Headaches – causes, treatment, types. Safe methods for headache in pregnancy

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Headaches are a very common symptom. According to statistical data, 4–8% of the population seek medical advice because of this ailment. The causes of headaches vary.

Regardless of whether the pain is dull, throbbing or bursting, it is always related to the circulatory system. Headaches should be diagnosed by a specialist.

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The causes of the headache

The most common causes of headaches include:

1. tiredness,
2. mental exhaustion,
3. problems with cerebral circulation,
4. vascular changes,
5. sometimes disturbed metabolism,
6. diseases of other organs of the body, within or in the vicinity of the skull (e.g. otitis media, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses).

There are over 150 types of headache and they are usually divided into primary and secondary headaches. Spontaneous pains occur more often, we also call them primary pains, in which the essence is the pain itself, this type of ailments can include: cluster pains, migraine and tension headaches, or the so-called new daily persistent headache.

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Symptomatic headaches (where the pain is non-specific) may be characteristic of other disease entities, the pain may have a different form, location or duration. So in what diseases can we experience a headache?

1. sinusitis;
2. otitis;
3. tooth and gum disease;
4. flu;
5. streptococcal angina;
6. eye disease;
7. allergy;
8. trigeminal neuralgia;
9. degeneration of the spine;
10. hypertension;
11. post-traumatic headaches;
12. meningitis;
13. smoking;
14. alcohol abuse;
15. drug abuse;
16. carbon monoxide poisoning;
17. a brain tumor.

Also read: The most common diseases of the teeth and gums

Are headaches hereditary?

Headaches tend to run in one family, especially migraines. Children who suffer from migraines usually have at least one parent who also suffers from migraines. In fact, children whose parents get migraines are up to four times more likely to develop them.

Headaches can also be caused by environmental factors common to the family, such as:

1. Consuming certain foods or ingredients, such as caffeine, alcohol, fermented foods, chocolate, and cheese.
2. Exposure to allergens.
3. Passive smoking.
4. Strong household chemicals or perfume odors.

See also: Can you eat blue cheese while pregnant?

Types of headaches

The most common headaches are listed below:

1. headaches of vascular origin: migraine, vasomotor, menopause in women, in arterial hypertension, in arterial hypotension, in atherosclerosis
2. post-traumatic headaches
3. pain in the nerves of the face and head (so-called neuralgia)
4. headaches of toxic origin
5. headaches as a symptom of inflammation within it
6. headaches in eye diseases
7. headaches in diseases of the ears
8. headaches in diseases of the paranasal sinuses.
9. headaches associated with mental disorders
10. headaches as a result of changes in the neck and nape.

Types of headache – cluster headache

Cluster headaches are spontaneous (primary) pain in which the problem is the pain itself affecting the head area. We include cluster headaches in the so-called trigeminal autonomic headaches, which affect unilaterally within the trigeminal nerve (facial sensory nerves) with additional autonomic symptoms (vegetative symptoms).

Cluster headaches often include short but severe pain around or behind the eye on one side of the face. This pain can radiate to other parts of the face.

These headaches usually last from 15 minutes to 3 hours and can occur one to eight times a day. Cluster headaches may appear frequently for 4–12 weeks and then disappear. They usually happen at around the same time each day.

A person may not have any symptoms between attacks. These periods of remission may last for months or years.

The following symptoms may accompany cluster headache:

1. red or watery eyes;
2. drooping or swollen eyelids;
3. stuffy or runny nose;
4. reduced pupil (narrowed) in one eye;
5. sweating on the forehead.

Types of headache – tension headache

Tension headaches most often affect women, I attack them in adulthood (25-35 years old). This type of disease may have different origins and clinical picture, the pains are more or less regular and of different duration. Tension headache is a multi-stimulus process, and the origin of the pain itself is not fully known. It is said that the underlying cause of tension pain is the simultaneous malfunction of the following factors:

1. physiological,
2. biological,
3. psychological and social (important role).

It is the most common form of headache, affecting three-quarters of the general population. They are associated with the muscles of the neck, face and jaw.

A 2020 study published in Middle East Current Psychiatry found that tension headaches are closely related to stress.

People with tension headaches may feel:

1. as if they had a tight headband on;
2. constant, dull pain on both sides of the head;
3. pain spreading to or from the neck.

