Posts Tagged ‘headaches’

Chronic Tension Headaches – What Can I Do?

August 24th, 2010

There are so many types of headache and headaches are so common, that there is a very good chance that everyone you know has had them or still gets them. The reasons why people get headaches are just as wide-ranging. It could be stress, over-medication, migraine, lack of calories or tension. One of the worst types is chronic tension headaches.

A normal tension headache feels as if a strap is being done up tightly around your forehead, but they do not have a tendency to last very long and they are few and far between. A chronic tension headache is the same, but it may come every day or even several times a day. A headache is classed as a chronic tension headache if you get a tension headache more than fifteen times in a month for several consecutive months.

Therefore, if you think that you are suffering from this type of headache, start to write notes in a diary. When? Where? How bad? How long it lasted? And anything else that you think may be relevant, like what you have eaten or done that day and the day before. You may become aware of a connection to work or diet.

Some sufferers describe the pain as like having a very tight strap wrapped around their head, others say the sensation of constraint goes down as far as their shoulders. In general, sufferers of tension and chronic tension headaches agree, that the pain is worst in the forehead, then along the sides of the head and sometimes at the back as well.

They say that the typical level of pain is a dull ache which can be mild to moderate in strength. It is more of a nagging, always-on pain than a piercing, distracting pain.

Chronic tension headaches appear to be early risers, that is, some people wake up with them and others say that they begin just after they get up in the morning. It is as if the contemplation of the day ahead is just too much too bear. The pain can get worse at certain times of the day, or it can simply slowly slip away almost unnoticed.

Chronic tension headaches are nowhere near as common as standard tension headaches, but they are twice as common in women as in men.

The main problem with these headaches, besides the ache itself, is that they become a routine event. You wait for it to happen, you are that certain that it will accompany you throughout the day as before. The pain can just become one continuous drag on your life.

For this reason, sufferers of CTH are often vulnerable to depression and anxiety and it is difficult to know which came first, the CTH or the depression / anxiety and which is causing which. If you think this could be your problem, do not try to cure the headaches yourself, go to see a doctor about the depression or anxiety, have that sorted out and the chronic tension headaches may disappear too without any further medication.

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Headache Medicine

April 18th, 2010

When people get a headache they usually start looking for some medication that can stop their headache from becoming much worse. As there are so many different types of headache medicine to choose from, people need to think about what they want the medication to accomplish.

The headache medications that are found at the supermarkets and pharmacies come in various forms. You will find that there are tablets that you can swallow, other types of tablets that dissolve under your tongue, nasal sprays, suppositories, and injections that you administer. All of these headache medicine are known to work well at preventing your headache from becoming worse.

When you reach for headache treatment on a supermarket shelf, you have to decide how fast-acting you want the medication to be. We are normally used to taking pills and capsules to cure whatever ailments that we have. We take these types of medications because they are easy to take and easy to take with us.

Although these kinds of headache medicine do work for many people, it takes a little time for the medication to take effect, which is why anyone who has a severe type of headache like a migraine, will not benefit from these tablets or capsules. Also the various fast-developing headaches will not do well either with these medications.

A person who has a tension type headache, a slow-acting migraine attack or a migraine attack without nausea and vomiting, can try these tablets. There are tablets that you can take that are absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. These so-called ’sub-lingual’ tablets or lozenges are placed under the tongue, where they get absorbed by the membrane that lines the mouth. These kinds of headache medication work a little more quickly than the usual tablets because they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

The other way that you can stop your headache is with a nasal spray. These sprays can provide you with fast-acting relief. They are good for headache sufferers who need fast relief and they are also good for people who become nauseous. You may have to test various kinds before you get satisfactory results, but these headache treatments are still quite good.

The best possible pain relief can be got quickly from self injected drugs. However, if you use this kind headache medicine you will have to take extra care at first, so that you don’t inject yourself with too much of the headache medication.

Other considerations are whether you can endure the discomfort that you may first feel when you want to inject yourself. The possible embarrassment about injecting yourself in public with your headache medicine is also something that you will need to think about.

There is a vast amount of headache treatment for the person who is looking for ways to cure their headache misery. The best way to find your right medication is to test different products in order to see what works best for you.

