Headache: causes and treatment methods. Causes and types of headaches, how to deal with them? headaches during

A headache, whether it is spontaneous, growing, sharp, aching, throbbing or pressing, occurs in the life of any person, but it rarely happens without a reason. Almost always, it warns of a failure in the body or its exposure to harmful factors. It is quite difficult to identify the true cause of the appearance of headaches, given the large list of diseases and disorders that provoke it, but it is quite possible to do this if you take into account your own feelings and accompanying signs when diagnosing.

Causes of a headache

In most cases, headache is a symptom that signals the influence of adverse factors on the body or the development of a latent pathology that requires immediate treatment.

Unfavorable factors under the influence of which a headache appears include:

a sharp change in climate or weather conditions;
environmental pollution with harmful fumes, toxins, carbon monoxide;
low-quality food products that contain a high concentration of monosodium glutamate and nitrites;
emotional overwork against the background of frequent stressful situations;
alcohol abuse and hangover syndrome as a result;
long exposure to the sun.

Common pathological causes of headaches are:

vascular diseases of the circulatory system and the development of arterial hypertension, hypotension, as a result;
liquorodynamic disorders and arising from the development, and other diseases of the membranes of the brain structures;
neurological diseases, including neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve, vertebrogenic apparatus, infringement of the nerve processes of the cervical spine;
injuries of the brain and skull bones, as well as chronic post-traumatic conditions;
poisoning with drugs, food, toxic substances;
inflammatory processes occurring in the visual and ENT organs;
diseases of a viral or catarrhal nature, accompanied by high fever and headache as a result.

Any headache that occurs regularly, becomes lingering and is not relieved by painkillers should be alarming.

In this case, it is better to play it safe and see a specialist so as not to lose time and prevent the development of complications if the pain is caused by a pathological process.

Types of headache

To identify the cause of the appearance of cephalalgia, you need to determine its type according to the relevant signs. Most often in medical practice, headaches are classified in the following areas:

Headaches caused by vascular diseases

Due to narrowing, expansion, inflammation or rupture of blood vessels, pressure occurs, which is often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and a decrease in the main reflex functions. This type of pain is typical for:

migraine attacks;
blood pressure disorders (hypertension or arterial hypotension);
temporal arteritis;
multiple sclerosis;
atherosclerosis of the spinal vessels;
strokes.

Psychogenic headaches (tension pains, tension pains)

A compressive and spreading headache of a permanent nature causes a feeling of a hoop squeezing the head, occurs against the background of prolonged physical and psychological stress in persons who are unstable to stress. In a calm state, the pain is mild or moderate, with bending, physical exertion and nervous shocks, its intensity increases.

Headaches associated with CSF and intracranial pathologies

Painful sensations of a local or spilling nature are disturbing due to a violation of the circulation of the cerebral fluid through the cerebrospinal fluid system, its excessive accumulation in the meninges and the occurrence as a result. The intensity of headaches increases at night and in the morning, painful sensations are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, decreased vision and hearing. This type of headache is typical for:

post-traumatic states;
congenital or acquired pathologies of the brain;
severe infections of brain structures (encephalitis,).

cluster headaches

Intense pain sensations of unclear etiology, in most cases occurring in men. They arise suddenly, are one-sided. Attacks of different duration occur at regular intervals (day, week, month). The condition is aggravated by concomitant symptoms - swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and tearing. .

Headaches not associated with a violation of brain structures

viral or infectious diseases, in which aching headache occurs due to general intoxication of the body;
inflammatory processes occurring in the organs of hearing, smell, vision, oral cavity or facial nerves (in this case, the patient feels a shooting or aching headache that radiates to a painful place);
excess dosage of medications, alcohol abuse;
caused by traumatic processes, low physical activity and limitation of movements.

If headaches bother you regularly, and the condition is aggravated by symptoms of a pathological nature, then you should seek the advice of a doctor.

Regardless of the cause and nature of the origin, doctors do not recommend enduring a headache and, with an intense pain syndrome, prescribe painkillers in tablets.

