TENSION TYPE HEADACHE
Over View
Headache is one of the most common medical complaints seen these days. It is a painful sensation that occurs in any part of the head, ranging from sharp to dull ache with many other symptoms.
It is easy to understand the types of headaches only if you can observe various symptoms related to your headaches. When you consult a doctor or a neurologist, and if you can explain the symptoms clearly, your doctor can easily sort out the type of headache your facing. In the case of headaches, notifying the signs and symptoms is important because some kind of headaches might be a result of unknown health conditions.
So, to get the best possible treatment for any type of headache, the first thing is knowing the symptoms.
Types Of Headaches
Headaches are classified as follows based on their cause as follows.
Primary Headaches
Primary headaches are the result of hyperactivity of chemicals in the internal brain or due to other problems linked to pain-sensitive structures in your head. Sometimes it causes due to pain-receptors of the body. Usually, these types of headaches may not cause life-threatening conditions or any other serious health issues.
The factors that play a vital role in primary headaches are blood vessels, circulation of blood, hormones, nerves, and uncommon chemical activity in the brain and its muscles.
Primary headaches are mainly classified into three different types:
- Migraine headaches
- Tension or Stress-related headaches
- Cluster headaches
- Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC)
Along with these, there are some other headaches caused due to some underlying conditions such as fever, flu, cold headache, allergies, and headache after sexual intercourse also said to be primary headaches.
In some cases, primary headaches can be a result of unhealthy lifestyle practices such as consumption of alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, improper body postures, lack of sleep, stress, depression, anxiety, and unhealthy eating habits.
Secondary Headaches
These headaches aren’t caused directly; they are the result of other diseases or caused due to other underlying health conditions or illness. The pain-sensitive nerves triggered due to certain health conditions, which are called as secondary headaches.
Both male and female can get secondary headache who have particular health conditions such as excessive stress, brain stroke, ear infection, brain infections, cold, high fever, sinusitis, head injuries, brain aneurysm, high BP, meningitis, and hangovers.
Sometimes headaches may result due to cavities and sensitivity of tooth, consuming cold foods like pastries, ice-creams, and having chilled soft drinks, etc.
When To Visit A Doctor?
When you suffer from painful or disruptive sensation in the head and the condition worsens even after taking medication associated with symptoms such as fever, sensory changes, confusion and stiffness back of your neck you need to consult a doctor immediately.
Sometimes it may be difficult to identify the headache type to take self medicine. So, the best way is to seek medical help. Often, headaches occur suddenly and become may severe within minutes or hours. In such conditions, contact a neurologist for medical help without wasting time.
Never neglect any type of headache because they may be a sign of any other underlying health condition. It may require serious medical intervention because such type of headache may result in meningitis, encephalitis, or related to stroke headaches.
When To Seek Emergency Care?
Emergency care becomes compulsory if the below symptoms accompany your headaches:
- High fever (102 F to 104 F)
- Difficulty while speaking, listening or understanding others
- Severe body pains and stiff neck
- Difficulty while walking and moving around
- Vision problems like blurred vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Confusion and hallucinations
- Weakness in a side of the body especially in single-arm or single-leg
- Fainting suddenly
- Nausea and vomitings
- Numbness or paralysis sensation on one side
If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, please contact a doctor immediately. Don’t overlook or go for your own medication for headaches because they may cause fatal health condition. Early diagnosis and treatment is the way to cure most of the headache problems.
Causes Of Headaches
- Cluster headaches affect one person out of 1000 people. It commonly affects men than women. It might be a result of biological changes in the body, hereditary, drinking alcohol, smoking, usage of particular medicines like nitroglycerin can cause cluster headache.
- The exact cause is yet to find for migraine headache. It is said that some genetic factors, chemical imbalances present in the brain and some environmental factors to play a significant role in migraine headache.
- Tension headaches have multiple causes. Researchers say that they might cause due to contractions muscle in the head or neck, face, or scalp regions. The factors that trigger tension headaches are:
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Fatigue
- Strained and dry eyes
- Cold or flu
- Sinusitis infection
- Caffeine products
- Poor posture and emotional stress etc.
Treatment For Headaches
Treatment for headache varies from person to person and type of headache you are facing. Some type of headache can be treated by making some lifestyle in your daily life, whereas some kind of headaches can be treated by taking certain medications under the guidance of a doctor.
Some can be treated by treating the underlying causes of certain headaches. And in some peculiar cases, surgery may be the only option to treat a headache. However, when you face irregular headache pattern’s consulting a doctor for medical help is the ideal way.
Best Neuro care hospital In Hyderabad.
Dr. Yeshwanth Paidimarri is one of the Best Neurologist in Hyderabad. Not just a highly experienced neurologist, but also part of Best Neurology Hospital In Hyderabad, which provides world-class infrastructure & world class Neuro Care treatment.