Darrick Robles You can treat most types of headache yourself – on the one hand with medication, on the other hand through lifestyle changes. This guide is designed to help you identify the nature and cause of your headaches and start relieving them on your own. doctor dr. Rhianna McClymont gives self-help tips and explains when you should see a doctor.
overview
- Headaches can be an indication of high blood pressure .
- Women often suffer from hormonal headaches or migraines.
- Caffeine withdrawal or overuse of painkillers can also trigger headaches.
If you regularly suffer from headaches , you are not alone. About 50-75% of us have had a headache at least once in the past year. In most cases, headaches are nothing to worry about. Once you find out what type of headache you have and what triggers it, you can usually easily avoid or treat it yourself.
“But definitely see a doctor if your headache doesn’t go away, if you’re concerned, or if your headache is severe enough to interfere with your daily activities,” recommends Dr. Rhianna McClymont, Physician at Med-Healths.
In this guide you will find the most common types of headaches as well as tips for self-help:
1. Tension headache
How they feel: You have mild to moderate pain in both halves of your head, your neck muscles may be tense, you may also have a feeling of pressure behind your eyes.
Where they come from: stress, poor posture, squinting, overuse from VDU work , fatigue, dehydration, skipped meals, lack of physical activity, bright sunlight, noise and certain odors
What you can do about it: “Tension headaches are usually treatable with over-the-counter pain relievers,” says Dr. McClymont. “With lifestyle changes, you can actually prevent tension headaches from occurring in the first place. Everything that reduces stress is helpful , e.g. Think yoga, meditation, massage, or exercise.” Also, make sure you take screen breaks, eat regularly, and make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day .
2. Cluster headaches
How they feel: These headaches come on suddenly and the pain is severe, usually a sharp, stabbing, or burning sensation in one side of the head.
Cluster headaches are more common in men than women. The pain often occurs around the eyes, temples and sometimes on the face. One or more other symptoms may also occur, such as B. a red, watery eye, a drooping or swollen eyelid, a smaller pupil in one eye, a sweaty face, or a stuffy or runny nose on one side. The attacks usually last between 15 minutes and 3 hours and can occur in daily flares over a period of 4 to 12 weeks.
Where they come from: The exact causes are not known. However, it is believed that a genetic factor may play a role. Smokers are also at greater risk. The seizures can be triggered by alcohol and strong smells such as perfume, paint or petrol.
What to do about it: “Be sure to see a doctor if you think you may have cluster headaches,” recommends Dr. McClymont. “This type of headache often requires specialist treatment by a neurologist.”
3. Migraines
How it feels: Migraines affect 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men, the main symptom being a moderate to severe, throbbing, unilateral headache. Migraines can also have other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and sensitivity to sounds and smells.
Some people have visual disturbances (flashes of light) before the onset of the migraine (migraine with aura), but most often there are no warning signs. With an ocular migraine, visual disturbances such as flashing lights, flickering, flickering, and other symptoms occur, but there is usually no headache. Seizures last between 4 and 72 hours.
Where it comes from: Some people have a genetic predisposition to migraine attacks. Migraines are believed to be the result of abnormal brain activity that temporarily affects nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain.
Possible triggers include:
- psychological factors (e.g. stress, fear, tension)
- physical factors (such as fatigue, neck and shoulder tension, or low blood sugar levels)
- dietary factors (eg, alcohol, dehydration, or certain foods that contain the substance tyramine found in cured meats, smoked fish, and strong and aged cheeses)
- hormonal and environmental factors (eg, bright lights, sounds, smells)
- certain medicines (such as hormone replacement therapy and the combination pill for birth control).
What you can do about it: “You should see a doctor if your migraines are particularly severe or occur regularly,” recommends Dr. McClymont. “There are several prescription medications for migraines that can help relieve symptoms or prevent them from occurring.” Of course, it’s also important to know and avoid your migraine triggers .
4. Sinus headache
How they feel: You’ll feel pressure or throbbing in the area of your cheeks, eyes, and forehead. You may also have facial pain.
Where they come from: Sinus headaches are usually caused by sinusitis – a swelling of the sinuses that is usually caused by an infection. Other symptoms include a stuffy or runny nose , reduced sense of smell, fever , toothache, and yellowish or green nasal discharge.
