of skipping meals or eating late and heavy meals, then you should consider changing this.
• Avoiding triggers: Other trigger/ precipitating factors may vary from individual to individual. From particular foods to the brightness of TV screens to loud noises, certain smells etc there are numerous factors. You are the best person to identify these and avoid them as much as possible.
• Tea and coffee: Minimize your intake of coffee and tea, because they are known to precipitate headaches. Avoid taking them late in the evenings and just before going to bed.
• Quit smoking
• Stress management and relaxation: Learn how to manage your stress in a productive manner and practice relaxation techniques.

These general measures, when used in combination with advice from your pain specialist can help you control your headaches better. Some of the common medical interventions used in management of headaches include:

Medications:

Medications for headache can be used to terminate the headache at the time you are experiencing it or can be taken as a preventive measure to reduce your chances of developing a headache. Preventive medications are usually taken when people experience frequent or continuous headaches, and they should be taken as prescribed by your doctor. Too much of any medication can also end up being the cause of your headache as well, and is given the name Medication Overuse Headache. The different medicines used for recurrent headaches are:

• Antidepressants: These medications, besides the pain relieving effects can also have other beneficial effects like reducing anxiety and sleep disturbances. The drug selected will depend on your individual situation.
• Beta blockers: Beta blockers, commonly used in management of high blood pressure and heart problems. They are helpful in the management of migraine related headaches
• Anti-seizure medicines: Several anti-seizure medicines help in the prevention different types of recurrent/ chronic headaches including migraine.
• NSAIDs: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used over the counter medications for mild to moderate pain, and they are effective in various different types of headaches. On frequent usage they can have harmful side effects such as gastritis and peptic ulcer disease; therefore they must be used with caution and under medical supervision.

Other interventional methods:

When simple measures such as lifestyle modifications and oral medications are not successful in resolving the headaches, then it may be worth considering other interventional methods. The intervention used will depend on the diagnosis. The common interventions include:

• Nerve blocks
• Injections of the cervical spine
• Radiofrequency treatment
• Botulinum toxin injections

Complementary & Alternative therapies

These include:

• Acupuncture – which involves the insertion of thin needles at definitive points in your body, with the intention of providing pain relief
• Massage therapy – this can help to reduce the stress and tension. It helps to relax the tightened muscles and thereby provides relief.
• Meditation and relaxation therapy
• Herbs and nutrients – Several organic herbs help in preventing migraine headaches and reduce the intensity of headaches. In deficiency states vitamin and mineral supplements can be taken to reduce headaches and prevent them from reoccurring.

It is best to seek medical advice before you starting with any of the above methods.

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