Posts Tagged ‘migraines’

Are These Tension Headaches?

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Everybody knows what a headache is from personal experience, but some individuals suffer from headaches a lot more often that others or what may be considered usual. There are quite a few different forms of headache, but by far the largest group is that of tension headaches.

Most individuals who have had a tension headache describe it as like having a very tight headband on. A trait of tension headaches is that the pain encircles the whole head: front, back and sides. However, the pain can also be in the back of the neck and even in the shoulder blades or collar bone area.

Usually, the pain is fairly mild when compared with other kinds of headaches. Tension headaches most often last for about thirty minutes, but they can go on for days non-stop or they can come and go for a long period of time.

There is also a chronic form of this sort of headache called chronic tension headache, which roughly means that the sufferer has the headache for more than fifteen days a month for a period of seven months.

Because the word ‘tension headache’ is a sort of blanket term, the way that individuals experience it can vary quite a lot. Some individuals take it in their stride and others find it a real hindrance to their lives. A great deal of individuals experience these headaches from the early morning or even as soon as they wake up.

Some of the indications sufferers of tension headaches have reported are: insomnia, which brings tiredness and frequently irritability with it; inability to concentrate; loss of appetite and painful neck and shoulder muscles.

These headaches have nothing in common with migraine (except that the pain is in the head). The two types of tension headache are called: episodic and chronic.

You can try to cure episodic headaches if you feel the need to on an ad hoc basis with either tablets or tension relief techniques. Typical headache tablets are aspirin and paracetamol. Typical tension relief methods are yoga and meditation.

Sufferers from the chronic form of tension headache, however, should seek medical advice in order to find out if their is a significant underlying cause for the condition. Occasionally, the cures people take can be the cause of their illness acquiring worse.

Unfortunately, some people who suffer from episodic headaches frequently take so much medicine that it aggravates the condition. In this case, ceasing taking headache tablets can reduce the number of headaches you get.

Women suffer from tension headaches more frequently than men do and middle-aged women more often than other age ranges which has led to speculation that a general cause could be hormonal. However, there are so many possible causes that it is hard to say.

Some people find that some foodstuffs trigger a headache occasionally. Coffee or anything containing caffeine is cited as one. Dairy food has also been blamed by individuals; alcohol by others. If you suffer headaches more frequently than your friends, try keeping a diary of what you have been eating for a week or two and note when you have the headaches. Is there a pattern? If you cannot sort it out by not eating certain foodstuffs, go to the doctor, but take your notes with you too.

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Are There Sexual Headaches?

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Although orgasm is usually a pleasurable and happy experience for most people, it can be painful for others who find that it starts coital headaches. For these people, sexual activity can actually cause these coital headache attacks.

Technically, a headache, or cephalalgia, is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes the neck too. They can be classified into two main categories: primary or idiopathic, and symptomatic, although there are other ways of classifying them too; for example by severity.

Put simply, primary headaches have a known or unknown cause, whereas symptomatic headaches are often caused by injury. Primary headaches include: migraine, tension headaches, cluster headaches and coital headaches, amongst others.

Coital headaches, also called coital cephalalgia or sexual headaches, is a rare, but severe form of headache that begins in the nape of the neck during sexual intercourse, but before climax. It can happen in all conditions where climax is the expected result. The pain can move to behind the eyes and can then become even worse. Typically the pain will last from a few minutes to an hour or so, but some cases have been known to last for days in the worst examples.

Men are three times more at risk to coital headaches than women and the age groups most at risk are those between 20 and 25 and 30 and 44. Nobody really understands why this should be. Coital headaches affect about one percent of the population, although this figure could be a lot higher due to people being embarrassed to talk about it.

Moreover, coital headaches are benign, which means that they have no long-term adverse consequences, so far as doctors know. It seems that people taking sexual stimulants, like Cialis, are roughly 10% more at risk to a coital headache. In deed, apart from the obvious, temporary pain, the worst issues of coital headaches are varying degrees of dizziness, confusion and stiffness of neck.