Tension headaches can be episodic or chronic. Episodic attacks usually last for several hours, although they can last for several days. When tension headaches last 15 or more days a month for at least 3 months, they are considered chronic.

Types of headache – migraine

Migraine is a disease that is likely to occur genetically. It is characterized by the occurrence of paroxysmal headaches and other accompanying symptoms. Migraine attacks are usually characterized by a sequence of repeating symptoms:

1. trailers,
2. aura,
3. headache.

These symptoms last a total of several to several dozen hours (4 to 72). A migraine with an aura can attack itself or be caused by specific factors such as stress and menstruation. Migraine is the third most common and seventh most disabling disease in the world.

The migraine headache can include throbbing pain. It is often found on one side of the head, but it can alternate between these sides as well.

During migraine episodes, a person may also experience:

1. dizziness;
2. sensitivity to light or sound;
3. nausea, possibly with vomiting.

Migraine headaches are the second most common form of primary headache after tension headaches. They can significantly affect the quality of life.

The frequency of episodes can vary widely, but many people have two to four episodes of migraine in a month.

Types of headache – Medication overuse headaches

Headache from drug abuse This type of headache occurs in people who take medication too often to treat, precisely, a headache. People with primary headaches, such as migraine, often have medication overuse headaches. They can make migraine episodes more frequent and worse.

Instead of relieving symptoms, medications cause headaches and increase their intensity and frequency. Medication overuse headache usually results from taking opiate-based medications, such as those that contain codeine or morphine.

In addition to the headache, a person may experience:

1. neck pain;
2. anxiety;
3. stuffy nose feeling;
4. reduced quality of sleep.

The location, severity, and frequency of drug overuse headaches vary from person to person, but they are common daily or almost daily and are present upon awakening. Medication overuse headache can cause a dull pain, such as a tension headache, to a more severe pain similar to a migraine headache.

Types of headache – staggering headache

A fulminant headache is a sudden, severe headache that people often describe as the worst headache of their lives. It reaches its maximum intensity in about 30 seconds to a minute and slowly fades away over the course of a few hours.

A lightning headache is a secondary headache that may indicate a life-threatening condition such as:

1. aneurysm;
2. syndrome of reversible spasm of cerebral vessels;
3. meningitis;
4. pituitary gland stroke;
5. bleeding in the brain (haemorrhage);
6. blood clot in the brain.

People who experience these sudden, severe headaches should receive immediate medical attention.

Other types of headaches

Doctors have diagnosed hundreds of conditions related to headaches.

1. Headache from eating or drinking something cold quickly. Some people experience a sharp, sudden headache when they eat something cold (an ice-cream headache or brain freeze). The pain goes away in less than a minute, even if the person continues to eat. If you have ice headaches, try eating slowly and warming up cold food in your mouth before swallowing it.
2. Headache after exercise and sexual intercourse. Sudden, strenuous exercise can cause a headache. A gradual warm-up or treatment with an anti-inflammatory drug before exercise may help. Sexual intercourse can also cause headaches; some people only get a dull pain, others suffer from severe attacks known as orgasmic headaches. Some people can prevent orgasmic headaches by taking NSAIDs 30 to 60 minutes before intercourse. Headaches related to exercise and intercourse are usually not a sign of serious underlying problems. Very rarely, they can be a sign of a leaky blood vessel on the surface of the brain. Therefore, if these pains recur, it is worth discussing them with your doctor
3. Continuous hemikrania. Continuous hemikrania is the primary chronic daily headache. It usually causes continuous but variable pain on one side of the head. The pain is usually continuous with episodes of more severe pain which may last from 20 minutes to several days. During these episodes of severe pain, other symptoms such as watery or red eye, runny or stuffy nose, and ptosis, all on the same side as the headache, may occur. As with migraine, photosensitivity, nausea, and vomiting can also occur. The headaches do not go away, but there may be times when the headaches do not occur. However, the aches and pains of continuous hemicrancy respond to a drug called indomethacin.

Headaches in the course of other ailments

Headaches that occur in the course of other ailments come in very different forms (mentioned above about diseases accompanied by headache). People with sinusitis usually experience a dull, pressing pain that increases in the afternoon and when we lean forward. Sick sinuses lead to bothersome headaches in children and young adults.

