peterhutch asked:


Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache. As many as 90% of adults have tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among women than men. Many people confuse tension headache symptoms for migraine, and can end up with the wrong treatment. One problem is that many symptoms overlap, and many people with migraine get frequent tension headaches as well.

About 90% of the headaches that strike are tension headaches. Tension headaches are also called muscle contraction headaches. Most of your skull is covered with a layer of muscle. When this muscle contracts abnormally, it can decrease the blood flow in your head. One of the tension headache symptoms can be tenderness around your head.

Tension Headache Causes

Muscle Contraction Headache or Acute Tension Type Headache occurs in about 50% of the population on a monthly basis but is usually low impact which is why it is not seen a lot in primary care. The exact causes of tension headache are not known but stress and tension play a part. Typically the tension headache is mild to moderate only, non-pulsating and bilateral. Sensory sensitivity to noise or light is more likely to be associated with migraine. Difficulties arise when patients who are suffering from migraine are misdiagnosed as having tension headaches. They then do not receive appropriate pain management. Patients often describe their head pain as a “feeling of tightness or squeezing”.

Most often, it is the vata humor that is out of balance when you have a headache. Some of the many possible causes include:

1. Mental stress

2. Fever

3. Excessive caffeine or nicotine

4. Reading without proper lighting

5. Sitting too close to the television, or watching too much of it

6. May also be a symptom of some other disease

7. Side-effect of another medication.

Home remedies for tension headache

1. For tension headaches massage few drops of peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil on temples.

2. Massage the scalp with slightly warmed sesame oil. This relieves tension headache and induces sleep.

3. Regular exercise, yoga and meditation reduce the stress levels and keep the tension headache at bay.

4. Persons of vata type can use hot water bags on aching parts and a hot shower will be of good help.

Natural Headache remedy using Henna

The flowers of henna have been found valuable in curing headaches caused by hot sun. The flowers should be rubbed in vinegar and applied over the forehead. This remedy will soon provide relief.

Aroma therapy cures.

Sniffing peppermint oil, rose oil, Lavender oil, Chamomile oil can give relief from headaches. Try burning some candles made with these oils to get a fragrant room while the headaches vanish. Try and consult a aroma therapist for a specific oil recommendation best suited to your problem or experiment with a few smells.

Drinking a glass of water (warm water in winter and cool water in summer), mixed with a teaspoon of honey first thing in the morning, is also a good remedy. Copious drinking of water throughout the day is also advised.

Mike

Ashly K asked:


I enjoy drinking the occasional beer, amaretto sour, margarita, or glass of riesling wine but within a few hours I develop a headache that can only be slept off.

Otherwise I am a very healthy individual who eats a good diet, does not drink caffeine (I am sensitive), and drinks water constantly.

I am curious as to the cause as well as any possible solutions. It would be nice to enjoy a beverage from time to time.

Eileen

mark asked:


do u have any natural ways of getting rid of a headache?
i have to work on a project at school and don’t have any advils on me. have any specific methods worked?

Catherine

CB400 asked:


I often get headaches when the weather is cloudy, dark or rainy. It started when I was still young. I remember asking my teacher not to give tests or assign readings in class during rainy days. Of course, my classmates laughed at me. So I thought I was only me.

I work now but I still experience this terrible headache. Is this psychological or real illness?

Martha

Farzina Naznin asked:


Headache indicates a pain in the head. Headache can be either mild or severe. Medically headache is termed as “cephalgia.” Causes of headaches are many and varied. For example, stress and tension in one’s life leads to headache. Lifestyle pressure with high demands of jobs, high workloads creates tension thereby leading to headache. There are also certain other factors which precipitate headaches such as insomnia which is caused due to lack of proper sleep, lack of proper appetite and the like.
Headaches are mainly of four types; namely, vascular headache, myogenic headache, traction headache and inflammatory headache. The most common type of vascular headache is migraine, which is characterized by a pain which is severe in either or both the sides of the brain. Migraine often leads to blur vision and sometimes creates an upset stomach. Migraine is a pulsating form of headache which is unilateral associated with vomiting, nausea, depression and sensitivity to sound, light, smell etc. Migraine causes are unknown. Causes of migraine headache are many and varied. For example, stress and tension in one’s life leads to headache. Lifestyle pressure with high demands of jobs, high workloads creates tension thereby leading to migraine. More than 75% of women are migraine sufferers.
Another form of vascular headache is cluster headache which is caused due to high blood pressure. Headache caused by tension is the most common form of myogenic headache, which tightens or tenses facial and neck muscles. The traction and inflammatory types of headaches are caused due to a disorder which ranges from strokes to sinus infection. Headaches are generally harmless and can be diagnosed though persistent care is necessary for vascular headache especially for migraine.
Sinus headache is a type of headache which is caused due to the pressure of the sinus cavities. Sinus headache is felt by pain and compassion in the sinus areas, nasal blocking and swelling of the face, facial pain fever etc. The common aspect of sinusitis is generally the common cold. Sinus headache can be overcome through simple medication of painkillers like paracetamol, aspirin etc, by inhaling steam, hot drinks like soup, tea coffee and rest. Sinus headache if not taken precaution will lead to pneumonia and bronchitis. Sinus headache which is characterized by sinus cavities affects the eyes too. But it is to be noted out here that headache either mild or severe should be consulted with the doctor and thus necessary precautions should thereby be undertaken to prevent it.

Gail

jess l asked:


Anyone ever have a headache like this before? I’m going on two weeks with a headache like this! What did you take? Did it work?