Depending on the type of headache and its cause, you can take one of the following medicines:

Paracetamol. The safest pain reliever and antipyretic drug approved for pregnant women and children. It relieves moderate head pain caused by colds or infectious diseases, inflammatory processes.
Migrenol. A combined drug in which the action of the main substance of paracetamol is supplemented by caffeine. The drug is prescribed for hypotensive patients to relieve pain attacks caused by a decrease in blood pressure, meteorological dependence, VSD, migraine.
Solpadein. Pain reliever with codeine and caffeine in the composition. These substances enhance the action of the main component of paracetamol, so the drug effectively relieves intense headache attacks.
Analgin. The analgesic effect of the drug is very pronounced, but its long-term use negatively affects the structure of the blood, reducing the production of leukocytes.
Ibuprofen. Pain reliever with minimal side effects treats cephalalgia of various etiologies.
Sedalgin Plus. An analgesic supplemented with caffeine and vitamin B1. The drug effectively relieves pain attacks caused by psycho-emotional overwork, hypotension, migraine, colds or chronic fatigue.
Spazmalgon (Spazgan). Analgesic drug with a pronounced spastic effect. It is prescribed for headaches that have arisen due to vasospasm.
Brustan. A tablet combined remedy that combines two painkillers that complement each other - paracetamol and ibuprofen. Assign to relieve severe headaches when other drugs do not help.

Painkillers should not be taken constantly, combined with each other and mixed with alcohol. The choice of a specific drug and dosage, depending on the degree of intensity of the pain syndrome and individual tolerance, should be carried out only by a doctor.

Folk remedies

If headache attacks are of a non-intensive and short-term nature, while there are no accompanying pathological symptoms, then simple but effective folk remedies can be used to relieve discomfort.

Melissa tea with the addition of chamomile or valerian flowers. The drink dilates blood vessels and relieves spastic headaches.
Soothing tea with rosemary and mint. Taken to relieve headaches that arose against the background of nervous overwork.
Inhalation or rubbing with essential oils of grapefruit, lavender, mint, rosemary or lemon balm. One of the oils or a mixture of them in a small amount is applied to the whiskey and gently rubbed. You can also light an aroma lamp, and dilute the essential oil with water to reduce the concentration.
Salt solution compress on the area of the frontal lobes and temples. To do this, in warm water (1 l) you need to dissolve st. a spoonful of sea salt, soak a cloth in the solution and apply it to the painful area of the head.
An express method for relieving headaches in the summer is fresh mint, lemon balm or knotweed leaves, which must be applied to the back of the head or temples. In winter, for these purposes, you can use a cabbage leaf, which must first be kneaded until the juice appears.
Inhalation with a solution of apple cider vinegar for migraine attacks. To do this, apple cider vinegar is added to water in equal proportions, the resulting composition is brought to a boil, after which, slightly tilting your head over the container, gently inhale its vapors.

Are you worried about something? Illness or life situation?

The use of folk remedies should be abandoned if the cause of the headaches that have arisen is unclear and the patient has pronounced pathological signs. In this case, you should immediately see a doctor and only after making an accurate diagnosis, agree with him the appropriateness of using folk remedies.

In the meantime, headaches can turn into chronic ones and significantly ruin your life. Which headache indicates a serious illness? And what is the disease itself? Let's try to figure out how to distinguish between headaches and how to treat them.

Tension pain

This is the most common type of headache in the world - each of us has experienced it at least once in a lifetime. They do not recur often, they become chronic in 3% of cases.

signs. Feels like pressure or tightness around the circumference of the top of the head. It may seem that the muscles of the forehead and eye sockets are too tense, but you cannot relax them. The duration of such pain varies from half an hour to a week, the intensity usually increases in the evening.

Possible reasons. Tension pain may be due to excessive stress or injury to the muscles of the head and neck. However, when diagnosing the source of pain, as a rule, remains "uncertain".

How to treat. Since the pains rarely become regular, the best remedy for them is simple painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the pain does not go away for more than a week, you can try to do light physical education, regularly stretch your shoulders and neck, and spend more time in the air to level out stress. Chronic tension pain is treated with medication as prescribed by a doctor.

Migraine

signs. Migraines are recurring pains on one side of the head that last about 4 hours or longer. Typically, migraine episodes recur and can lead to dizziness, nausea, and photophobia (photophobia). Sometimes, before the onset of an attack, patients experience visual anomalies - they see bright colored rings and stripes - or feel a slight tingling all over their body.

Possible reasons. The mechanism of migraine occurrence has long been the subject of debate in scientific circles. Now doctors are sure that this is definitely not a mental illness. It is associated with impaired brain function, but with what, it is not known for certain. It is noted that during the onset of pain, the blood vessels of the head expand greatly, and abnormal electrical activity occurs on the cerebral cortex.

