Know Your Headache

Know Your Headache

What is Headache?
Headache, also known as cephalalgia, is the symptom of pain anywhere in the region of the head.
Approximately 64-77% of people have a headache at some point in their lives.

How does it occur?
1. Traction or dilatation of intracranial or extracranial arteries.
2. Traction of large extracranial veins
3. Compression, traction or inflammation of nerves
4. Spasm and trauma to head muscles.
5. Meningeal irritation and raised intracranial pressure
6. Disturbance of intracerebral serotonergic projections

Causes

May include fatigue, sleep deprivation, stress, the effects of medications, the effects of recreational drugs, viral infections, common colds, head injury, rapid ingestion of a very cold food or beverages, and dental or sinus issues.

There are more than 200 types of headaches. Some are harmless and some are life-threatening. Harmless headache are migraines, tension-type headaches, and cluster headaches

Migraine
If you are having migraine you may feel moderate to severe pain which is pulsating or throbbing type and it occurs 2 to 3 times a week which stays for 4 to 72 hours.It usually occurs on one side but it can swap between attacks. You may feel aura, nausea, vomiting and you will be sensitive to light, sound and smells. Sufferers seek rest in a dark, quiet room.
It is twice more common in females than males.

What Happens during migraine?
Tension-type headache - If you are suffering from tension headache you will feel pain mostly everyday on both side of head, whole head,and neck.it feels pressure and tightness in head.You wont have light and sound sensitivity.
Acupuncture is probably not helpful for tension-type headaches.

Cluster headaches
If you are having excruciating, penetrating, continuous, non-throbbing type of pain you may be suffering from cluster headache. Pain may persist for 15 to 180 minutes.It is periodical type of headache, like you may feel pain on the particular time or on season or on same clock time on each day. Rest of the time the pain will be absent. It is more common in middle aged male smoker.

What triggers your headache?
Foods: spices, wine , chocolate, citrus
Food additives: monosodium glutamate
Sleep: both too much and too little
Stress: mainly offset
Female hormones: fluctuating or falling oestrogen

Secondary Headache-

1. Systemic Infection
2. Head Injury
3. Vascular/ bleeding
4. Brain tumour

Home remedies
People often use over-the-counter medicines or prescription pain killers to get relief from headaches. But there are many natural remedies that can treat your headache quickly and easily.

Stay Hydrated

• Mix equal parts of ginger juice and lemon juice. Consume it once or twice a day.
• Menthol and menthone are the primary components of mint which are very effective in alleviating headaches.
• Peppermint contains menthol that helps open up clogged blood vessels that cause headaches. It also has calming and soothing effects.
• Basil works as a muscle relaxant, making it a helpful treatment for mild headaches caused by tense muscles. Plus, it has calming and analgesic effects.
• Simply smelling the soothing scent of lavender essential oil can be of great help in relieving tension headaches. Research suggests that it can also help improve migraine symptoms.
• The cold from ice helps reduce inflammation that contributes to headaches. Plus, it has a numbing effect on the pain.
• Simply massage your forehead and temples with a few drops of rosemary oil mixed in a tablespoon of carrier oil.
• Crush a few cloves gently and put them in a sachet or a clean handkerchief. Inhale the smell of the crushed cloves whenever you have a headache until you get some relief from the pain.
• Simply eat an apple with some salt.
• Accupuncture: Press and massage the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger, at the highest spot of the muscle when both the thumb and finger are brought close together. Do this for one or two minutes and then repeat on the other hand.

Exercise
Regular exercise can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines. When one exercises, the body releases endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. Exercise reduces stress and helps individuals to sleep at night. Stress and inadequate sleep are two migraine triggers.

Homeopathic treatment
In order to prescribe a homeopathic remedy, it is crucial to discover what is unique about the way an individual experiences a headache. For example, all migraine sufferers may experience nausea, but a particular individual may feel thirsty for cold drinks with the headache. Thirst for cold drinks is the characteristic symptom that sets one migraine sufferer apart from others.

There are hundreds of possible remedies for the treatment of headaches, so the key is finding which homeopathic remedy most closely matches your symptoms.
Belladonna, Glonoine, Sanguinaria, Nux Vomica etc are the medicines for the headache.

Facts-
First Headache is worst headache.
Sudden onset headache is a red flag.
In 99.9% of people with headache there is no sign of tissue damage.
Injuring the brain itself does not cause pain - it causes altered brain function, however the membrane and blood vessels of the brain are very pain sensitive.