Causes of primary headaches include stress, sleep deprivation, alcohol, skipped meals, fatigue, and certain processed foods. Secondary headaches are due to another condition, such as an injury, infection, or sickness, and can range from harmless to very dangerous.
If you are experiencing headaches that occur more often than usual, are more severe than usual, do not improve with over-the-counter drugs, or keep you from participating in normal activities, please see a doctor.
Your doctor may recommend oxygen therapy, sumatriptan Imitrex or local anesthetic lidocaine to provide pain relief. After a diagnosis is made, your doctor will work with you to develop a prevention plan.
Corticosteroids, melatonin, topiramate Topamax , and calcium channel blockers may put your cluster headaches into a period of remission. Migraine pain is an intense pulsing from deep within your head. This pain can last for days. The headache significantly limits your ability to carry out your daily routine.
Migraine is throbbing and usually one-sided. People with migraine headaches are often sensitive to light and sound. Nausea and vomiting also usually occur. Some migraine is preceded by visual disturbances. About one out of five people will experience these symptoms before the headache starts. Known as an aura, it may cause you to see:. Auras can also include tingling on one side of your face or in one arm and trouble speaking. However, the symptoms of a stroke can also mimic a migraine, so if any of these symptoms are new to you, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Migraine attacks might run in your family, or they can be associated with other nervous system conditions. Women are three times more likely to develop migraine than men. People with post-traumatic stress disorder also have an increased risk for migraine.
Certain environmental factors , such as sleep disruption, dehydration, skipped meals, some foods, hormone fluctuations, and exposure to chemicals are common migraine triggers.
Triptans are drugs that decrease inflammation and change the flow of blood within your brain. They come in the form of nasal sprays, pills, and injections. If you experience headaches that are debilitating more than three days a month, headaches that are somewhat debilitating four days a month, or any headaches at least six days per month, talk to your doctor about taking a daily medication to prevent your headaches.
Research shows that preventative medications are significantly underused. Only 3 to 13 percent of those with migraine take preventive medication, while up to 38 percent actually need it. Preventing migraine greatly improves quality of life and productivity. Secondary headaches are a symptom of something else that is going on in your body. If the trigger of your secondary headache is ongoing, it can become chronic. Treating the primary cause generally brings headache relief. Headaches sometimes happen as a result of an allergic reaction.
The pain from these headaches is often focused in your sinus area and in the front of your head. Migraine headaches are commonly misdiagnosed as sinus headaches. People who have chronic seasonal allergies or sinusitis are susceptible to these kinds of headaches. Sinus headaches are treated by thinning out the mucus that builds up and causes sinus pressure. A sinus headache can also be a symptom of a sinus infection.
In these cases, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection and relieve your headache and other symptoms. Women commonly experience headaches that are linked to hormonal fluctuations. The cause of hypnic headaches is not clear, and there are no known triggers. Although hypnic headaches are harmless, an older adult who experiences any unusual headaches for the first time should seek medical advice. A doctor may wish to rule out migraine and cluster headaches.
Treatment options for hypnic headaches include :. A medication-overuse headache MOH — sometimes known as a rebound headache — is the most common type of secondary headache. A MOH features frequent or daily headaches with symptoms similar to those of tension headaches or migraine. A doctor may diagnose MOH if a person has a headache disorder and has also taken pain relief medication on at least 15 days in a month. A MOH can still occur despite taking these medications.
However, a MOH mainly seems to develop in people taking painkillers specifically to treat a headache. The only treatment for MOH is to stop taking the medication causing the headaches. However, anyone stopping medication should only do so under the supervision of a doctor.
The doctor can help devise a plan and may prescribe alternative medicines to ease the withdrawal process. A doctor may prescribe medication, such as antiemetics, to help relieve these symptoms to manage nausea and vomiting.
The symptoms usually last for 2—10 days but can persist for up to 4 weeks. Sinus headaches occur with sinusitis — an inflammation of the sinuses. It usually results from an infection or an allergy. The symptoms consist of a dull, throbbing ache around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead. The pain may worsen with movement or straining and can sometimes spread to the teeth and jaw.