How to treat. Approximately 20% of migraine sufferers experience pain after a certain external influence - a pungent odor, a loud monotonous sound, cigarette smoke, etc. Doctors simply advise such patients to avoid "risk factors", while the rest have to drink medicines as directed (the most effective are triptans, but they act almost like a drug - the more you drink, the worse it heals). Unfortunately, migraine cannot be completely cured, and simple painkillers will hardly help the cause.

cluster pain

These pains affect approximately 1% of the total population of the planet, and in 80% of cases these are men.

signs. This is an intense throbbing pain on one side of the head, usually in the front, near the eye. It lasts from 15 minutes to an hour and is accompanied by redness of the eyes, tearing, runny nose, and a rush of blood to the head. It usually occurs at the same time of day with uniform time intervals - once a week, a month, two, and so on. Sometimes it reaches such severity that a person cannot not only function normally - even move and talk.

Possible reasons. Unknown.

How to treat. This type of pain is difficult to treat because it occurs episodically and can disappear as unpredictably as it appeared. For prolonged attacks, oxygen therapy is used (the patient breathes through a mask) and drug injections as prescribed by a doctor.

Hangover

signs. Obvious.

Possible reasons. There is a lot of conjecture about exactly how alcohol contributes to headaches. One of them says that alcohol dilates the vessels of the brain and disrupts the work of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a substance through which electrical signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to another. Both of these symptoms are observed in migraine pain. In addition, alcohol dries out the body, and dehydration is also known to trigger migraine attacks.

How to treat. The best remedy is a paracetamol tablet and good sleep. But it's still not worth treating a hangover with a joke. If your head hurts even after a small dose of alcohol, you may be suffering from a migraine, and alcohol just pushes the attacks.

Brain tumor

Hypochondriacs and simply worried patients often link headaches to brain cancer. We hasten to reassure: in fact, only 4% of tumor formations appear in this way.

signs. If the pain is still associated with a tumor, they usually appear in the morning and are accompanied by vomiting. The episodes recur periodically and get worse and worse over time. If against this background there is a sharp weight loss, personality changes and convulsive seizures, this is an occasion to undergo a brain examination.

Possible reasons. When the tumor grows to a certain size, an increase in brain volume leads to an increase in intracranial pressure. Hence the initial symptoms.

How to treat. Depends on the location, size and type of education.

intracranial bleeding

Having received an injury to the head vessels, a person may not understand this immediately. Sometimes hemorrhage appears several hours after the rupture of the vessel, but is potentially very dangerous.

signs. Sudden, increasing pain in any part of the head. Accompanied by visual impairment, speech skills, coordination, personality disorders, nausea. Symptoms come on in turns and get worse over time. Eventually, the person may lose consciousness.

Possible reasons. A vessel rupture can occur as a result of trauma (strong impact) or due to excessive thinning of its walls.

How to treat. First of all, the doctor will need to remove the accumulated blood from the skull, since the hematoma will put pressure on the brain, damaging it. Then it is extremely important to find out the cause of the hemorrhage: if it was not preceded by obvious trauma, the gaps may recur. Such patients need examination of the vessels of the brain.

Temporal arteritis

The disease usually occurs in people aged 50 and older and can lead to total blindness if left untreated.

signs. Severe headaches occur against the background of weight loss, insomnia, depression, sometimes fever and redness of the scalp. The shoulder and neck can also hurt.

Possible reasons. Many different factors, including viral infections, can push the disease. A strong attack on the immune system causes it to malfunction and causes the immune system to attack the walls of the blood vessels. Among the other “provocateurs” of arteritis are uncontrolled medication, intense exposure to sunlight, alcoholism, hypothermia, and various injuries.

How to treat. The most commonly used steroid drugs that stop the inflammation of the blood vessels. If there are associated problems with vision (for example, clouding of the lens), an ophthalmologist should be involved in the treatment.

A severe sharp headache is often accompanied by nervous tension. That is why most people attribute such manifestations to overwork or elementary fatigue.

Usually, a person takes painkillers to relieve the painful condition. But even rarely occurring periodic pain should not be ignored.

After all, these symptoms may indicate a latent pathology or the development of a serious disease. The neglected course of the disease can result in irreversible processes in the body.

A distinctive feature is the unexpected appearance of a sudden headache, the place of localization, as well as the intensity and nature of the painful syndrome.