Natalie

Matthew Hick asked:


Nearly two-thirds of all Americans suffer from chronic habitual headaches. From migraines, sinus and cluster headaches, to ones induced by stress and hormones, it can matter which type of headache the patient sufferers with, in order to treat them properly and get fast relief. Some of the most common headache types experienced by sufferers include:

Tension Headaches:
Felt by more than 80% of the adult population, tension-type headaches are the most common headache, and seem to be slightly more common among women, than men.
Believed to be caused by a chemical or neuronal imbalance in the brain, tension headaches have also been linked to a tightening in the back, neck and/or scalp. The pain is a pressing or tightening of both sides of the head, temple and neck, and feels much like a vice. Pain from this type of headache can be very mild, or excruciatingly severe.

Daily recurrences of tension-type headaches have been linked to depression, and other emotional problems. Changes in sleep patterns or insomnia, as well as ongoing fatigue can also cause tension headaches. Symptoms usually begin early in the morning or late in the day, and last for several hours. Analgesics seem to help the mild sufferer, but chronic and severe tension headaches may require a stronger prescription therapy.

Migraines:
The most severe of all headaches, and are experienced by 13 percent of the population. Their throbbing head pain, usually located on just one side of the face, neck and head, characterizes them. The combination of disabling pain and associated symptoms such as nausea, auras (bright lights, blind spots, etc), dizziness, and more, can seriously impede the quality of life for the chronic sufferer. There are many treatment options now available to migraine sufferers including daily preventative medications, massage therapy, relaxation techniques, as well as a myriad of homeopathic remedies now on the market.

Organically Caused Headaches:
The most serious of all the headache categories, organically caused headaches is not a disease itself, but rather, a symptom of a more serious disorder. This type of headache can be caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, tumor, blood clots and aneurysms, to name a few. When headaches become progressive with the pain worsening with each attack, a sufferer loses consciousness, is confused, or is taking over the counter medications on a daily basis, prompt medical attention is required to rule out an organic cause.

Hormone Headaches:
More than 60% of female migraine sufferers have linked their attacks to their menstrual cycle. Fluctuations in hormone levels during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause can all trigger mild to severe headache symptoms. As estrogen spikes and dips throughout a woman’s monthly, as well as life, cycles, headaches may become more frequent and more severe. Hormone therapy seems to work best for post-menopausal migraine sufferers.

Sinus Headaches:
Caused when one or more of the body’s four sinus becomes infected due to blockage from a cold, allergies, the flu or some other physical ailment, sinus headaches generally cause a gnawing pain over the nasal area, and increases in severity throughout the day. A feeling of pressure and fullness is often accompanied by fever as the infection worsens. Treatment includes antibiotics, analgesics and nasal sprays. Chronic sinusitis may require surgery to remove polyps that continue to block nasal passages, or to repair a deviated septum.

Allergy Headaches:
Most commonly experienced in earl spring and late fall, allergy headaches are typically accompanied by nasal congestion and watery eyes. Antihistamines are most commonly prescribed to help alleviate symptoms.

No matter what type of headache a sufferer experiences, it is always important to seek medical treatment if they persist or worsen, as this may be a sign of an underlying cause that needs further treatment.

Leslie

Siberian Wolf asked:


I was off work yesterday with sickness and a banging headache. Today Im back at work and still feel really rough. Ive tried to take some pain killers but I can’t swallow them! What else can cure a headache.
Please don’t suggest going home as I am unable to go home (Only person in the office)

Sally

james sameul asked:


Headache A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better by making lifestyle changes, learning ways to relax, and occasionally by taking medications. Causes of Headache There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with (caused by) other diseases Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening. It’s often not clear what causes tension-type headaches. Anxiety and stress are often associated with these types of headaches, but do not necessarily cause them. Tension-type headaches are twice as common in women as in men. They are more common in people whose parents, brothers or sisters also have headaches. The exact cause of cluster headaches is not known. Many experts believe that cluster headaches and migraine headaches have a common cause that begins in the trigeminal nerve, a nerve that carries sensations from the head to the brain and that ends in the blood vessels that surround the brain There are many possible causes of headache that determine the site and nature of the pain. About three in four of all headaches are caused by tension in the scalp and neck muscles. Very few headaches have serious underlying causes, but those that do require urgent medical attention.. Symptoms Of Headache Many tension headache sufferers describe their pain as producing a sensation of pressure or tightness around the head, as though a band were pulled tightly around it; others compare the feeling to having their head clamped in an ever-tightening vise. They are sensations only the patient can perceive. In contrast, a sign is objective evidence of disease. A bloody nose is a sign. It is evident to the patient, doctor, nurse and other observers. Tension-type headache is a term used to describe chronic headaches that cause a tight, band-like pain. This is the most common type of headache, afflicting 88 percent of women and 68 percent of men. A tension headache is a mild to moderate steady pain, tightness or pressure around the head and neck.. Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of your head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, like a tight band or vice. Your shoulders, neck, or jaw may feel tight and sore. Treatment Of Headache Tension headaches are sometimes helped by measures to relax the tight muscles. These include massage, hot showers and heating pads on the back of the neck or cold packs. Biofeedback and muscle-relaxation training may be helpful. This is one of the effective treatment for Headache. Medications A variety of medications, both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription, are available for treating tension headache. You may find fast, effective relief by taking pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Prophylactic Therapy One possible way to prevent migraines is to avoid triggers. Eating regular, healthy meals, limiting caffeine, eliminating other food triggers, and getting plenty of exercise may help to prevent migraines from occurring. Keeping a headache diary may facilitate identification of triggers . Anti-seizure Medications — Medications used to control seizures in conditions such as epilepsy may be prescribed to help control cluster headaches. These medications include divalproex topiramate and gabapentin

Randall

tiffany_hagar asked:


I have had a headache all morning and it’s behind my eye. What kind is this?

Dan