Headache is one of the most common types of pain and, like chest pain or backache, it occurs for many reasons. It can be just a minor discomfort or almost wreck your life.
Often, a look at your lifestyle and past medical history is the way to find a likely cause.
Thankfully, most headaches are not a sign of serious disease. These are common "primary headaches," such as tension headache, migraine, cluster headache and cause unknown. For a very small number of people, a headache may be a symptom of an underlying illness or injury ( a secondary headache), such as bleeding (stroke) or meningitis.
Tension headache feels like a band tightening around the head, causing pressure. They are the most common kind, particularly in women. They can last on and off for weeks or longer and really affect your day.
Tension headaches are usually brought on by stress, noise, fumes, lengthy spells viewing a TV or computer screen and dehydration following alcohol. Most people use simple pain relievers, cold packs and then try to avoid the causes if possible. A migraine headache can affect adults and children, and may last a few days. Boys and girls get them but, as we age, it is mostly women who suffer. Around 18% of women get migraine and 6% of men.
Most feel severe pain at the front of the head and nausea or vomiting, and may have temporary blind spots from light flashes known as aura, tingling sensations and numbness. Migraines usually run in families and are brought on by stress, some foods and hormones.
Good migraine medications are available and your GP can help you find one that works for you.
A cluster headache is a series of intense headaches that come in cycles lasting four to eight weeks. They are not common and mostly affect men in their late 20s. Some medications, heavy smoking, alcohol, poor sleep and hormonal level changes are possible causes. Usual pain relief for cluster headache tends not to be effective, but avoiding tobacco and alcohol is, along with treatments from your GP.
Common pain reliever medications can cause headaches when overused – that is, taken more than two or three days a week. Treatment involves stopping painkillers completely and avoiding alternatives unless advised by your GP. In general, if you have a headache that bothers you, you need to get it checked. If you can, take along a headache diary of when they happen, where, type – dull, sharp, throbbing – duration, how bad, triggers such as food, stress, bright light, lack of food, sleep disturbances.
Also, it is important to check out any headache that is new, different, getting worse, starts suddenly, follows a recent head injury, is not responding to treatment or is aggravated by activity. Watch carefully for fever, stiff neck, change in vision or behaviour, vomiting, weakness, or convulsion. Exercise, healthy eating, massage, stress management, acupuncture and aromatherapy can all help.
| DIY: HEADACHES |
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1 Get your eyes checked – eye strain can cause uncomfortable headaches.
2 Swap high caffeine drinks, including cola and coffee, for green or chamomile teas. |
3 Try to get access to a quiet, dark room for a lie-down if you get sudden headaches.
4 Avoid aspirin in children and teens – there are rare but serious risks. |
(Published in the Sunday News, 22 November 2009)
More everybody MYHEALTH columns from Barbara Docherty
Barbara Docherty is a registered nurse and clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Nursing, and writer for the everybody.co.nz website. The opinions contained herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsor. Copyright UBM Medica (NZ) Ltd.
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