Depending on the cause of cephalalgia, an attack can proceed rapidly, covering the head for a few seconds. Be in the form of a short-term headache or, on the contrary, continue for several hours or even days.

After restoration and normalization of a satisfactory condition, the frequency between the appearance of acute headache can be quite long.

A sharp piercing pain that can shoot through the head is considered especially dangerous. At the same time, it can darken in the eyes, a feeling is created, as if from a strong blow.

The appearance of piercing pain, when in the head it says that a vessel may burst in a person. This condition requires immediate hospitalization.

The best option for the appearance of sharp and acute pain is to contact a specialist. It is necessary to undergo a full examination to identify the cause of the pain.

Types of headaches

When a person suddenly has a sharp headache, most often this is due to neurological problems or vascular dysfunction.
Through numerous studies, scientists have identified about 200 varieties of sensations and about 45 types of cephalalgia.

A severe headache can be triggered by many factors that have different symptoms. For example:

beam pains more often occur in men, differ in one-sided character, for example, sudden cephalgia, piercing the temple in the left hemisphere for a few seconds;
cervical osteochondrosis or myogelosis causes prolonged or short headaches that appear due to muscle spasm or compression of the vessels of the cervical region;
inflammatory processes occurring in the trigeminal or occipital nerves cause a sharp short-term pain in the back, which can pulsate in the back of the head or intensify with movement, turning the head or tilting;
meteorological dependence can provoke a condition when a person’s head starts to hurt sharply from a change in weather.

Any acute manifestations can be a sign of the presence of serious disorders in the body. It is highly recommended not to self-medicate, so as not to endanger your own life.

Consider the most common varieties of sharp stabbing pain.

symptomatic

An acute headache is a pronounced sign of the presence of an ailment and an unhealthy condition. Such pains are called symptomatic, as they arise due to certain disorders:

mechanical damage to the skull;
dysfunction of the cardiovascular system;
increased intracranial pressure;
infections, viruses, ;
violation of metabolic processes or metabolism, dysfunction of the facial structure, dental or craniocerebral problems.

Each violation must be considered separately, dealing with the occurrence of prolonged or second sharp pain with the help of professionals.

Migraine

Migraine or hemicrania is a disease of a neuralgic nature, characterized by a one-sided (usually in the right half) short-term or.

This is one of the very common conditions that can manifest itself in both adolescents and adults. In most cases, migraine affects women, especially against the background of hormonal disorders, the onset of menopause or menstruation.

Often such an ailment begins with the appearance of precursors - sensitivity to light, harsh sounds, smells, unmotivated mood swings, depression or apathy.

Attacks can appear unexpectedly, develop rapidly within half an hour, or take a long time. In most cases, the attack overtakes when you get out of bed or at the moment when the person is just waking up.

Localization of acute GB can give to different parts of the body - the ear, eyebrow, temporal lobes, etc. The symptoms associated with the disease are also of a different nature. It depends on the type of migraine.

For example, abdominal hemicrania is usually accompanied by vomiting, nausea, dizziness, bloating, or cramps in the abdomen.

Provoking factors for the appearance of migraine are considered neurosis, stress, impaired psycho-emotional state, lack of sleep, medications, etc.

Tension headache

Such a sharp and sharp pain belongs to the most common type, affecting the age category from 20 to 35 years.

Acute paroxysms are very similar to cluster pains. However, they are highly sensitive to indomethacin.

subarachnoid hemorrhage

With a similar pathology, a hemorrhage occurs under the arachnoid membrane of the brain when an aneurysm of the vessel ruptures.

The anomaly can be either congenital or acquired. In the latter case, provoking factors are atherosclerosis, autoimmune vasculitis, and smoking abuse.

Aneurysms are rarely accompanied by any symptoms. The vessel may burst due to a specific reason. In this case, a sharp and acute pain occurs in the back of the head, the region of the crown, in the region of the temples, eyes and frontal lobes.

pituitary apoplexy

The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland located in the brain. Apoplexy refers to the outpouring of blood into the tissue structures of the pituitary gland.

As a result of this process, a sudden increase in the size of the gland is manifested, in which squeezing of neighboring vessels or nerve endings occurs.
Severe headache is usually accompanied by blurred vision and confusion. Treatment involves surgery.

migraine neuralgia harris

This species appears unexpectedly for no apparent reason. Severe seizures are otherwise referred to as tension or cluster headache.

Pathology usually affects middle-aged men. Cutting pains usually occur at night. The place of localization is on one side of the face, given to the temple or eye.