Other possible symptoms include :. Sinus headaches are quite rare. If there are no nasal symptoms, a headache of this nature is more likely to be a migraine attack. Sinusitis usually goes away within 2—3 weeks. People should speak with a doctor if symptoms do not improve within a week or become severe. To diagnose the underlying cause of sinusitis, a doctor may refer an individual to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
In some cases, minor surgery may be necessary to drain the sinuses. Read some tips on how to treat a sinus infection. A high caffeine intake — more than milligrams mg , or around 4 cups of coffee per day — can sometimes lead to headaches.
In people consuming more than mg of caffeine daily for over 2 weeks, withdrawal may result in migraine-like headaches. These typically develop 12—24 hours after stopping abruptly. They peak at 20—51 hours and can last 2—9 days. The effects of caffeine vary from person to person, but reducing intake could decrease the risk of getting headaches. Limiting caffeine consumption may help people who have chronic migraine. Sometimes, a person develops a headache immediately or soon after a head injury.
OTC pain relief often resolves this. However, if symptoms are severe or get worse over time, an individual should seek immediate medical attention. Always call an ambulance for a serious head injury or if the following symptoms occur after a head injury:. Post-traumatic headaches can also develop months after the original head injury, making them difficult to diagnose. The headache may last a few days. Migraine headaches may improve with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or aspirin, but sometimes prescription medication is needed.
If you are experiencing migraine symptoms, your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to be used during the migraine like triptans or preventatives like beta-blockers or botulinum toxin Botox injections.
Menstrual migraines are treated with the same prescription medications that are used to treat migraines, and sometimes the treatments that are used during a migraine episode can be effective when taken in the days prior to menstruation.
In some cases, oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapies are prescribed to relieve menstrual migraines. Some people who have migraines may experience improvement with alternative therapies such as massage , acupuncture , or biofeedback. A sinus headache is a type of secondary headache that results from a sinus infection sinusitis. Actual sinus headaches are not common, and both tension headaches and migraines may be mistaken for sinus headaches.
Symptoms of a sinus headache can include:. The best way to get rid of this type of headache is to treat the underlying sinus issue. Over-the-counter medications may provide some relief, along with nasal decongestants to allow mucus to drain and to reduce swelling. Saline nasal spray and vaporizers can moisten the air and soothe your sinuses. Your healthcare provider can determine the cause of your sinusitis and assess whether it could go away on its own or if you need antibiotics or anti-fungal drugs.
Rebound headaches can occur if you frequently take pain medications and stop them suddenly or take them irregularly. This type of headache, also called a medication overuse headache , can occur alongside tension, cluster, or migraine headaches.
Certain drugs, including narcotics and barbiturate-containing analgesics, are more likely to cause rebound headaches. The primary treatment for rebound headaches is to stop the medication that is causing them. Depending on the medication, your healthcare provider may incorporate other drugs, non-pharmaceutical treatments, or physical therapy to help you with pain management as you discontinue the medicine.
A cluster headache is one of the most painful types of primary headache. The condition gets its name from its frequent bouts—or clusters—of headache episodes. People who have cluster headaches can go months or years between attacks. Symptoms of a cluster headache can include:. Each headache in the cluster can last from 15 to minutes, and they often occur at the same time each day for weeks or months on end. Cluster headaches do not improve with over-the-counter medications. Treatments can include nasal oxygen, Emgality galcanezumab , triptans, calcium channel blockers , or corticosteroids.
Nerve blocks may be used when the pain is severe or when other treatments aren't effective. Because different types of headaches respond to different treatments, it is important to know what type of headache you are experiencing and what may be triggering your pain. If you suffer from frequent headache episodes, your healthcare provider can help you determine what type you have and the best treatments. It is helpful to identify the pattern of your pain so you can discuss symptoms accurately with a healthcare professional.
Morning headaches can be caused by a number of factors, such as insomnia, stress, tension, alcohol use, nighttime tooth grinding, or sleep apnea. If you frequently wake up with a headache, talk with your healthcare provider about whether a sleep disorder or other concern could be responsible. Sometimes, headaches are a sign of a more serious medical condition.
Talk with your healthcare provider if your headache is preventing you from participating in everyday activities, if your pain is sudden or severe, or if you lose consciousness during a headache episode. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.
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