Different type of headaches
Headache and migraine
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Headache is one of the most common of all symptoms afflicting the human race. Headaches may be due to a wide variety of causes such as high blood pressure, eye strain, psychological tension, infection of the nose, throat and ears, various tumors and infections inside brain, head injuries, stiffness of neck etc. however most headaches are functional and use more or less transient i.e they come and go tomorrow and not related to any organic changes in the brain.
Strange as it may seem, the brain itself is not sensitive to pain. This means that most headaches are not due to any actual pressure on the coverings of the brain itself. However any stretching or pressure on the covering of the brain will most certainly produce severe pain or headache. Actually in headache, pain is experienced by the person mainly through the blood vessels feeding blood to the brain. Blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are sensitive to pain. Their distension, distortion and inflammation are felt as pain. Anything that affects brain blood supply can cause pain to be registered on the pain receptors in the arteries and veins involved. Therefore 99% of the headaches, the pain comes from outside of the skull and under the skin i.e the muscles and blood vessels on the scalp and neck. The actual source of pain, however, is the end of the pain nerve. Any inflammation within the head, such as occurs in meningitis, will cause extreme pain over the entire head. However, such causes are extremely rare. A tumor growing within the head may press upon the meningeal covering. This causes a severe headache which is usually felt on the side of the head where the tumor is located.
Types of headaches
The types of headaches can be summarized into to broad categories
1) Tension headache
Headache due to contraction of the muscles of neck is called tension headache. More than 70% of all headaches are tension headaches. You can identify painful areas on the muscles at the back of the neck by running your fingers on any side of the back of the neck.
Prolonged psychological tension, sitting in poor posture or sitting in one posture for a long time often seem to produce a spasm of the muscles in the back of the neck. The muscle spasm draws the tissues over the surface of the cranium very tight, so that the pain is felt not only in the back of the neck, but also over the top and front of the head. This is a steady aching type of pain and usually there is no nausea, vomiting or flashing lights. To avoid emotional stress and do neck stretching and rolling exercises whenever you happen to stand or sit in one posture for a long time. Prolonged contraction of eye muscles, scalp muscles and facial muscles can also produce tension headaches.
2) Alcoholic headache:
Many people suffer from a severe headache due to hangover after taking a large quantity of alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to the tissues and directly irritates the meaninges or covering of the brain, thus causing pain in the head. The alcohol also dilates the arteries in the brain and this in turn produces a pain like migraine. Naturally the best treatment for this type of headache is to avoid excessive use of alcohol. Also bed rest is advisable till the crisis is over.
3) Headache due to acidity or constipation
It appears to arise from absorbing toxic products from the colon. During constipation, the uneliminated food gets putrefied in the system and releases toxins, gases and acids. These gases and toxins enter the blood and irritate various cells and nerve cells in the head.
Irritation of nerve cells causes headache. A late heavy meal especially during a feast or party causes a severe headache which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. This is of course due to over eating of oil and over cooked food which are indigestible at that time and which result in increased biliousness and hence headache. Similarly toxins in the unclean chemical environment inhaled by us during breathing also enter the blood and this can create headache. Acidic food taken in excess makes the blood acidic and produces the headache because of irritation of nerve cells by acidity. In this type of headache pain is felt normally all over the head region or in some cases just in the frontal region.
3) Headache due to high blood pressure
This headache is due to the increased pressure within the smaller arteries and other blood vessels within the brain. It is usually experienced at the back of head and it is more severe when the person wakes up in the morning.
5) Sinus headache
Some of the nasal sinuses lie very close to the brain. Any inflammation within these sinuses can produce a rather severs type of headache. Because of the inflammation of the sinuses, the oxygen level comes down due to obstruction and thus the level of co2 increases in the system, these further adds to congestion in the brain tissue which is starved of oxygen and results in headache. This pain is usually worse when the patient awakens in the morning but generally improves during this day when an erect posture is maintained. It worsens when he shakes his head or gets under strain. This headache is also seen increasing with sunlight and decreasing in the evening when sun sets. Sinusitis is initiated by colds and other respiratory infections which result in congestion of nose and respiratory tract.
