Many people experience headache disorders and their causes and symptoms are different. Globally, in every general population, there is a prevalence of 48.9% where some headaches are short-lived while others may last for two weeks and more days. Having a headache can be a disturbing and painful condition just like other diseases.
Types of headache disorders
There are two types of headache disorders and they include primary and secondary.
Primary headache
The primary headaches are caused by biological disorders within the brain without any medical condition. It can be overactivity of some parts of the brain which leads to pain in the head and neck. When the chemical processes in the brain and blood vessels around the skull are distracted, they can cause pain-sensitive reactions.
The most common types of primary headaches include cluster headache, migraine, tension-type headache (TTH).
Migraines
It is a primary disorder that affects the peopleabove adolescent to 45 years. Several studies show it is common in women because of hormonal imbalances. A person who has suffered from migraine tends to experience throbbing pain at one side of the head and especially back. At other times, it could be moderate and can happen within 2 to 3 days. It is caused by the triggering of the brain making it produce pain inflammatory feelings in the nerves and blood vessels of the head. The other triggers of migraines are anxiety, dehydration and poor sleep, and eye-straining.
Cluster headaches
The cluster headaches occur hastily and lasts between 15 minutes to 3 hours characterized by a regular headache that occurs around the eye. A person can experience several clusters of attacks within a single day. It is not common, and it affects one person in every 1000 people. The people in the age of twenties and above are prone to cluster headaches. The symptoms of cluster headache include: red watering eyes, feeling restless, running nose, and a swollen eyelid. Studies show that cluster headaches occur mostly in smokers and alcoholic people.
Secondary headache
Secondary headaches occur due to another underlying condition in the body that triggers the pain-sensitive nerves in the head. This type of headaches is caused by many factors and they include: arterial tears, sinus infection, blood clot, brain tumor among other conditions.
Medication-overuse headaches
The medication overuse headaches are characterized by chronic daily headaches as a result of excessively or regular and long-term intake of medication to treat minor headaches such as migraines. The signs of this disorder vary depending on the nature of the headache and the medication used. The symptoms of medication-overuse headaches are nausea, irritability, memory problems, restlessness, and difficulty in concentration. The most suitable way to stop Moh is to visit a doctor so that he can advise and prescribe a discontinuation technique that could be behavioral, physical therapy, and the provision of drugs.
Head-injury headaches
A person can be involved in an accident and sustain an injury in the head. When a head injury headache is diagnosed, it cannot be treated with a painkiller. Extensive head-injury headaches may require surgery or a special category of drugs.
Signs of head injury include unconscious, memory loss, vision, and hearing problems.
There are also other types of secondary headaches and they include: menstrual headaches, hangover headaches, caffeine-related headaches, and sinus headaches.
If you experience a headache, the best thing is to visit a doctor for a checkup and a proper diagnosis carried out. It is pivotal to share a true picture of your activities and record of past activities. This will enable the doctor to check your medical history and direct you for specific tests that will reveal the cause of the headache. Once the cause of the headache is recognized, the doctor will guide you on starting the most effective treatment.