Patients suffering from degeneration of the cervical spine experience a headache that radiates from the neck to the back of the head. The pain intensifies when we move our head from side to side and backwards. People with hypertension also complain of headaches (so it is worth measuring the pressure when your head hurts), this type of pain often affects women during menopause and after menopause, and men over 40 (sometimes dizziness also occurs) .

1. Learn the 15 causes of a headache

In the case of various types of infections, the pain is sudden and quite severe, sometimes accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light (meningitis). This kind of ailments should not be ignored in any case, you should always consult a doctor, because it may endanger the patient’s life.

In case of headaches, it is worth mentioning the trigeminal neuralgia, which is characterized by unilateral pain that lasts for a short time (we feel as if an electric current passed through us). Although the pains are violent in nature, they pass quickly. The location of the pain corresponds to the innervation of the V (trigeminal) nerve.

In summary, brain tumors are considered a fairly rare but very serious cause of headache. If the headache is accompanied by morning sickness, neurological problems in the form of paresis or sensory disturbances, epilepsy – you should immediately consult a doctor.

Are you seeing disturbing symptoms? Analyze them yourself in the medical questionnaire and decide whether to go to the doctor.

Headache diagnosis

Headache diagnosis is not as simple as it seems, in order to correctly identify its cause, good cooperation between the doctor and the patient is needed. It is important to conduct a medical history, a physical examination and other additional tests are also performed:

1. blood tests. Various blood chemistry tests and other laboratory tests may be performed to check underlying conditions.
2. X-ray of the sinuses. Imaging procedure performed to evaluate blockages or other fixable problems.
3. EEG. This test detects electrical activity in the brain using small electrodes attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate by means of electrical impulses and are active at all times, even when you are asleep. This activity is displayed as wavy lines in the EEG trace. EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy. The EEG may also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders.
4. computed tomography (CT). An imaging study that combines special x-ray equipment with advanced computers to obtain multiple images or photos of the inside of the body. Doctors use CT scans of the brain to detect bleeding from a ruptured or leaky aneurysm, stroke, brain tumors, and diseases or malformations of the skull. With Angio-CT, contrast can be injected intravenously and images of the cerebral vessels obtained. Computed tomography gives more detailed results than general x-rays.
5. Angio-TK. If your doctor suspects you may have an aneurysm, you may have the person subjected to a CT scan of the blood vessels.
6. Lumbar puncture. It involves the removal and analysis of a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid – the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord – from the lumbar (or lower) area of ​​the spine. Doctors use a spinal tap to diagnose infections, including meningitis (infection of the membranes that cover the brain) and the brain (infection of the brain itself), inflammation of the nervous system including Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis, bleeding around the brain (subarachnoid haemorrhage). ) and tumors involving the brain and spinal cord.
7. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A study that uses a strong magnetic field, radio frequency pulses, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs, soft tissues, bones, and virtually every other internal body structure. Doctors use MRI of the brain to study the anatomy of the brain and to help diagnose tumors, developmental abnormalities, problems with blood vessels (such as aneurysms), eye and inner ear disorders, stroke, pituitary gland disease, and certain chronic nervous system disorders such as sclerosis scattered. A congenital condition called Arnold-Chiari syndrome, which can cause headaches, can be easily diagnosed with an MRI.

You can buy magnetic resonance imaging, helpful in the diagnosis of chronic headache, at Medonet Market.

These methods help complete the diagnosis and rule out causes of headache such as epilepsy or a brain tumor. If the headache is typically migraine, it is usually treated by a family doctor with the use of appropriate pharmacological preparations.

Only when additional symptoms such as nausea, numbness, etc. develop, you should immediately see a doctor for additional tests. Headaches that attack suddenly and are often very severe can be disturbing. If you suffer from chronic headaches, make an appointment with an internist who will suggest effective treatments.

Also read: The nine-year-old’s brain “slipped” into the spinal canal. A series of treatments was performed

Pharmacological treatment of headaches

Pharmacological treatment of headaches is temporary and is used during pain attacks. You can use NSAIDs, i.e. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of e.g. ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac or acetylsalicylic acid. If the patient is allergic to this type of preparations (they have gastric and duodenal ulcers), paracetamol in a dose of 1000 mg can be administered.