However, it is still worth seeing a doctor though, especially in the beginning, just to exclude the more serious causes of headaches, such as brain tumours and blood clots. However, the doctor can do rather little to help by way of cure. He may suggest a complete abstention from any kind of sexual practice for a period ranging from days to weeks or he may suggest trying taking medication some time before sexual foreplay begins.

Some of the headache medications that may be taken are indomethacin, imitrex, zomig and propranolol, although if the headaches persist, your doctor could recommend daily preventive medication. People suffering from frequent coital headaches may experience a positive response to migraine preventive medications, such as beta blockers or verapamil. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen may also be helpful. Coital headaches and migraines are also more likely to occur if the person is in poor physical shape.

However, the treatment for coital headaches for many people can be as simple as bringing your weight up or down to the normal weight for your size. Coital headaches can also be cured in some sufferers by an increased level of exercise, although this could bring on exertion headaches in a few cases.

The good news is though that most headaches related to sex are not serious in nature. In fact, various studies actually suggest that orgasm can relieve headaches and migraine in some cases. This implies that for some adults, refusing sex may actually be the reason that prevents headache treatment.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches.

What Are Chronic Tension Headaches?

Friday, August 20th, 2010

There are so many sorts of headache and headaches are so common, that there is a very good chance that everyone you know has had them or still gets them. The reasons why people have headaches are just as wide-ranging. It could be stress, over-medication, migraine, lack of calories or tension. One of the worst kinds is chronic tension headaches.

A normal tension headache feels as if a strap is being done up tightly around your forehead, but they do not have a tendency to last very long and they are few and far between. A chronic tension headache is the same, but it may come every day or even several times a day. A headache is classed as a chronic tension headache if you get a tension headache more than fifteen times in a month for several consecutive months.

Therefore, if you think that you are suffering from this type of headache, start to write notes in a diary. When? Where? How bad? How long it lasted? And anything else that you think may be relevant, like what you have eaten or done that day and the day before. You may become aware of a connection to work or diet.

Some sufferers describe the pain as like having a very tight belt wrapped around their head, others say the feeling of constriction goes down as far as their shoulders. In general, sufferers of tension and chronic tension headaches are in agreement, that the pain is strongest in the forehead, then along the sides of the head and sometimes at the back as well.

They say that the normal level of pain is a dull ache which can be mild to moderate in intensity. It is more of a nagging, always-on pain than a sharp, distracting pain.

Chronic tension headaches seem to be early risers, that is, some people wake up with them and others say that they begin just after they get up in the morning. It is as if the thought of the day ahead is just too much too bear. The pain can get worse at certain periods of the day, or it can simply slowly slip away almost unobserved.

Chronic tension headaches are nowhere near as common as standard tension headaches, but they are twice as common in women as in men.

The main problem with these headaches, besides the ache itself, is that they become a regular occurrence. You wait for it to happen, you are that sure that it will accompany you throughout the day as before. The pain can just become one permanent drag on your life.

For this reason, sufferers of CTH are often vulnerable to depression and anxiety and it is difficult to know which came first, the CTH or the depression / anxiety and which is causing which. If you think this could be your problem, do not try to cure the headaches yourself, go to see a doctor about the depression or anxiety, have that sorted out and the chronic tension headaches may disappear too without any further medication.

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Migraine Headaches’ Causes

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Headaches of any form are always very painful to the sufferer. However, some headaches, such as migraines, for example, can cause even more problems than just a headache. These problems could be sickness, light sensitivity and a banging pain in the head. Sometimes the headache is felt on one side of the head, and other times you can feel the pain on both sides of your head at the same time.

The actual causes of migraine headaches has not been found as of yet, although there are a few theories as to why people experience migraine headaches. The most common theory is that a change in the blood flow within the brain is one of the trigger causes of migraine headaches. Another theory about migraine headache is that it could be caused by pain sensing nerve chemicals called neuropeptides.

Many medical professionals speculate that neuropeptides relax the smooth muscle that surrounds the cranial blood vessels. This relaxation causes the blood vessels to dilate. This blood vessel relaxation increases the flow of blood and other cranial fluid to the brain. This increase in fluids is thought to be the cause of migraine headaches.