Migraine cephalgia may be accompanied by increased tearing, nasal sinus congestion (left or right), redness of the affected facial area.

Pathology of the autonomic nerve ganglions

Pain in the region of the facial structure associated with neuralgia of the branches of the nerves of the skull. Pathology is paroxysmal in nature.

Burning, penetrating headaches come in bursts, which tend to shoot through neighboring parts of the head and body.

When introduced into deeper structures, pain can be given to the temple, crown, forehead or ear.

Mental or physical stress

A sharp headache does not necessarily occur due to the presence of pathology. Mental or physical stress is also the cause of cephalalgia.
This type of pain in the head is the scourge of office workers or workaholics. Discomfort is easily eliminated by good rest and adherence to the regimen.

Taking medication

Severe headaches can be triggered by drug abuse. This type of cephalalgia is quite common. Another name for abuse pain.

Often occurs as a result of the refusal of the usual painkillers. Sometimes acquired pathology has a complex course and long-term treatment. Therefore, drugs should be selected by a specialist and strictly individually.

How to get rid of cutting pain in the head?

A number of complex measures will help eliminate acute and sharp headaches:

taking painkillers prescribed by a doctor;
under stress, it is recommended to take a herbal remedy, for example, valerian or motherwort;
ordinary filtered water will help ease the pain, with the addition of lemon, the effect is enhanced by an order of magnitude;
various relaxation techniques help relieve pain;
massage of certain points of the head or body, for example, the second metacarpal bone, located between the thumb and forefinger;
compliance with preventive measures.

With the constant nature of the attacks, self-treatment at home will not give the desired effect and relief. A detailed medical examination is required.

brain examination

For the initial appointment, you should consult a general practitioner or neurologist. The doctor will conduct a survey, give a referral to other specialists, as well as to undergo a brain study:

delivery of laboratory tests (blood, urine);
MRI or CT (tomography of brain structures);
EEG (electroencephalography) to check brain activity;
Ultrasound for examination of blood vessels;
REG to detect pathologies of the cervical and skull bones;
eye examination.

After establishing the cause of GB, the doctor prescribes a course of competent treatment with a long therapeutic effect.

First aid

First aid measures at home is the following algorithm of actions:

taking medicines or folk remedies;
drinking plenty of water or herbal decoction;
taking a contrast shower or a warm relaxing bath;
provide yourself with isolation from light or noise, lie down on a flat surface and relax;
hot lotions on sore spots or, on the contrary, cold compresses (for example, an ice pack) help to alleviate the condition;
use of massage and relaxation techniques.

Treatment with folk remedies

Many prefer to use not chemical, but folk natural remedies.
apple recipe
If you are overtaken by a sharp morning attack, it is recommended to use an apple slice sprinkled with salt. At the same time, drink plenty of warm water. The painful condition will gradually recede.
mint recipe
Peppermint or dried lemon balm (1 tbsp.) Brew a glass of boiling water, close the lid and let it brew for a while. Next, you need to strain the broth, adding a spoonful of honey. This is an excellent proven remedy for a sharp pain in the head.

Fast acting tablets

To get rid of severe acute pain in the head of a domestic nature, provoked by external factors, there are a lot of products that can be bought without a prescription.

How to prevent pain

You can prevent seizures if you follow simple rules and recommendations of doctors:

Introduce regular sports activities into your life, such as yoga, aerobics, jogging or brisk walking.
Walking in the park area in the fresh air will provide the necessary amount of oxygen.
In the workplace, try to give yourself at least a minute break every hour.
Make it a rule to drink two liters of plain water daily, this will save the body from dehydration.
It is recommended to stop taking large amounts of coffee, exclude alcohol and nicotine.
Properly selected nutrition enriched with vitamins, iron and other useful trace elements will help to avoid irritation of pain receptors in the head.
Compliance with the daily routine, sleep and food intake will greatly facilitate the task of preventing severe headaches.

Headache is one of the most common complaints. Although most often headache is not a sign of serious illness, yet there are times when it requires medical attention. If your head hurts more than ever before, you need urgent medical attention. If you are pregnant and have headaches, discuss this problem with your doctor.

About 90% of all headaches fall into one of three categories: tension headaches, headaches associated with an increase in blood pressure, cluster headaches and migraine.

Tension headaches are often accompanied by muscle tension in the back and shoulders. They can be caused by emotional and psychological, depression and anxiety.

