Causes Of Migraine Headaches As Well As Some Other Sorts Of Headaches
Headaches are a very common type of condition where pain occurs in areas of the head such as above the eyes or the ears and behind the head or upper neck. In addition, headaches are usually not taken as a sickness, but rather a an indication of another sickness. Causes of migraine headaches and other types of headaches are many and these causes could vary from one person to the other. Furthermore, as in certain cases the treatment is difficult, it is vital to correctly diagnose the reason for the headache.
Before any treatment, the headache should be first categorized. There are there are numerous ways to categorize headaches although the most renowned method was put forward by the International Headache Society. According to this classification method, there are three major types of headaches and each type has different causes of headaches.
Primary headaches are one of the major kinds of headaches and can be further classified as tension headaches, migraine headaches and cluster headaches. In tension headaches, the major cause of headache is physical or mental stress. It is stated that nearly 90% of all adults would experience tension headaches in their lifetimes. Compared to men women appear to be more prone to experience tension headaches. Migraine headaches are also a frequent kind of headache with nearly 12% of the US population (around 28 million people) experiences this type of headache. Cluster headaches which affects only 0.1% of the people are somewhat uncommon though both these types tend to be experienced fairly frequently by most people. The exact cause of headache in both migraine related and cluster headaches has not yet been identified. However, none of the above three headaches are life threatening.
Although the cause of headache in primary headaches may not prove to be fatal, secondary headaches may signal a far more dangerous situation. Secondary headaches normally occur due to underlying diseases such as brain tumors, meningitis, encephalitis and stroke. Therefore, it is imperative that one seeks medical attention when one shows headache associated symptoms such as seizures, continuing nausea and vomiting, and vision, speech and behavior changes. Another serious type of a headache is referred to as cranial neuralgia where swollen nerves in the head and neck tends to the reason for the headache. In addition to this, facial pains and other various headaches are also incorporated into this category.
It should be remembered that although many headaches may be temporary relieved by painkilling drugs such as paracetamol and aspirin, it is vital to seek medical attention if the headache persists heavily. Additionally, the painkilling drugs including paracetamol should be used in the recommended doses as an overdose might have negative effects like heavy liver damage which would at times prove to be life threatening.