These cranial fluids cause swelling, pain, sensitivity, tissue and blood vessel inflammation during the time of migraine headaches. Some people think that the aura that is sometimes seen during a migraine headache is caused by the constriction of blood vessels that became dilated during the beginning phase of the migraine headache.

Another theory about the causes of migraine headaches has been linked to genetics and inheritance. These theories state that a child of migraine sufferers will have a 50% probability of getting migraine headaches too.

The chances of inheriting migraine headaches is even greater if both parents are sufferers from this painful sort of headache. If both parents have frequent migraine headaches the chances of the child inheriting migraine headache symptoms is about 70%.

Even though some professionals are persuaded that inheritance plays a big role in migraine headaches, the genes that are thought to be the causes of migraine headaches have not been identified or even isolated yet. When we start to experience migraine headaches the only warning signs that we may expect to receive are a throbbing pain in the temple area and slight sickness.

As the symptoms of the migraine progresses, the pain becomes much worse. Unfortunately, since the causes of migraine headaches have yet to be discovered and we don’t know what triggers these attacks, there are no medications to cure this kind of headaches yet.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you really ought to visit our website on Stopping Headaches.

About Stress Headaches

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

I think we all realize what stress is and how we behave during a stressful period. Some people can cope excellently with the stresses that obstacles bring with them. Other individuals become overwhelmed by the tremendous pressure that they are under. In many people this pressure comes out in the form of stress headaches.

Stress headaches are primarily caused by extreme amounts of stressful situations; ie more than anyone would normally find themselves involved in. Ability to deal with these obstacles gradually diminishes and so stress begins to take its toll on them and a stress headache can start.

In other cases, having other kinds of headache can result in stress headaches due to the reason that we need to cope with the headache and get on with our everyday life. As the headache gradually takes control of our life, we begin to feel stressed and unable to cope. All of these headaches (including stress headaches) can be controlled safely and, in some cases, prevented from occurring again with the right drugs.

There are other methods of coping with stress headaches apart from using medication. These other methods include: cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and physical therapy.

Cognitive therapy seeks to “redirect” a stress headache. In this method of treatment, the patient is taught how they can understand what triggers the stress symptoms and how they can alter their response to these conditions.

Behavioural therapy is the next way of treating stress headaches. When people become overwhelmed by a situation, they try dealing with their headache by taking drugs, alcoholic drink, over-the-counter tranquilizers, pain medicine and some people also take street drugs. As taking these substances will only offer temporary help, it is better to show them the tools to build a healthy lifestyle, which can help that person to cope better with their stress headaches.

Physical therapy tries using biofeedback responses. People, who experience stress headaches, are taught to recognize and reduce the amount of physical tension in their bodies. The treatments that are employed for this method are muscle relaxation, deep breathing, yoga and other self-relaxation techniques. It is easy to understand what effect these measures have on patients of stress headaches, as these methods relax and calm the body.

The different methods of therapy that were mentioned above are all interrelated. Using all three of these therapies, including headache medication, will provide the sufferer with a type of relief that will help them for the rest of their lives and not just the short time when they are undergoing a stress headache.

If you suffer from stress headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website on http://stopping-headaches.the-real-way.com.

Headache Treatments

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Usually when people feel a headache coming on, they begin looking for a treatment that can prevent their headache from becoming much worse. As there are so many different sorts of headache medicine to choose from, people need to think about what they want the medicine to do.

The headache medications that can be found at the supermarkets and pharmacies come in various forms. You will find that there are tablets that you can swallow, other types of tablets that dissolve under your tongue, nasal sprays, suppositories, and injections that you administer. All of these headache treatment are known to be efficacious at preventing your headache from becoming worse.

When you go for headache medicine on a supermarket shelf, one of the deciding factors is how fast-acting you want the drug to be. We are normally used to taking pills and capsules to cure whatever ailments we have. We take these types of treatments because they are easy to take and easy to carry around with us.