6) Headache due to eye strain:
Within the eyeball the small ciliary muscles control the shape of the lens of the eye. This enables us to focus our vision on the object we are looking at. Prolonged contraction of these tiny muscles can be a cause of headache due to eyestrain. Also the muscles that move the eye may go into tension, particularly if the muscles controlling one eye are not balanced with those of the other side. This imbalance can cause chronic contraction of the muscles of the neck, causing headache.
Further, if the eyes are exposed to a very bright light a headache may develop lasting 24 to 48 hours possibly due to irritation of the delicate tissues in the eyes. Looking at the sun for only a few seconds many actually burn the retina and cause severe headache.
7) Migraine
Migraine is a throbbing pain usually on one side of the head. It is caused by swelling or dilation of the arteries outside the skull in scalp. Pain is caused by stretching of pain nerve endings in the arterial wall. This pain in usually associated with nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and noise. Some people complain of blind spot in their vision. The pain is severe enough to limit our normal activity.
It is a particular type of severe and recurring head pain. The exact cause is not yet known, though it has been linked with muscular spasm of arteries in the head. The arteries first narrow, then widen, though why they do this is not very clear. One in ten of the adult population is said to suffer from this condition. Before a migraine attack there is often an aura, a warning sign such as flashlight on zig zag patterns before the eyes or a tingling feeling in the face or limbs. Then comes the headache a severe throbbing pain accompanied with redness and watering of one eye and possibly a running nose. The pain in migraine increase by normal physical works.
8) Neuralgia:
Neuralgia is a painful affliction. Trigeminal neuralgia, whose cause is unknown, is one of the most painful of the neuralgia. Recurring paroxysms of burning pain occur in one side of the face or in the ear and throat as a result of neuralgia. While the latter can be cured by cutting the glossophrtngeal nerve, in the former case the trigeminal nerve inside the skull is cut to provide permanent relief.
9) Temporal arteritis:
Temple is the region between and just above your eyes and ears. The artery which runs across the temple on both sides is called temporal artery. Rarely, there is inflammation of the tissues inside the artery. This condition is called temporal arteritis. It is not a common disease but if not treated, it can cause blindness almost overnight. It can also reduce blood supply to par of the brain and result in stroke.
Temporal arteritis is observed in people above fifty years. Any new headache in the temple in elderly people should be investigated for temporal arteritis. The artery is sometimes prominent and painful to touch. If the doctor suspects temporal arteritis, he will ask you to undertake a blood test called the ESR. An ESR reading more than 50mm in the first hour indicates temporal arteritis. The doctor may also remove a small piece of the artery and examine in under microscope. This is called biopsy and is the confirmative test for temporal arthritis. Steroids are the only medicine recommended for treatment of temporal arteritis.
Headache due to tuberculoma
A tumor abscess or chronic inflammatory is the tuberculoma. They are the common causes of increased pressure of the brain. They may not cause headache in the early stages. Very often the headache is observed only after more serious complications such as paralysis. Any tumor that grows inside the skull puts pressure on the brain at the site of its growth. It also stops the outflow of the cerebrospinal fluid and therefore raises pressure within the skull. A rise in the pressure causes dull persistent headaches.
Headache due to meningitis
Meningitis is the infection of the loose coverings of the brain called the meninges. The brain floats in a fluid called the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid supports the brain and protects it from shocks. Sometimes the meninges get infected and start producing pus. The pus is full of bacteria. It directly enters the cerebrospinal fluid in which the brain floats. The bacterial and viruses come in direct contact with the brain and infect it very quickly. The common symptoms of meningitis are fever, headache, stiffness, of the neck and vomiting. The patient can’t tolerate light and soon becomes drowsy or unconscious. Anyone who has fever and a stiff neck should be rushed to a major hospital immediately. The faster the treatment, greater are the chances of recovery. Delayed treatment often results in death.