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About Stress Headaches

April 14th, 2010

I think we all know what stress is and how we react when we are experiencing a stressful time. Some individuals can work very well with the pressures that obstacles bring with them. Other people become overwhelmed by the tremendous pressure that they are under. In some individuals this pressure manifests itself as stress headaches.

Stress headaches are usually caused by excessive amounts of stressful situations; ie more than an individual would normally find themselves involved in. Ability to deal with these situations gradually diminishes and so stress begins to take its toll on them and a stress headache can start.

In other cases, having other forms of headache can cause stress headaches just because we have to cope with the headache and get on with our daily life. As the pain from the headache gradually takes control of our life, we start to feel stressed and unable to cope. All of these headaches (including stress headaches) can be controlled safely and, in some cases, prevented from occurring again with the right medication.

There are other methods of dealing with stress headaches apart from using medication. These other methods include: cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and physical therapy.

Cognitive therapy seeks to ‘redirect’ a stress headache. In this method, the patient is taught to understand what starts the stress symptoms and how they can affect their response to these situations.

Behavioural therapy is the next way of treating stress headaches. When people feel overwhelmed by a situation, they try coping with their headache by taking medication, alcohol, prescription tranquilizers, pain medicine and some people also take illicit drugs. As taking these substances will only provide temporary help, it is better to show them the means to build a healthy lifestyle, which can help that person to deal better with their stress headaches.

Physical therapy attempts using biofeedback response. Individuals experiencing stress headaches learn to recognize and reduce the amount of physical tension in their body. The treatments that are recommended for this method are muscle relaxation, deep breathing, yoga and other self-relaxing techniques. It is possible to see what effect these measures have on sufferers of stress headaches, as these techniques relax and calm the body.

The various methods of therapy that were mentioned above are all interrelated. Using all three of these therapies, including headache medication, will provide the individual with a type of relief that can work for them for the rest of their lives and not just the short period when they are undergoing a stress headache.

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The Causes Of Migraine Headaches

April 10th, 2010

Headaches in any form are always very painful for the sufferer. However, some headaches, such as migraines, for example, can cause even more problems than just a headache. These problems could be sickness, light sensitivity and a throbbing pain in the head. Sometimes the headache is felt on one side of the head, although at other times you can feel the pain on both sides of your head at the same time.

The actual causes of migraine headaches has not been found as of yet, although there are a few theories as to why we experience migraine headaches. The most common theory is that a change in the blood flow within the brain is one of the trigger causes of migraine headaches. Another theory about migraine headache is that it could be caused by pain sensing nerve chemicals called neuropeptides.

Many medical professionals think that neuropeptides ease the muscle that surrounds the cranial blood vessels. This relaxation makes the blood vessels dilate. Then those relaxed blood vessels increase the flow of blood and other cranial fluid to the brain. This increase in fluids is thought to be the cause of migraine headaches.

These cranial fluids cause swelling, pain, sensitivity, tissue and blood vessel inflammation during the time of migraine headaches. Some people think that the aura that is sometimes seen during a migraine headache is caused by the constriction of blood vessels that became dilated during the beginning phase of the migraine headache.

Another theory about the causes of migraine headaches has been linked to genetics and inheritance. These theories state that a child of migraine sufferers will have a 50% probability of getting migraine headaches too.

The chances of inheriting migraine headaches become even greater if both parents are known to suffer from this painful type of headache. Should both parents be known to have frequent migraine headaches the chances of the child inheriting migraine headache symptoms rises to about 70%.

Even though some professionals are persuaded that inheritance plays a big role in migraine headaches, the genes that are considered to be the causes of migraine headaches have not been identified or even isolated yet. When we start to experience migraine headaches the only warning signs that we may expect to receive are a throbbing pain in the temple area and light sickness.

As the symptoms of your migraine progress, the pain of the headaches become much worse. Unfortunately, since the causes of migraine headaches have not been discovered and we don’t know what triggers these attacks, there are no medications to cure these headaches yet.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

Coital Headaches

January 5th, 2010

Although orgasm is usually an enjoyable and happy activity for most people, it can be painful for those who find that it triggers coital headaches. For these people, sexual activity can actually cause these coital headache attacks.