It should be remembered that the dose of the drug must always be selected individually to the patient’s needs, because otherwise, instead of pain relief, we will develop side effects.

Triptans, i.e. anti-migraine drugs, such as zolmitriptan or sumatriptan, are used to treat migraines. Treatment of cluster headaches is based on three different strategies:

1. combating a single seizure;
2. cluster termination;
3. prevention.

The duration and intensity of tension pain periodically lasts, decreases and increases throughout the patient’s life. In the treatment of this type of ailments, we can use both pharmacological and non-pharmacological agents.

Headache Treatment – Alternative Treatments

There are several alternative forms of headache treatment available. However, it is important that a person consults their doctor before making any significant changes to their treatment or before starting any new treatments.

Some of these approaches include:

1. acupuncture;
2. cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT);
3. herbal and nutritional health products;
4. hypnosis;
5. meditation.

A 2021 study, published in Revista Internacional de Acupuntura, found acupuncture therapy to be more effective than medications in treating chronic tension headaches, similar to a 2018 study published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. Meanwhile, a study published in the same journal, but from 2020. showed that the use of cognitive behavioral therapy reduced the frequency of migraines in children and adolescents.

Some evidence suggests that migraine episodes may be more likely when a person has low levels of magnesium and vitamin D. Although the evidence is inconclusive, migraine sufferers may find that taking 400-500 milligrams of magnesium oxide daily helps prevent these episodes.

Nutrient deficiencies can be due to the quality of a person’s diet, problems with nutrient malabsorption, or other medical conditions.

Home remedies for a headache

Certain care strategies can help prevent headaches or relieve pain. A person suffering from a headache can try:

1. apply a hot compress or ice pack to the head or neck (however extreme temperatures should be avoided and ice should never be applied directly to the skin);
2. avoid stressful situations as much as possible and use healthy coping strategies for inevitable stress;
3. eat regular meals, take care to maintain a stable blood sugar level;
4. get enough sleep thanks to a regular routine and keep the temperature in the bedroom as low as possible, as well as make sure that the room where he sleeps is darkened and silent;
5. exercise regularly to improve overall health and reduce stress;
6. limit alcohol consumption and drink plenty of water;
7. take breaks from work to stretch and prevent eye strain.

Can headaches be prevented?

When headache triggers are known, avoiding them can prevent a headache. Reducing stress can minimize or prevent stress headaches. Migraines and cluster headaches can be prevented by taking preventive medications daily.

Also read: How will you know when stress is having a negative effect on your health? [WE EXPLAIN]

Living with constant headaches

For most of us, the occasional headache is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience during a busy day. Even so, most people can alleviate the problem with simple lifestyle remedies and over-the-counter medications. Relaxation techniques, biofeedback, yoga, and acupuncture can also help. However, for some of us, headaches are a big problem. We should learn to recognize the warning signs that require urgent medical attention. Work with your healthcare provider to develop a program to prevent and treat migraines and other severe headaches. And let us not fall into the trap of drug abuse; for some people, medication overuse headaches are the greatest pain of all.

See also: Relaxation – what it helps, how to do it and how often to use it

Safe methods for headache in pregnant women

If you’re pregnant and have a headache, follow these tips:

1. Try to take a warm bath. It has relaxing and relaxing effects and allows you to calm down. Remember that the bath should not last longer than 15 minutes.

2. Apply cold compresses to the forehead (we recommend using a universal warm-cold compress made of Visiomed Dead Sea mud).

3. Lie down in a ventilated, darkened and quiet room.

4. You can also apply a head massage – massage your face in circular movements, starting from the forehead and ending with the temple. Then you can massage the neck gradually towards the shoulders (it’s best to ask someone to massage you).

5. If you suspect that the headache is due to strain on the spine – sit comfortably and tilt your head to the left, to the shoulder, then count to six (repeat to the right side). Then turn your head to the side and count to six again, return to the starting position and repeat turning your head to the other side.

If you are pregnant, you should consult a doctor for headaches and possible dosing of painkillers. By purchasing a medical subscription, you provide yourself with comprehensive medical care at every stage of pregnancy.