One of the main reasons of a severe headache is a prolonged toothache. Toothaches are extremely painful and can prevent you from enjoying your food. It becomes difficult to speak if toothache is unbearable.

Causes of Toothache:

Tooth decay.

Tooth fracture resulting from an accident.

A painful infection at the root of your teeth or your gums. This is known as tooth abscess.

Chewing gum continuously and grinding the teeth.

How does toothache cause headache?

Sometimes, a tooth becomes very inflamed and since the nerve endings are connected to the brain, this, in turn makes the pain travel to different parts of your head. Generally, people with bad cavities or caries have major headaches and migraines.

The inside of a tooth consists of a pulp. This pulp can get infected. If this tooth happens to lie in the upper jaw, then the pain is transferred to the head which can cause a severe headache.

Headaches can also be caused by TMJD (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction). This usually occurs spreading from the face, jawline and neck right up to the head. In extreme cases, the jaws might be locked up and it makes clicking or grinding noises. Misalignment of the teeth can be a cause by TMJD which in turn affects the head greatly.

Treatments:

If you are detected with TMJD, your jaws need to be healed, first thing you should do is to visit an expert dentist in order to get the underlying cause of toothache treated. It is always recommended to get a proper treatment started, do not emphasize the use of self-medications.
If the headache persists due to toothache, it is advisable to take a painkiller as prescribed by your dentist.
Use an ice pack or a towel dipped in cold icy water, and hold it against the area of toothache. Do not put ice directly on your tooth as it might increase the pain ten folds due to tooth sensitivity.
You can also apply numbing gel so that your tooth stops hurting. This in turn, will make your headache reduce.
Toothache is also caused by small amounts of food which get stuck inside your teeth or between your gums, so it is necessary to clean your teeth thoroughly and floss it regularly to avoid toothache.
Avoid chocolates and sweets. If you still get a cavity, you should visit your dentist immediately.
Dental abscess also causes headache. In this situation, a root canal treatment is recommended.

How Toothache And Headache Are Related?

Headaches on their own are quite a pain, but headaches can also be a symptom of a more serious illness. Most headaches are caused by the disturbance of pain sensitive structures around the brain. This can be inside or outside the cranium. Headaches can be seen as a sign of stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, food allergies etc. Thus, it can be considered a warning that you need to change your lifestyle or diet and relax. Depending on what causes the headache, a number of homeopathic remedies can be used to treat it.

1. Aconite: this is effective if the headache comes on suddenly and is worsened by cold. Another symptom of headache, which can be effectively treated by aconite is the accompanying of the headache by the feeling of a tight band over the head.

2. Belladonna: a throbbing headache that is centered on the front or right side of the head can be treated with belladonna. This sort of headache is usually accompanied by shooting pains, dilated pupils and aggravated by the slightest movement, sound or draft of air. It is also usually worse in the afternoons.

3. Nux vomica: this is an effective cure for headaches caused by excessive alcohol or coffee, indigestion and hepatic insufficiency. It is usually centered over the eye and can persist all day or all night.

4. Cocculus: symptoms of headaches that can be treated with cocculus are first, pain that extends from the back of the head to the nape of the neck, motion sickness and a tendency to worsen by thinking too much. Such types of headaches improve when the patient is indoors and resting.

5. Sanguinaria: a headache, which begins at the back of the head and settles over the right eye can be treated with sanguinaria. These headaches usually start in the morning and intensify as the day progresses. It is often experienced by women who bleed excessively during menstruation. Lying down can relive this sort of headache.

6. Spigelia: a headache that settles over the left eye can be treated with spigelia. Such headaches usually begin in the morning, reach their peak in the afternoons and subside by the evenings. Noise, movement or a change in weather can aggravate such headaches.

7. Cimicifuga: headaches caused by fatigue and exhaustion can be treated using cimicifuga. This sort of pain is associated with sharp pains over the years and a shooting pain at the top of the head. You may feel like a bolt being driven through the head.

How Homeopathy Helps in Relieving Headache

What is it?

Headache is a pain in any part of the head, including the scalp, upper neck, face (including the eye area).

A primary headache is caused by problems with or overactivity of pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease.

What are the causes and triggers?