While these kinds of headache treatment do work for most people, it takes some time for the medication to take effect, which is why any person who has a severe kind of headache like a migraine, will not benefit from these tablets or capsules. Also the various fast-developing headaches will not do well either with these medicines.

People who have a tension type headache, a slow-acting migraine attack or a migraine attack without nausea and vomiting, can use these tablets. There are tablets that you can take that are absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. These so-called ’sub-lingual’ tablets or lozenges are put under the tongue, where they get absorbed by the membrane that lines the mouth. These types of headache treatment work somewhat more quickly than the usual tablets because they are absorbed directly and so more quickly into the bloodstream.

Another way that you can cure your headache is with a nasal spray. These sprays can provide you with quick-acting relief. They are good for headache sufferers who need quick relief and they are also good for people who become nauseous. You may have to try out different brands before you get good results, but these headache treatments are still pretty good.

The best possible pain relief can be had quickly from self injected drugs. However, if you use this type headache medicine you will have to take extra care at first, to ensure that you don’t overdose yourself with too much of the headache medication.

Another thing to think about is whether you can endure the discomfort that you may feel when you want to inject yourself. The possible embarrassment about giving yourself an injection in public with your headache medicine is also something that you will have to think about.

There is a huge amount of headache medicine for those who are looking for ways to stop their headaches. The best method to find an efficacious medicine is to try out several items in order to see what works best for you.

If you have a problem with migraine headaches, you ought to definitely go along to our website on http://stopping-headaches.the-real-way.com.

Headache Clinics, What Are they?

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Headaches are very common among individuals of all ages in both men and women. On occasion these headaches can be acute and might even occur frequently for long periods of time. The headache might be a pain all over the head or a throbbing pain at one sp

So, where do you go to get help with your headaches? OTC prescription drugs may not always be effective and you may not even be able to identify the source of your headache. Where then, do you go, find out what the trouble is?

The answer is a headache clinic.

Headache clinics can be found all over the country, on occasion as independent clinics and frequently at a range of major hospitals. Headache clinics are well-equipped with all that is required to deal with headaches. These clinics are managed by specialists and neurologists, who are well-trained, so as to be able to recognize the reason for the headache and commence the appropriate treatment for it.

There are several types of headaches varying in severity from cluster and migraine headaches to mild headaches. It is therefore imperative to consult a specialist as sometimes general practitioners may not be able to recognize exactly what form of headache you are suffering from. Independent headache clinics would tell you if you need specialist treatment or if you have to be hospitalized, usually referring you to a particular hospital.

Headache clinics take in patients after a short appraisal of the history of your headaches, asking questions such as: how long you have been having them, the frequency of the headaches and what treatment, if any, you have acquired, and possibly other questions that may be relevant to understanding your headache better. These clinics also offer behavior therapy if required. Most headache clinics offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Furthermore, occasionally headaches can be the sign of a more critical problem such as a brain tumor, and it is best if such cases are diagnosed at an early stage. Your primary care physician can refer you to a well-known headache clinic if you want to receive special treatment for your headaches.

To attend a headache clinic, your headaches do not need to be regular. Even the occasional, but excruciating headache may necessitate a call. You may need special treatment for your headache, so its best for you to see a consultant at one of these headache clinics as soon as possible.

If you need to know the cause of migraine, go to our website now for more information http://stopping-headaches.the-real-way.com

Chronic Tension Headaches

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

There is quite a reasonable chance that someone you know has experienced some type of headache recently, just because there are so many different types of headaches around. These kinds of headache could be the result of dehydration, missed meals, migraines or other sorts of headache like a tension headache or even a chronic tension headache.

A tension headache can feel like a tight elastic band around your head, however, the pain from tension headaches goes away after a short while. But just think about having to suffer from a tension headache every day - for weeks. This type of tension headache is classified as a chronic tension headache because the pain is experienced at least 15 days a month for a period of several months.

With the case of chronic tension headaches, the symptoms of the headaches are quite similar to those of tension headaches, except that the pain never actually seems to go away. People who have had chronic tension headaches, say that the pain is as if they were wearing a pressure band around their heads. Other people may describe severe chronic tension headache pain as a hooded cape that hangs down over their shoulders.

