How to Cure Headache: Effective Remedies and Prevention Tips

Headache is a very common symptom, and with a prevalence of 48.9% in the general population, headache disorders collectively rank among the most common nervous system disorders. Headaches are more common in women and affect people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some headaches are so severe that they severely impair a person's quality of life as a whole. Expert intervention is only necessary for a small percentage of headache disorders.

Approximately 95% of people experience headaches at some point in their lives. Nearly one in two adults avail consultation for headaches every year. Headache is the reason for one in ten consultations with general practitioners (GPs), one in three referrals to neurologists, and one in five acute medical admissions. The World Health Organisation lists headache as one of the top 10 causes of disability. In women, headache is ranked among the top five causes of disability, with effects worse than asthma and comparable to those of diabetes and arthritis.

The vast majority can be effectively treated by a primary care physician or generalist with correct clinical diagnosis that requires no special investigation. Primary headache disorders – migraine, tension headache and cluster headache – constitute nearly 98% of all headaches; however, secondary headaches are important to recognise as they are serious and may be life threatening. This article provides an overview of the most common headache disorders and discusses the red flag symptoms that help identify serious causes that merit urgent specialist referral.

With the right clinical diagnosis and no further investigation needed, the great majority can be successfully treated by a general practitioner or primary care physician. Although primary headache disorders, which include migraine, tension headache, and cluster headache, account for almost 98% of headache cases. Secondary headaches must be recognised timely due to their serious nature and possibility of fatality.

In this article we will discuss various types of headaches, their causes and patterns. Also, you will get to know when to reach out to a specialist immediately.

What are the Causes of Headaches?

Signals from your brain, blood vessels, and nearby nerves interact to cause headache pain. Numerous mechanisms that impact muscles and blood vessels are triggered by particular nerves during a headache. Your headache is caused by the pain signals that these nerves send to your brain.

Migraines in particular have a tendency to run in families. Most children who suffer from migraines also typically have at least one biological parent who does. As a matter of fact, children are up to four times more likely to get migraines if their parents do. In addition, common environmental factors affecting a family can cause headaches. These factors include:

• Consuming specific foods or ingredients, such as cheese, chocolate, fermented foods, coffee, and alcohol
• Secondhand smoke
• Exposure to allergens
• Strong odors from household chemicals or perfumes

What are the Types of Headaches?

Following are the common types of headaches:

• Tension headache: You might experience a dull, aching feeling throughout your head if you have a tension headache. You may also experience soreness or sensitivity in the muscles surrounding your neck, forehead, scalp, or shoulders. A tension headache can strike anyone. They often get triggered by stress.
• Cluster headache: Profound burning and piercing pain is a possible side effect of cluster headaches. They happen on one side of the face, behind one eye, or around one eye at a time. On the side where the headache is affecting you, you might have swelling, redness, flushing, and sweating, headache, nasal congestion, and teary eyes. A headache may last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours. People may suffer from one headache every other day to eight headaches per day during a cluster, usually at the same time every day. One headache will eventually give way to another. Cluster headaches can occur on a daily basis for several months at the same time. People may remain symptomless in the months in between clusters.
• Migraine: A headache condition called migraines produces excruciating, deep-seated pulsating pain in the head. If left untreated, migraine attacks may persist anywhere from four to seventy-two hours, severely impairing your daily activities. You might experience pounding discomfort typically on one side of the head, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, vomiting, and nausea. Before the headache phase begins, vision disturbances are often experienced by the patients. This condition, called migraine aura, may cause you to see zigzag lines, stars, flashing or shimmering lights, and blind spots.
• Hemicrania continua: Hemicrania continua is characterized by a moderate headache on one side of the head that persists for a minimum of three months. You might experience periods of increased intensity at certain times per day. It is estimated to be responsible for roughly 1% of headaches. It often affects young adults. In addition, this kind of headache could be accompanied by tears or redness in the eyes, nasal congestion or runny nose, drooping eyelids, sweating forehead .miosis or excessive pupil shrinkage, and restlessness or agitation.
• Ice pick headache: Short, sharp headache pains that last only a few seconds are the hallmark of primary stabbing headaches, also known as ice pick headaches. These headaches can happen a few times a day and are sudden in origin. An ice pick headache may feel like one or more stabs are made one after the other. These headaches usually spread to various regions of the head. If you have these headaches always occurring at the same spot, it might be a symptom of some underlying condition.
• Thunderclap headache: A thunderclap headache is an intense headache that develops quickly and peaks in less than a minute. It might be harmless, but it also might be a sign of something more serious that needs to be checked out right away.

Headaches Treatments

How to cure a headache? The type of headache will determine how it is treated. Determining your triggers is one of the most important parts of treating primary headaches. Knowing what your triggers are will help your doctor customize a plan just for you. For instance, tension or worry can give you a headache. You can better manage this trigger with the aid of counseling and stress-reduction strategies. You can steer clear of headaches brought on by stress by reducing your stress level.

Medication is not always necessary for headaches. There are numerous headaches treatment options. Treatment options vary depending on the type, frequency, and cause of your headaches. They include:

• Stress management
• Medications
• Biofeedback
• Treating the underlying medical condition/cause

Conclusion

Consult your doctor if your headaches are causing you to feel upset or preventing you from going on with your normal activities. When you speak with your doctor, it may be useful to share the complete record of your headaches and how it affects you. The most crucial step in the diagnosis process is the information you provide to your doctor about your headaches.

Get accurate headache treatment and care at IBS Hospital. Get in touch with our experts. Book your appointment now!

FAQs

Q1: How quickly can a headache be cured?
A: The numbing effect of ice packs may lessen discomfort. Tensed muscles can be eased with hot packs and heating pads. Warm baths or showers could have similar consequences. Have a caffeinated beverage.

Q2: When is a headache serious?
A: Your headache is severe and strikes out of nowhere. Even though you get headaches all the time, this one is "the worst ever." Along with your headache, you also have trouble moving your arms or legs, slurred speech, altered vision, dizziness, or memory loss. Over a 24-hour period, your headache gets worse.

By -Dr Aaksha Shukla | June 29, 2024 | 9 Min Read