Technically, a headache, or cephalalgia, is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes the neck too. They can be classified into two main categories: primary or idiopathic, and symptomatic, although there are other ways of classifying them too; for example by severity.

Put simply, primary headaches have a known or unknown cause, whereas symptomatic headaches are often the result of injury. Primary headaches include: migraine, tension headaches, cluster headaches and coital headaches, amongst others.

Coital headaches, also called coital cephalalgia or sexual headaches, is a rare, but severe form of headache that starts in the nape of the neck during sexual intercourse, but before climax. It can occur in all conditions where climax is the expected result. The pain can move to behind the eyes and can then be even more severe. Typically the pain will last from a few minutes to an hour or so, but it has been known to last for days in extreme cases.

Men are three times more at risk to coital headaches than women and the age groups most at risk are those between 20 and 25 and 30 and 44. Nobody really understands why this should be. Coital headaches affect about one percent of the population, although this figure could be a lot higher because of people being embarrassed to talk about it.

Coital headaches are benign, meaning that they have no long-term ill effects, as far as doctors know. It seems that people taking sexual stimulants, like Viagara, are about 10% more at risk to a bout of coital headache. In fact, besides the obvious, temporary pain, the worst effects of coital headaches are varying levels of dizziness, confusion and stiffness of neck.

However, it is still worth visiting a doctor though, especially in the early cases, just to rule out the more serious causes of headaches, such as brain tumours and blood clots. However, the doctor can do rather little to help by way of treatment. He could suggest a complete abstention from any kind of sexual activity for a period ranging from days to weeks or he may suggest trying taking medication some time before sexual foreplay begins.

Some of the headache medications that can be taken are indomethacin, imitrex, zomig and propranolol, although if the headaches continue, your doctor may recommend daily preventive medication. People suffering from frequent coital headaches may obtain a positive response to migraine preventive medications, such as beta blockers or verapamil. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen may similarly be helpful. Coital headaches and migraines are also more likely to occur if the person is in poor physical shape.

However, the cure for coital headaches for a lot of people can be as simple as bringing your weight up or down to the normal weight for your size. Coital headaches can also be cured in some sufferers by an increased level of exercise, although this could bring on exertion headaches in a few cases.

Now the good news is that most headaches related to sexual activities are not at all serious in nature. In fact, research actually states that orgasm can relieve headaches and even migraine in some cases. This implies that for some adults, refusing sex may actually be the cause of their headache in the first place.

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Chronic Tension Headaches

December 26th, 2009

There is a fairly good chance that someone you know has experienced some type of headache today, just because there are so many different forms of headaches about. These forms of headache could be the result of dehydration, missed meals, migraines or other types of headache like a tension headache or even a chronic tension headache.

A tension headache can feel like a tight elastic band around your head, however, the pain from tension headaches goes away after a little while. But imagine having to suffer from a tension headache every day – for weeks. This sort of tension headache is classified as a chronic tension headache because the symptoms is experienced at least 15 days a month for a period of several months.

In the case of chronic tension headaches, the symptoms of the headache are similar to those of tension headaches, except for the fact that the pain never really seems to go away. People who have experienced chronic tension headaches describe the pain as if they were wearing a pressure band around their heads. Other people may describe severe chronic tension headache pain as a hooded cape that drapes down onto their shoulders.

In the case of both tension headaches and chronic tension headaches, the pain can be felt either in the forehead region, at the sides of the head and sometimes even at the rear of the head. At its usual strength the chronic tension headache is a dull, aching pain, although sometimes the pain is like a restricting tightness. Generally the pain is mild to moderately intense.

The severity of the pain differs with the general physical state of the individual concerned and it can also vary with the different forms headaches. A lot of people begin to experience chronic tension headaches as soon as they awake in the morning, whereas others say that their chronic tension headaches do not start until the early hours of the day.

Normal tension headaches are more common than chronic tension headaches, however twice as many women as men suffer from chronic tension headaches. The duration and the severity of the pain is about the same as the normal variety in this type of headache, however the pain from the chronic tension headache is almost a daily occurrence and is also continuous.

