TYPES OF HEADACHES : MIGRAINE, SINUS AND MORE.
WHAT ARE TYPES OF HEADACHES?
Headache – You must be familiar with the term and probably have experienced this in very recent past, did you? Headache are majorly classified into different types of headaches based on the underlying cause. We’ve covered everything from migraine headache, stress driven headaches to spinal and sinus headaches. If you’re one of many people who often suffer with headaches, take a look at information below however we strongly recommend you to consult doctor for diagnosis and treatment of headaches.
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
One of the most common type of recurrent headache people experience is migraine. There are many different triggers that can cause migraine. Changes in hormone levels, sleep patterns, lifestyle cause migraines. Women are most affected than men. Migraine headaches cause severe pain with pulsing sensation usually on one side of the head. Pain most commonly affects forehead area and can last for as long as 72 hours to a week if left untreated. It is best recommended undergo headache treatment.
When the pain lasts longer they are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound and sleep disorders. Migraines are now considered as brain disorders caused due to vasodilation of cranial nerves that emerge from brain. Vasodilation is widening of blood vessels which results in low supply of blood to the brain.
Migraine symptoms appear a couple of days before the occurrence of headache. Food cravings, depression, fatigue, short temper are commonly noticed in this stage.
TENSION HEADACHES
Most common headaches likely caused by contraction of muscles around the skull. When the muscles are stressed, they contract and cause pain. Tension headaches usually last from few minutes to several hours. Pain can be felt on both sides of the head with pressure felt at the temples or over the eyebrows. Most common causes of tension headaches are stress, depression, physical stress, eye strain, dehydration or lack of sleep or even if you’re undergoing sleep disorder treatment.
Tension headaches can be episodic or chronic: Episodic tension headaches occur frequently and can last from 30 minutes to several hours. Chronic headaches lasts for several hours and occurs more than 15 days a month. Frequent episodic headaches become chronic.
Tension headaches can be managed by healthy lifestyle. If the pain occurs frequently and interferes with daily activities or requires taking medication twice a week, consult a doctor. If the pain is accompanied by stiffness in neck, numbness, change in vision, confusion, see a neurologist immediately.
CLUSTER HEADACHES
Cluster headaches are series of relatively short headaches with sharp pain around eye or one side of face. They occur on a daily basis for weeks or months followed by pain free period for years. They tend to occur same time everyday. When a patient experiencing cluster headache is examined, abnormal activity has been found in the hypothalamus. The cause of cluster headaches may be due to a sudden release of the chemicals histamine and serotonin in the brain. Cluster headaches are common symptoms among patient who will be further undergo brain haemorrhage treatment.
SINUS HEADACHES
Sinuses are air-filled spaces with a thin layer of mucus inside your forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of your nose. Sinus headaches occur when the passages are filled with more mucus and the passages that drain them gets blocked causing nasal congestion. As mucus cannot drain, pressure builds up in sinuses which causes sinus headaches.
Sinus headaches occur due to allergies or an infection from Viruses, bacteria, or fungi that causes inflammation of sinuses. Discomfort or pain in forehead, cheekbones, nose bridge are common symptoms which is worsened by slightly moving or turning head around. Sinus headaches can be relieved by decreasing the pressure buildup in sinuses by allowing the mucus to drain.
HORMONE HEADACHES
Many women experience headaches due to changes in hormone levels during menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. Decreasing estrogen levels are known to cause headaches.
MENSTRUAL HEADACHE:
Estrogen levels fall before the start of menstruation triggering headaches before and during menstruation
PREGNANCY HEADACHE:
Estrogen levels also decrease during pregnancy and headaches gets worse until first trimester. With minimal Headache treatment usually improve after first trimester. During second and third trimester, estrogen and progesterone levels rise lessening the symptoms.
POSTPARTUM HEADACHE:
Headache is a common complaint post delivery due to decline in hormone levels.
MENOPAUSE HEADACHES:
As menopause approaches, hormone levels fluctuate causing irregular menstrual cycles and headaches, which usually improve after menopause.
SPINAL HEADACHES
With rising spinal issues such as Sciatica nerve pain more popularly among millennials, Spinal care has boomed in recent years. Spinal headaches are caused by leakage of spinal fluid from the dura mater surrounding the spinal cord. The leakage decreases the pressure exerted by spinal fluid on brain and spinal cord causing headache. Most spinal headaches proceed after a spinal anesthesia or lumbar puncture involving puncture of tough membrane surrounding spinal cord. It usually appears within 48 hours of lumbar intervention and doctors attention is required if the pain gets worse.
We hope that above information given some insights into type of headaches. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, we strongly recommend to seek neurology consultation from a qualified doctor. At Neehar Neuro centre, Dr Neehar potluri and team work hard to provide utmost neurocare to the patients and help community stay healthier. If you’re looking for Headache treatment, book an appointment with best neurologist in hyderabad Dr Neehar Potluri by contacting us or give us call on +91 8881988859.