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Headache is one of the most common of all symptoms afflicting the human race. Headaches may be due to a wide variety of causes such as high blood pressure, eye strain, psychological tension, infection of the nose, throat and ears, various tumors and infections inside brain, head injuries, stiffness of neck etc. however most headaches are functional and use more or less transient i.e they come and go tomorrow and not related to any organic changes in the brain.
Strange as it may seem, the brain itself is not sensitive to pain. This means that most headaches are not due to any actual pressure on the coverings of the brain itself. However any stretching or pressure on the covering of the brain will most certainly produce severe pain or headache. Actually in headache, pain is experienced by the person mainly through the blood vessels feeding blood to the brain. Blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are sensitive to pain. Their distension, distortion and inflammation are felt as pain. Anything that affects brain blood supply can cause pain to be registered on the pain receptors in the arteries and veins involved. Therefore 99% of the headaches, the pain comes from outside of the skull and under the skin i.e the muscles and blood vessels on the scalp and neck. The actual source of pain, however, is the end of the pain nerve. Any inflammation within the head, such as occurs in meningitis, will cause extreme pain over the entire head. However, such causes are extremely rare. A tumor growing within the head may press upon the meningeal covering. This causes a severe headache which is usually felt on the side of the head where the tumor is located.
Types of headaches
The types of headaches can be summarized into to broad categories
1) Tension headache
Headache due to contraction of the muscles of neck is called tension headache. More than 70% of all headaches are tension headaches. You can identify painful areas on the muscles at the back of the neck by running your fingers on any side of the back of the neck.
Prolonged psychological tension, sitting in poor posture or sitting in one posture for a long time often seem to produce a spasm of the muscles in the back of the neck. The muscle spasm draws the tissues over the surface of the cranium very tight, so that the pain is felt not only in the back of the neck, but also over the top and front of the head. This is a steady aching type of pain and usually there is no nausea, vomiting or flashing lights. To avoid emotional stress and do neck stretching and rolling exercises whenever you happen to stand or sit in one posture for a long time. Prolonged contraction of eye muscles, scalp muscles and facial muscles can also produce tension headaches.
2) Alcoholic headache:
Many people suffer from a severe headache due to hangover after taking a large quantity of alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to the tissues and directly irritates the meaninges or covering of the brain, thus causing pain in the head. The alcohol also dilates the arteries in the brain and this in turn produces a pain like migraine. Naturally the best treatment for this type of headache is to avoid excessive use of alcohol. Also bed rest is advisable till the crisis is over.
3) Headache due to acidity or constipation
It appears to arise from absorbing toxic products from the colon. During constipation, the uneliminated food gets putrefied in the system and releases toxins, gases and acids. These gases and toxins enter the blood and irritate various cells and nerve cells in the head.
Irritation of nerve cells causes headache. A late heavy meal especially during a feast or party causes a severe headache which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. This is of course due to over eating of oil and over cooked food which are indigestible at that time and which result in increased biliousness and hence headache. Similarly toxins in the unclean chemical environment inhaled by us during breathing also enter the blood and this can create headache. Acidic food taken in excess makes the blood acidic and produces the headache because of irritation of nerve cells by acidity. In this type of headache pain is felt normally all over the head region or in some cases just in the frontal region.
3) Headache due to high blood pressure
This headache is due to the increased pressure within the smaller arteries and other blood vessels within the brain. It is usually experienced at the back of head and it is more severe when the person wakes up in the morning.
5) Sinus headache
Some of the nasal sinuses lie very close to the brain. Any inflammation within these sinuses can produce a rather severs type of headache. Because of the inflammation of the sinuses, the oxygen level comes down due to obstruction and thus the level of co2 increases in the system, these further adds to congestion in the brain tissue which is starved of oxygen and results in headache. This pain is usually worse when the patient awakens in the morning but generally improves during this day when an erect posture is maintained. It worsens when he shakes his head or gets under strain. This headache is also seen increasing with sunlight and decreasing in the evening when sun sets. Sinusitis is initiated by colds and other respiratory infections which result in congestion of nose and respiratory tract.