Those who get chronic tension headaches are thought to be more prone to anxiety and depression than non-sufferers of chronic tension headaches. It is also well-documented that chronic tension headaches occur during or after heightened periods of stress and anxiety. Furthermore, anyone who has mood disorders like depression or anxiety ought to have these conditions treated prior to getting their chronic tension headache attended to.

People who suffer from chronic tension headaches can lead normal and fulfilling lives with the proper medication and treatment. Over time, they may understand what the triggers of their headaches are and how avoiding these triggers can prevent the onset of a bout of chronic tension headaches.

If you suffer from migraines or headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Headache Types

December 26th, 2009

There are quite a number of well-known sort of headache. These include pressure headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches, chronic daily headaches, cluster headaches, ice pick headaches and sinus headaches.

A migraine headache is a severe headache. This kind of headache has been found to have a profound impact on the daily lives of its sufferers. The pain can be a pulsating sensation or sometimes a throbbing type of head pain. This throbbing pain can be moderate to severe. The symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea, extreme sensitivity to light and sound. With the migraine kind of headache there is often an early warning feeling called an aura.

This aura can come in the form of changes in visual perception. You may see bright flashes, zig-zags and sometimes you may even lose part of your vision. You may even experience numbness or tingling in your arms. These warning symptoms will fade a while before the migraine attack begins. A migraine headache can last for about 3 days without any medication, before it recedes.

The types of tension headache cause a dull, constant pain in the forehead, the sides or back of the head. Some people liken a tension headache to a tight band wrapped around the head. This is considered to be one of the most common kinds of headache. A tension headache does not produce symptoms like light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting.

Tension headaches are known as episodic or chronic kinds. Usually, most sufferers of this type of tension headache, get chronic headaches. It is estimated that about 40% of the population suffers from tension headaches at some period or another in their lives. Another of these sorts of headache is the Chronic daily headache.

Most of the time chronic daily headaches are tension headaches or headaches that are caused by too much pain medication. In these sorts of headache, the pain is a constant, dull pain. There is also a feeling or tightness like a rubber band around the head. A chronic daily headache can be distinguished by duration: that is the pain must last for 15 or more consecutive days per month during a three month period of time.

Another sort of headache is the Cluster headaches. This is a rare but very painful type of headache. The name of the headache arises from the fact that the headache pain happens in clusters. Frequently, periods of Cluster headaches may last weeks or months. This time period is followed by long periods of no headaches.

Cluster headaches are usually to be found only on one side of the head at a time. The sharp, penetrating pain begins behind one eye. Furthermore, cluster headaches may cause red, watery eyes, a stuffy nose and sometimes symptoms like nausea and light sensitivity are occur too.

These are just a few of the many sorts of headaches that can be experienced. The pain from the headache can be mild or it can be excruciating in its severity. To find relief from these headaches you should talk with your doctor about treatment or you can buy some over the counter headache pain medication.

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The Treatment of Headaches

December 23rd, 2009

When we are suffering from a headache it is natural to try to think of ways to stop the pain. However, as there are different types of headaches, the treatments may work for only a few of the headache types. There are two different methods of stopping the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are named prophylactical and abortive headache treatments.

The prophylactic treatment must be taken everyday in order to reduce the frequency of the attacks and to control the severity of the headache. Abortive headache treatment is started only when the headache starts.

You must realize that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are suffering from several, frequent headache attacks per month. Furthermore, when you take the prophylactic medication you will be monitored for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.

The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medicine begins with a low dosage. The dosage is then increased regularly. You will also be checked every month or so to find out if the treatment is taking effect. Your doctor will also check that you are not on any other types of medication or vitamin supplements during this early phase of your headache treatment.

It is vital to inform the doctor whether the patient is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor must be told, so that checks can be done to discover any possible side effects on the unborn foetus.

The main prescription drugs used for stopping headache are beta blockers like Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers like Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also used. Doctors may also prescribe anti-depressants like Elavil and Zoloft. You can also be given serotonin antagonists like Sansert.

