Headache / Migraine

If we talk about the most common health complaints, affecting nearly everyone at some point in their lives, Headaches will surely be among the top three. Although some perceive headaches as minor annoyances, many believe headaches can significantly impact a person’s quality of life. It’s no longer an annoyance when they become frequent or severe. Understanding the different types of headaches, their causes, symptoms, and treatments is crucial to preventing headaches from coming back.

Headaches can be categorized into two types: primary and secondary headaches.

Primary Headaches are the most common type of headaches. Let’s take a brief look at them.

Patients with tension headaches feel a dull, aching pain. This pain often feels like a tight band around the forehead or back of the head. It’s a constant ache or pressure around the head, especially at the temples or the back of the head and neck. The causes may include:

• Stress
• Poor Posture
• Lack of Sleep
• Anxiety
• Muscle Tension In The Neck And Shoulders

Migraines are a more severe form of headache and are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines can last for hours to days and may be preceded by aura symptoms such as visual disturbances. While the exact cause of migraines is not fully understood, these are some of the most common causes of Migraine headaches:

• Genetics: Family history of migraines.
• Hormonal Changes: Fluctuations in estrogen.
• Environmental Factors: Bright lights, loud noises, weather changes.
• Dietary Triggers: Caffeine, alcohol, aged cheese, MSG.
• Stress: Emotional stress and anxiety.
• Sleep Patterns: Lack of sleep or oversleeping.
• Neurological Factors: Brain activity changes, trigeminal nerve involvement.

Cluster Headaches are not that common among people but they are considered the most severe type of primary headache. They occur in cyclical patterns that involve a period of frequent attacks followed by periods of remission. The intense pain, often described as burning or piercing, is usually located around one eye or on one side of the head. These are some of the factors that can trigger Cluster Headaches:

• Alcohol consumption
• Smoking or exposure to smoke
• Strong odors
• High altitudes
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Seasonal changes
• Bright or flashing lights
• Stress or intense physical activity

Secondary Headaches are symptoms of an underlying medical condition. Some common causes of secondary headaches include:

• Sinus infections
• Head injuries or concussions
• High blood pressure
• Medication overuse
• Infections like meningitis
• Brain tumors
• Neck or spinal issues
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Eye strain
• Dehydration

Your doctor will determine the type of headache you have by performing a thorough evaluation. The process typically includes the following steps:

By taking your medical history, your doctor will be able to determine the type of headaches you have. The process includes:

• Symptom Review
• Frequency and Duration
• Triggers and Precipitating Factors
• Family History
• Impact on Daily Life

The doctor will perform a general physical examination to check for any signs of illness, such as high blood pressure, which could be contributing to headaches. They may also check your head, neck, and shoulders for tenderness, muscle tension, or other physical abnormalities.

A thorough neurological examination may be conducted to assess your reflexes, muscle strength, coordination, balance, and sensory function.
The doctor will look for signs of neurological issues, such as weakness, numbness, or vision changes, that could indicate a more serious problem.

Your doctor may give you some imaging tests to make sure it’s nothing serious.

CT Scan: your doctor needs a CT scan report to rule out serious conditions such as brain tumors, bleeding in the brain, or structural abnormalities.

MRI: MRI will help your doctor to assess the severity of your headaches. MRI provides detailed images of the brain and is often used if the headache is new severe, or associated with neurological symptoms. MRI can also detect conditions like tumors, strokes, or multiple sclerosis.

Blood tests are usually given to check for infections, inflammation, thyroid problems, or other metabolic conditions that could be contributing to headaches. Some doctors might also want to see your blood sugar levels if hypoglycemia is suspected as a trigger.

If your doctor suspects allergy is triggering your headaches, they may recommend allergy testing as well. Allergy testing can help identify specific allergens that may be contributing to the headaches.

The treatment for headaches varies based on the type and underlying cause of the headache a patient experiences. While some headaches can be managed with lifestyle changes and medications, others may require advanced treatment based on their types.

So as soon as your doctor is done determining the type of headaches you have with the diagnosis process mentioned earlier, they will go to the next step—the treatment.

The primary goal of headache treatment is to prevent it from occurring again. The treatment for headaches may include:

• Over-the-Counter Medications
• Prescription Medications
• Lifestyle Modifications
• Alternative Therapies
• Medical Procedures

Most headaches are not a sign of a serious medical condition, but one should promptly take immediate medical attention if the headaches

• Sudden, severe headache that comes on quickly
• Headache followed by confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness.
• Headache that occurs after a head injury
• Headache with a stiff neck, fever, or rash

If you have any of those signs we have mentioned above, book an appointment now at My Consultant Corner.