The three most common causes of a primary headache are:

1. Cluster headache
2. Tension-type headache
3. Migraine

Some primary headaches can be triggered by lifestyle factors, including:

1. Alcohol, particularly red wine
2. Certain foods, such as processed meats that contain nitrates
3. Changes in sleep or lack of sleep
4. Poor posture
5. Skipped meals
6. Stress
Doctors focus on determining whether a headache has another cause. They also check for symptoms suggesting that a headache is caused by a serious disorder. If no cause is identified, they focus on identifying which type of a headache is present.

Tips that could help before seeking consultation:

1. Try to keep stress in check. Stay organized and prepared to minimize stressful situations. Have some fun, and don't overdo it at work.
2. Try incorporating meditation or yoga in your daily regime
3. Apply a heating pad, hot water bottle or warm compress to aching muscles. Or take a hot shower.
4. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the neck.
5. Practice good posture to ease muscle strain. While standing, keep shoulders back and head level, buttocks, and abdomen pulled in. While sitting, keep your head straight and thighs parallel to the floor.
When to seek consultation?

In people with headaches, certain characteristics are cause for concern; these people should immediately seek medical consultation:

   1. It occurs more frequently than usual
   2. Are more severe than usual
   3. Worsen or don't improve with appropriate use of over-the-counter drugs
    4. Prevent you from working, sleeping or participating in normal activities
    5. Headaches that cause you distress, and you would like to find treatment options that enable you to control them better
    6. Tenderness at the temple (as when combing hair) or jaw pain when chewing
    7. The presence of cancer or a disorder that weakens the immune system
    8. Use of a drug that suppresses the immune system
    9. Red eyes and halos seen around lights
   10. If you are experiencing certain other symptoms like- headaches that increase in frequency or severity, headaches that begin after age 50, worsening vision, weight loss

A headache can be a symptom of a serious condition, such as a stroke, meningitis or encephalitis. Go to a hospital emergency room or your local emergency number if you have the worst headache of your life, a sudden, severe headache or a headache accompanied by:    
   1. Confusion or trouble understanding speech
   2. Fainting, drowsiness, confusion
   3. High fever, greater than 102 f to 104 f (39 c to 40 c)
   4. Numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of your body
   5. Stiff neck
   6. Trouble seeing, speaking or walking
   7. Nausea or vomiting (if not clearly related to the flu or a hangover)

If people with none of the above symptoms or characteristics start having headaches that are different from any they have had before or if their usual headaches become unusually severe, they should call their doctor.

Doctors can usually determine the type or cause of headaches based on the medical history, symptoms, and results of a physical examination. Depending on their other symptoms, the doctor may advise taking an analgesic or ask them to come for an evaluation.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Headache - Certain facts one should know

Extreme and sudden changes in temperature as well as exposure to such conditions can harm the body and lead us to fall sick. One such condition caused by extreme temperatures is the heat headache, which is a result of prolonged heat exposure. When there is excessive heat, the body can end up reacting with heat strokes, dehydration and headaches, among many other conditions. Thankfully, a holistic approach like homeopathy has the exact solution for such kind of problem. Read on to know more!

Aconite: This medicine is most helpful when there has been direct exposure of the head to the heat. When there is direct exposure to the rays of the sun, the head may end up developing debilitating headaches, which can be treated with this medicine.
Carbo Veg: Along with heat headaches, the patients who will require this medicine will also have symptoms like flatulence and pain in the upper abdomen area. Also, the patient will have a constant need for air conditioning and cool breeze.
Glonine: This medicine is usually helpful when the patient has gone through a sun stroke. High temperature is one of the symptoms of this condition along with persistent heat headaches. Drowsiness will also be experienced by patients in such cases. This medicine mainly treats congestive headaches that have been caused due to a sun stroke.
Natrum Carb: This medicine is used for treating the symptoms of sun strokes that result in intense headaches caused due to exposure to extreme heat. Also, it is a good medicine to use when there is exhaustion and exposure to other chemicals like gas light.
Bryonia: When the patient is dehydrated and demands water constantly along with the heat headaches, one can use this medicine. The patient will require plenty of water and rest along with this medicine.
Belladona: This medicine can be prescribed for patients who are experiencing shooting pains on the intense and violent side in the head. These kinds of headaches also cause symptoms like cold feet and blood shot eyes. Belladona can be used to soothe these symptoms.
Antimonium Crud: The symptoms that this medicine can cure include abdomen pain, indigestion, aches and pains in the head   all of which are caused due to a sun stroke and heat headaches. When the heat headaches have been caused due to hot drinks and a hot bath, this medicine can be used for treatment of the same.
Lachesis: This medicine can be used for treating heat headaches that are accompanied by symptoms like faint headedness, dizzy spells as well as the inability to sleep. These symptoms are usually caused by a sun stroke.