Furthermore, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert, which are ergot derivatives, could also be prescribed by your doctor. The abortive headache treatment available for your headache pain is generally the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to name but a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil belong to the group of drugs that are known as Ibuprofen.

Further to these headache treatments there are also non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache treatments can also cause some people to get side-effects in the form of a different type of headache.

Since these drugs can cause other problems, you should consult your doctor and find out whether they are suitable for you or not. People who prefer an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks the alternative medicine, such as aromatherapy, will be efficacious.

If you suffer from migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website on Stopping Headaches. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

Frequent Headaches

December 20th, 2009

Many of us live with headaches afflicting us for apparently no reason. Some of these headache types may occur once and then we may go for several years before we get them again. Other sorts of headaches happen pretty often in our lives. These headaches are known as ‘frequent headaches’.

Usually, frequent headaches are tension headaches. However, frequent headaches can also be the result of over-dosing on over-the-counter (OTC) medications. This type of frequent headache is called a ‘rebound headache’, because, while it is safe to take the recommended dosage to combat headaches, rebound headaches happen because the dose has been surpassed.

So, one of the ways to alleviate the pain that frequent headaches bring is to slowly reduce the amount of medication that you are taking. For people who may find this step difficult, talking with their doctor can help find the best way to achieve this without making their headaches or other complaint worse.

Besides overdosing on headache medicine, there are also other things that can bring the onset of frequent headaches. These can be an excessive amount of smoking and drinking too much alcohol. Therefore, reducing your alcohol intake to a moderate level can help with lessening the pain of your frequent headaches.

Since smoking any form of tobacco can increase your chances of getting frequent headaches, it is best to stop smoking altogether. While it might sound easy to control these frequent headache triggers, you may actually need professional to help you to reduce your frequent headaches.

So, when you talk with your doctor you should find out about headache clinics and if they have the facilities to help you with your rebound and/or frequent headaches. Individuals who prefer to cope with controlling their headache medication themselves can start by reducing the dosage a little.

When your body is able to deal with that reduction, you can lower the amount some more. Should you feel that the headaches are becoming overwhelming, you have the choice of taking cortisone to help tolerate the pain of the headaches while your body slowly adjusts to the new regime.

As frequent headaches are probably caused more by the overdose of headache tablets, it could be a good idea for you to take the medication only if you absolutely need to. That way you can control your intake of the medication that causes you to suffer from other headaches in addition to what you originally started the pain killers for.

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Headache Clinics, What Are they?

October 16th, 2009

Headaches are very widespread amongst people of all ages in both men and women. Sometimes these headaches may be severe and might even take place regularly for long periods of time. The headache might be a ache all over the head or a throbbing pain at on

So, where do you go to get help with your headaches? OTC prescription drugs may not always be effective and you may not even be able to recognize the source of your headache. Where then, do you go, find out what the trouble is?

The answer is a headache clinic.

Headache clinics can be found all over the country, sometimes as independent clinics and often at a range of key hospitals. Headache clinics are well-equipped with all that is required to deal with headaches. These clinics are run by experts and neurologists, who are well-trained, so as to be able to identify the cause of the headache and start the necessary therapy for it.

There are several kinds of headaches ranging in severity from cluster and migraine headaches to mild headaches. It is therefore important to see a specialist as sometimes general practitioners may not be able to identify precisely what kind of headache you are suffering from. Independent headache clinics would inform you if you need special care or if you need to be hospitalized, often sending you to a particular hospital.

Headache clinics take in patients after a brief appraisal of the history of your headaches, posing questions such as: how long you have been getting them, the rate of recurrence of the headaches and what treatment, if any, you have acquired, and possibly other questions that may be relevant to understanding your headache more thoroughly. These clinics also offer behavior therapy if necessary. Most headache clinics offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Moreover, sometimes headaches can be the symptom of a more serious problem such as a brain tumor, and it is best if such situations are diagnosed at an early stage. Your primary care physician can refer you to a well-known headache clinic if you want to receive special treatment for your headaches.

To attend a headache clinic, your headaches do not have to be regular. Even the sporadic, but excruciating headache may necessitate a call. You may need specialist treatment for your headache, so its best for you to see a specialist at one of these headache clinics as soon as possible.

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