Pressure problems are the most common cause of headaches. If you have a chronic headache (3 or more times a week for several months), see your doctor.

Cluster (also called histamine-dependent) headaches are usually very severe. Most often they occur in middle-aged men. Cluster headache gets worse quickly and lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours. There are no signs that herald the onset or end of a cluster headache attack.

Causes of migraine development

Migraine associated with changes in the functioning of the nervous system, the release of certain chemicals in the brain and the expansion of blood vessels. Possible migraine triggers include hunger, fatigue, bright lights, alcohol, caffeine, anxiety, stress, certain medications, environmental factors, and certain foods.

Symptoms

To the symptoms tension headache relate:

persistent, non-throbbing headache;
feeling of tension, pressure in the head and neck;
a feeling of discomfort that does not increase or only slightly increases during the performance of everyday activities.

Learning to relax through meditation, hypnosis, music, video, and stress management techniques can help prevent tension headaches.

To the symptoms cluster headache relate:

constant sharp pain in the eye area, often repeated at the same time of day;
redness of the eye, tearing and congestion of the nostrils (on one side of the face);
swelling of the eyelids.

If you have a cluster headache, it is not recommended to lie down, this can only worsen the condition. Conventional over-the-counter pain medications may not help with cluster headaches. Consult your doctor, he may prescribe special medications or suggest other therapies.

To the symptoms migraine relate:

throbbing pain with increasing intensity;
pain is often concentrated in one half of the head;
pain that is aggravated by walking and any activity;
painful sensitivity to light;
nausea.

About 20% of migraine sufferers see bright spots or flashes of light just before the onset of another headache attack. These symptoms are called an aura. Some people have a sharp surge of strength and energy before a migraine attack. In most cases, migraines require professional diagnosis and medical attention. Contact your doctor and discuss your treatment. Your doctor may prescribe medication to relieve pain.

If you have rare headaches that do not cause much discomfort, you can deal with them yourself. It is recommended to consult a doctor for recurring headaches, for headaches that appeared after within the last 18 months, and for severe headaches lasting more than 3 days.

If headache accompanied by nausea and, if the pain is very sharp or sharp, if the headache is accompanied by fever and stiff neck (inability to press the chin to the chest) or weakness or numbness of the arms and legs, difficulty speaking, blurred vision, uneven gait, then immediate treatment is required for medical help.

What can you do

Do specific relaxation exercises. Ask your doctor to show you these exercises. Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to help relieve pain. However, they should not be abused. Too frequent use of such drugs can lead to the so-called rebound effect, and headache will appear again. Children should not be given acetylsalicylic acid (), because. its use can lead to a dangerous condition called Reye's syndrome (hepatocerebral syndrome).

Try to relax, rest or sleep in a dark, quiet room, keep your head up. Apply a cool compress to your head to relieve pain. Take a cool shower. Massage the muscles of the neck and shoulders.

What can a doctor do

Frequent or very intense headache require a visit to a doctor. Only a doctor can accurately determine the cause of headaches, if necessary, by conducting additional examinations. The doctor will also prescribe appropriate treatment, and in some cases will offer hospitalization for a detailed examination and selection of therapy.

Preventive measures

For headaches of any type, it is recommended to keep a special diary. This will identify the most common causes of headaches. In the diary, you need to enter information about meals, sleep patterns, physical activity, work and household chores. Women should also record their periods as they hormonal changes can also affect headaches. To prevent headaches, avoid any triggers you can identify in your diary.

Try to follow the routine. Eat around the same time, 3-6 times a day, in small portions. Get enough sleep, go to bed and get up at the same time, do gymnastics or sports regularly. Avoid stress whenever possible. Headache are often the result of fatigue, tension, emotional disturbances. If you smoke, it is recommended that you quit the habit as soon as possible. can provoke or exacerbate them.

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Cephalgia, which occurs from time to time, can significantly reduce the quality of human life, regardless of the severity. Persistent headaches are a more alarming and dangerous symptom. It can occur not only as a result of lack of sleep or overstrain, but also be a sign of a serious illness. Ignoring the phenomenon and trying to cope with it on your own with the help of analgesics can lead to an aggravation of the situation and the transition of the disease to a chronic form. In some cases, permanent cephalalgia is a harbinger of an emergency, such as a stroke.