What you can do about it: “Sinus headaches can usually be treated well at home, e.g. B. by getting plenty of rest, inhaling, taking painkillers and drinking enough,” explains Dr. McClymont. However, you should see a doctor at the latest if you have had a sinus headache for more than 3 weeks. There are prescription medications that can help you.”
5. Drug-induced headache (rebound headache)
How it feels: It is often a dull pain that is reminiscent of a tension headache. However, severe pain can also occur.
Where it comes from: Medication-induced headaches can occur with regular overuse of pain relievers, usually over-the-counter analgesics (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen). It is believed that once the drug wears off in the bloodstream, the headache that was suppressed by the drug “returns”. In addition, the effectiveness of the medication decreases the more frequently you take it. As a result, the pain-free phases become shorter and shorter and the headaches occur more and more frequently.
What you can do about it: Reducing stress can help you stop headaches. However, you must stop taking the painkillers. If you need help with this or are not yet sure whether medication is the cause of your headache, please do not hesitate to contact our doctors.
6. Pain from caffeine withdrawal
How they feel: You have a severe, throbbing headache. Irritability, anxiety, and nausea may also occur.
Where they come from: If you drink coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages regularly and then stop, you may experience symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, which include headaches. This is because caffeine constricts blood vessels. If you stop consuming caffeine, the vessels dilate again – and the increased blood flow can trigger headaches. Other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include anxiety, irritability, nausea, and muscle pain.
What you can do about it: Symptoms usually subside over the course of a few days as the brain adjusts to the changes in blood flow resulting from reduced caffeine consumption. If you are looking to reduce your caffeine intake or eliminate caffeine altogether , you should gradually reduce it over a 6-week period rather than stopping abruptly.
7. Hormonal headaches
How They Feel: During certain phases of your cycle, you may experience moderate to severe headaches or migraines.
Where they come from: Many women get headaches when their hormonal balance changes. Menstrual migraines can B. occur a few days before and during the period. The trigger is often the falling estrogen level. The hormonal changes that occur with the approach of menopause or in the first few weeks of pregnancy can also trigger headaches.
What you can do about it: Keep a headache diary to help you track your headaches. Note in which phase of the cycle they occur, e.g. B. before the start of the period. Lifestyle changes such as Eating balanced blood sugar levels through regular meals containing healthy protein and complex carbohydrates, reducing stress, and regular exercise can help bring hormones back into balance.
Talk to your doctor if you think that taking hormones like birth control pills is making your symptoms worse.
8. Pain due to high blood pressure
How they feel: You usually feel a pulsating, throbbing pain in both sides of your head.
Where it comes from: Most people don’t know they have high blood pressure because they don’t have any obvious symptoms. However, headaches can indicate high blood pressure. Other symptoms such as nausea , vomiting , fatigue, confusion, and nosebleeds may also occur. The ideal blood pressure is a systolic value below 120 mmHg and a diastolic value below 80 mmHg. Values above 140/90 mmHg are considered too high and can indicate a disease.
What you can do about it: “If you have a headache caused by high blood pressure, you need to treat the cause,” explains Dr. McClymont. Losing weight, exercising moderately, reducing stress, and eating healthier can help. However, if your blood pressure is too high, your doctor will prescribe medication. Get medical help if you suspect high blood pressure is causing your headache.
9. Stress headaches
How it feels: You suffer from moderate to severe, throbbing pain that occurs during or after exercise.
Where they come from: Stresses that can trigger these headaches include walking, bending over and lifting, as well as coughing, sneezing, and even having sex.
What you can do about it: “A new onset stress-related headache can sometimes be a sign of an underlying problem in the brain,” says Dr. McClymont. “So if you suddenly have a stress-related headache, you should see a doctor—especially if you’ve never had it before.”
When to go to the doctor
dr McClymont recommends consulting a doctor in the following cases:
- For any new headache that has persisted for a few weeks without improvement or that is particularly severe and interferes with your everyday life
- If you suffer from headaches that wake you up in the middle of the night, get worse when you lie down, make you vomit, or occur when you cough or exert yourself.
When is it an emergency?
You should call an ambulance or rescue service immediately in these cases:
- For sudden headaches that occur together with neurological disorders (hemiparalysis, stiff neck, tightness in the throat, numbness, loss of consciousness).
- When a headache comes on suddenly and with an unusual intensity (often described as a death headache), as this type of headache can be caused by a sudden brain haemorrhage.