6) Headache due to eye strain:
Within the eyeball the small ciliary muscles control the shape of the lens of the eye. This enables us to focus our vision on the object we are looking at. Prolonged contraction of these tiny muscles can be a cause of headache due to eyestrain. Also the muscles that move the eye may go into tension, particularly if the muscles controlling one eye are not balanced with those of the other side. This imbalance can cause chronic contraction of the muscles of the neck, causing headache.
Further, if the eyes are exposed to a very bright light a headache may develop lasting 24 to 48 hours possibly due to irritation of the delicate tissues in the eyes. Looking at the sun for only a few seconds many actually burn the retina and cause severe headache.
7) Migraine
Migraine is a throbbing pain usually on one side of the head. It is caused by swelling or dilation of the arteries outside the skull in scalp. Pain is caused by stretching of pain nerve endings in the arterial wall. This pain in usually associated with nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and noise. Some people complain of blind spot in their vision. The pain is severe enough to limit our normal activity.
It is a particular type of severe and recurring head pain. The exact cause is not yet known, though it has been linked with muscular spasm of arteries in the head. The arteries first narrow, then widen, though why they do this is not very clear. One in ten of the adult population is said to suffer from this condition. Before a migraine attack there is often an aura, a warning sign such as flashlight on zig zag patterns before the eyes or a tingling feeling in the face or limbs. Then comes the headache a severe throbbing pain accompanied with redness and watering of one eye and possibly a running nose. The pain in migraine increase by normal physical works.
8) Neuralgia:
Neuralgia is a painful affliction. Trigeminal neuralgia, whose cause is unknown, is one of the most painful of the neuralgia. Recurring paroxysms of burning pain occur in one side of the face or in the ear and throat as a result of neuralgia. While the latter can be cured by cutting the glossophrtngeal nerve, in the former case the trigeminal nerve inside the skull is cut to provide permanent relief.
9) Temporal arteritis:
Temple is the region between and just above your eyes and ears. The artery which runs across the temple on both sides is called temporal artery. Rarely, there is inflammation of the tissues inside the artery. This condition is called temporal arteritis. It is not a common disease but if not treated, it can cause blindness almost overnight. It can also reduce blood supply to par of the brain and result in stroke.
Temporal arteritis is observed in people above fifty years. Any new headache in the temple in elderly people should be investigated for temporal arteritis. The artery is sometimes prominent and painful to touch. If the doctor suspects temporal arteritis, he will ask you to undertake a blood test called the ESR. An ESR reading more than 50mm in the first hour indicates temporal arteritis. The doctor may also remove a small piece of the artery and examine in under microscope. This is called biopsy and is the confirmative test for temporal arthritis. Steroids are the only medicine recommended for treatment of temporal arteritis.
Headache due to tuberculoma
A tumor abscess or chronic inflammatory is the tuberculoma. They are the common causes of increased pressure of the brain. They may not cause headache in the early stages. Very often the headache is observed only after more serious complications such as paralysis. Any tumor that grows inside the skull puts pressure on the brain at the site of its growth. It also stops the outflow of the cerebrospinal fluid and therefore raises pressure within the skull. A rise in the pressure causes dull persistent headaches.
Headache due to meningitis
Meningitis is the infection of the loose coverings of the brain called the meninges. The brain floats in a fluid called the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid supports the brain and protects it from shocks. Sometimes the meninges get infected and start producing pus. The pus is full of bacteria. It directly enters the cerebrospinal fluid in which the brain floats. The bacterial and viruses come in direct contact with the brain and infect it very quickly. The common symptoms of meningitis are fever, headache, stiffness, of the neck and vomiting. The patient can’t tolerate light and soon becomes drowsy or unconscious. Anyone who has fever and a stiff neck should be rushed to a major hospital immediately. The faster the treatment, greater are the chances of recovery. Delayed treatment often results in death.
posted by Girish at
6:30 AM
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