Causes of persistent headache

Cephalgia, which occurs without disturbing the general condition of a person, is often ignored by him. Many people do not believe in the seriousness of a "non-dangerous" symptom and the possibility of its effective treatment. They get used to endure, using analgesics and physical therapy methods as an ambulance. As a result, their health is gradually deteriorating, the clinical picture is complemented. Only after that they go to the doctor to find out the causes of the constant headache.

People whose work is closely related to computers, books, microscopes and looking at small details can often have a headache. This is due to the constant tension of the muscles of the eyeball, drying of the mucous membrane due to rare blinking, which leads to the development of inflammation.

Also, the cause of cephalalgia is often the refusal to use glasses or wearing the wrong pair. Sensations at the same time arise in the second half of the day, they are obsessive and growing. Localized in the frontal part of the head, spread to the temples. Complemented by weakness, mood swings, fatigue.

Head injury

A constant headache is manifested by craniocerebral trauma. The occurrence of a symptom after hitting the head, even if several days or weeks have passed, should be reported to the doctor and additional diagnostics should be carried out.

Pain can have any localization, form and degree of intensity. Often it is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, decreased quality of vision, fainting. Of particular danger are cases when cephalalgia is supplemented by a violation of consciousness or an altered perception of the patient.

Medication

Headache is a side symptom of the use of many pharmaceutical drugs. It usually resolves after drug therapy is stopped. Abuse of medications or a violation of the schedule for taking them can cause persistent and painful abusus cephalgia. The sensations are pressing or squeezing, they respond poorly to treatment and persist for several weeks and even months.

Most often, a constant headache is caused by taking such medications:

analgesics;
NSAIDs;
triptans;
opiates;
ergotamines;
combined preparations;
oral contraceptives.

Modern methods of research will not help to make such a diagnosis. It becomes apparent only after the association between medication and headache is identified. To confirm suspicions, the patient is advised to temporarily stop taking medications. Symptoms of the disease should pass within a couple of months after that.

Hormonal disbalance

The causes of headache associated with changes in hormonal levels can be physiological and pathological. The first include pregnancy, menstruation, menopause. The symptom has a mild or moderate severity, lasts for several days or weeks, and goes away on its own. The pains do not have a characteristic localization, often they cover the entire head. The symptom is accompanied by capriciousness, mood swings, fatigue. If there is no suspicion of the listed conditions, it is worth visiting an endocrinologist and checking the functionality of the endocrine glands, in particular, the parathyroid gland.

Normally, a person should sleep 8-9 hours a day. Doctors recommend not dividing this time into several segments, but getting a good rest at night. In this case, the body will work like a clock, and the risks of headaches will be minimized.

Persistent headaches due to a violation of the regimen may be due to:

lack of sleep - during rest, the brain tissues are actively cleansed of toxins. If you don’t get enough sleep regularly, these processes will fail, the body will begin to be poisoned by its own waste products, which will provoke cell destruction and headache;
excess sleep - excess of normal sleep leads to oxygen starvation of the brain due to lack of access to fresh air in the room. There is also a drop in blood sugar levels. An organism that has not received food for more than 9 hours begins to give signals that it is hungry;

Do not abuse daytime sleep. Attempts to take a nap during the day are usually accompanied by the adoption of an uncomfortable position, lack of fresh air in the room, high noise levels. All this does not contribute to the rest of the body and brain, but only increases the risk of discomfort.

After conception, a situation may arise when the mother's body is poisoned by the waste products of the fetus. Cephalgia is complemented by nausea, weakness, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, dizziness. This does not mean that a constant headache indicates some kind of problem with the child. The period just needs to be endured, if possible refusing to take medication in favor of physiotherapy and traditional medicine. The list of acceptable drugs and manipulations is selected by the doctor.

brain hematoma

The rupture of the vessel inside the cranium leads to the formation of a cavity filled with blood. Depending on the degree of tissue damage and the size of the formation, the patient may have a severe headache, nausea and vomiting due to the pressure of the mass on the membranes, and confusion. Depending on the location of the hematoma, a person is able to experience problems with vision, speech, memory, and hearing. Lack of timely assistance leads to loss of consciousness, coma and death.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges as a result of their infection is characterized by constant pain in the head, which does not allow you to do your usual things. They do not respond to analgesics and antispasmodics, physiotherapy methods. The patient experiences nausea. He may vomit without relief. Due to the sensations and rigidity of the neck muscles, the patient takes a forced position - on his side, with his head thrown back, his eyes closed and his legs pulled up to his stomach.

stressful situations

To understand why your head often hurts, sometimes it is enough to assess your general condition. Constant psycho-emotional overload provokes a tension headache. It is characterized by a pressing sensation around the perimeter of the head, which occurs in the afternoon and gradually increases.