Heat Headache - 8 Homeopathic Remedies For It!

Headache is one of the most common maladies which refers to a pain sensation in the head. It may itself be an ailment or may be the symptom of any other illness. Headaches can last for a short time or may persist up to several weeks depending on its cause or type. Many reasons can trigger headache. 

The following are eight reasons why you might get that headache

Stress: Physical stress or emotional stress can be identified as one of the most common causes for your headache. Tension, anxiety and depression may trigger a headache. This is also known as tension headache. In this condition, the muscles of your scalp, neck, face and jaw tighten, thus causing pain. Fatigue may also lead to this type of headache.
Eye problems: Sometimes eye problems may be the cause of your headache. Diseases such as glaucoma can cause headache. Straining your eyes for seeing distant objects or glaring at your computer screen for long can also result in headache.
Eating and sleeping pattern: Change in eating and sleeping pattern can also cause headache. Inadequate sleep or caffeine withdrawal can give you terrible headache sometimes.
Ear, nose or throat disorders: Ear, nose or throat problems can also give rise to headache. Sinus caused by cold or infection, tonsillitis or throat infections can also prompt a headache.
Medication: Excessive use of medication can be a factor responsible for your headache. This is also known as rebound headache.
Dental problems: Jaw or dental problems sometimes may trigger a mild headache which can turn severe also. The alignment of lower and upper jaw, tooth decay may be some of the causes for headache.
Hormonal problems: Sometimes a decline of your estrogen levels can also be a reason for your headache.
Bad posture: Sometimes, poor posture may strain the muscles of your back and neck, triggering a headache.
Headache can be very annoying. Sometimes pain relief medicines help in controlling headache, but consuming them regularly may affect your health. You must consult a doctor in order to get your headache treated in a proper manner.

8 Reasons Why You Might Get that Headache

Migraine vs. Headache: know the difference

How to differentiate between a migraine and headache?

When you feel pain or pressure in your head, it may become difficult for you to assess whether you are experiencing a common headache or a migraine. Let's understand how different they are from each other.

A typical headache usually affects both sides of your head and varies from a mild to moderate pain. It can last from 30 minutes to up to a period of one week.

Some specific areas which get affected by a headache are:

  temples

  forehead

  back of your neck

Factors that trigger this headache type are a muscle strain, stress or anxiety. 

A migraine, on the other hand, is also a type of a headache which results in an acute throbbing sensation in one part of your head. Usually, migraine headaches are highly painful. Migraine pain makes it difficult for a person to carry out his/her daily tasks. Symptoms or signs associated with migraine attacks are:

  vomiting

  nausea 

  sensitivity to sound or light

  pain in the temples

  temporary loss of vision

  pain behind your ear or eye

What are the common causes of a migraine?

  hormonal imbalances in women - fluctuations in oestrogen, especially during menopause or pregnancy seem to trigger a migraine

  drinks like wine and extremely caffeinated beverages 

  foods such as salty foods, aged cheese as well as processed foods can trigger the migraine attack.

  medications - vasodilators such as nitroglycerine and oral contraceptives can intensify migraine pain.

How to treat a headache?

Fortunately, you can get rid of stress-induced headaches through over-the-counter treatments, which include:

  aspirin

  acetaminophen

  ibuprofen

How to treat a migraine?

If you experience migraine attacks less frequently, these medicines may give you quick relief:

  triptans, such as rizatriptan (Maxalt) or almotriptan (Axert)

  antinausea medicines, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), promethazine (Phenergan) or prochlorperazine (Compazine)

  non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, aspirin or ibuprofen

Some preventive tips:

  make changes in your diet such as avoid such foods, including caffeine and alcohol which are believed to trigger headaches.

  you can also try muscle relaxation exercises, yoga or meditation to ease the migraine attack. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 8 Common Migraine Triggers You Must Stay Away From

Migraine Vs. Headache: Know the Difference

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