Alcohol consumption

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to a change in the structure of blood vessels, changes in blood pressure, poisoning of brain tissue with toxins and alcohol breakdown products. Cephalgia is constant, aching, irritating. It is accompanied by dizziness and nausea, redness of the skin and mucous membranes.

Vertebrogenic pain

Pain in the head appears due to problems that have arisen in the cervical spine. They can be the result of vasospasm, damage to the nerve roots, hypoxia or intoxication of the brain against the background of a decrease in the patency of the blood channels.

Cephalgia is unilateral or symmetrical. It is complemented by dizziness, numbness of the skin, the appearance of "flies" before the eyes, problems with balance and hearing.

Pain from infections

The course of infectious diseases of various nature in the body leads to the appearance of signs of intoxication. Headache occurs against the background of fever, general deterioration of well-being, weakness, fatigue, drowsiness. Depending on the type of pathology and the degree of its severity, the clinical picture may be supplemented by nausea and vomiting, intestinal disorders, and a change in consciousness. Persistent cephalalgia of moderate severity and indefinite localization persists until the elimination of infectious agents.

Migraine pains of constant manifestation

Unilateral cephalalgia of a pulsating nature, which appears after an aura or without any precursors, is characteristic of migraine.

In some cases, the condition does not respond to therapy, which is why the symptoms persist for several days. In this case, the severity of sensations is weak or medium. They can go away in response to strong drugs or on their own.

Vegetovascular dystonia

A disease resulting from malfunctions of the nervous system is often accompanied by constant headaches. It is difficult to escape from discomfort in the forehead, temples, crown and back of the head, nausea and dizziness, weakness and ringing in the ears. Even rest and medication do not guarantee the desired result. In many patients, the symptoms disappear only at night.

The pain is localized in the temples and the back of the head, but can spread throughout the cranium. It is intense, bursting or pulsating. It does not allow you to close your eyes and relax or somehow get distracted. May be accompanied by impaired coordination, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Arterial hypertension can lead to the development of a crisis or stroke, so it cannot be ignored.

Treatment of persistent headaches

Chronic cephalalgia is an indication for visiting a doctor. First, you should visit a therapist who will make a preliminary diagnosis and, if necessary, refer you to a doctor of narrow specialization. Diagnosis of diseases that provoke a constant headache begins with an examination, history taking and general tests. Sometimes you have to do computed tomography, MRI, or apply approaches that allow you to evaluate the work of the vessels of the neck and head.

If your head hurts constantly, treatment may be as follows:

taking medications - you should not choose drugs for headaches on your own, it is better to trust the doctor. Depending on the cause of the disease, the desired effect can be provided not by analgesics, but by antispasmodics, NSAIDs, antihypertensive or sedatives, nootropics, muscle relaxants and other medicines;
massage - treatment of the head or collar zone can be carried out with the help of an assistant, a special device or on your own;
the use of physiotherapy procedures - in the fight against headaches, high or low temperatures, currents, magnetic waves can be used;
surgical intervention - sometimes it is possible to get rid of a headache only after surgery (hematomas, tumors, vascular pathologies);
reflexology - stimulation of biologically active points with fingertips or needles allows you to quickly get rid of a permanent type of pain syndrome.

Patients who, due to the complexity of the situation, need to take drugs on an ongoing basis, are afraid of the development of side effects. Some of them are trying to replace pharmacy products with traditional medicine. This treatment option should be agreed with the doctor. Usually, natural medicines act as a complement to traditional approaches.

Prevention of headaches

Treatment of chronic cephalgia requires significant time and financial costs. Constantly taking headache pills can provoke the development of a number of complications and adverse reactions in the body. Carrying out a simple and effective prevention of the condition will allow you not to encounter such problems. It includes adherence to the regime of the day and night sleep in the amount of 8-9 hours a day. To strengthen the body, it is recommended to switch to a healthy diet, give up bad habits, go in for sports.

Even minor headaches can cause serious mental problems if they bother you constantly. If a symptom occurs, do not delay visiting a specialist. Additionally, it is recommended to undergo an annual preventive examination by a therapist and a neurologist in order to reduce the risks of developing diseases that are characterized by a symptom.