In the case of both tension headaches and chronic tension headaches, the pain can be located at the forehead region, sides of the head and sometimes even at the back of the head. At its usual strength the chronic tension headache is a dull, aching pain, although sometimes the pain is like a pressurized tightness. Generally the pain is mild to moderately intense.

The severity of the pain varies with the general physical state of the individual concerned and it can also vary with the various types headaches. A lot of people begin to experience chronic tension headaches the moment they awake in the morning, whereas others have reported that their chronic tension headaches do not start until the early hours of the morning.

Normal tension headaches are more usual than chronic tension headaches, however twice as many women as men suffer from chronic tension headaches. The duration and the severity of the pain is about the same as a normal tension headache, although the pain from the chronic tension headache is almost a daily occurrence and is also of a continuous nature.

Those who get chronic tension headaches are thought to be more susceptible to anxiety and depression than non-sufferers of chronic tension headaches. It is also well-documented that chronic tension headaches occur during or after heightened periods of stress and anxiety. Furthermore, anyone who has mood disorders like depression or anxiety ought to have these conditions treated prior to getting their chronic tension headache attended to.

People suffering from chronic tension headaches can lead pretty normal and fulfilling lives with the proper medication and treatment. In time, they may come to understand what triggers their headaches and how preventing those triggers occurring can prevent the onset of another bout of chronic tension headaches.

If you suffer from migraines or headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches.

Treatments For Headaches

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

While we are suffering from a headache we generally try to think of ways to stop the pain. However, as there are different types of headaches, the treatments may work for only a some of the headache types. There are two different methods of stopping the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are called prophylactical and abortive headache treatments.

The prophylactic type of treatment has to be taken everyday in order to reduce the frequency of and to control the pain of the headache. Abortive headache treatment is started only when the headache starts.

You should understand that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are suffering from several, frequent headache attacks every month. When you take the prophylactic medication you will be monitored for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.

The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medication begins with a low dosage. The dose is then increased as time passes. You will also be tested every month or so to see if the treatment is taking effect. Your doctor will also make sure that you are not taking any other types of medication or vitamins during this phase of your headache treatment.

It is vital to tell the doctor whether the sufferer is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor must be informed, so that tests can be done to discover any possible side effects on the unborn baby.

The primary prescription drugs used for the treatment of headaches are beta blockers like Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers like Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also used. Doctors can also prescribe anti-depressants such as Elavil and Zoloft. You may also be prescribed Serotonin Antagonists like Sansert.

Furthermore, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert, which are ergot derivatives, could also be prescribed by your doctor. The abortive headache treatment available for your headache pain is generally the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to name but a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil are in the group of drugs that are known as Ibuprofen.

Besides these headache medicines there are non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAID’s. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache medications can also cause the side-effect of a different form of headache in some people.

Since these drugs can cause other problems you should consult your doctor and find out whether they are suitable for you or not. People who prefer an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks it will work.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches.

categories: headaches,migraines,men,women,frustration,moods,emotions,medicine,treatment,anxiety,self help,advice,tension,other

The Different Types Of Headaches

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

There are quite a number of well-known type of headache. These include pressure headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches, chronic daily headaches, cluster headaches, ice pick headaches and sinus headaches.

A migraine headache is a very severe, debilitating headache. This type of headache has a profound impact upon the daily lives of its sufferers. The pain can be a pulsating sensation or sometimes a throbbing sort of head pain. This throbbing pain can vary from moderate to severe. The symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea with high audio-visual sensitivity. The migraine type of headache often comes with a precursory warning feeling called an aura.

This aura can come in the form of changes in visual perception. You may see bright flashes, zig-zags and sometimes you may even lose part of your vision. You may even experience numbness or tingling in your arms. These warning symptoms will fade a while before the migraine attack begins. A migraine headache can last for about 3 days without any medication, before it subsides.

The kinds of tension headache cause a dull, constant pain in the forehead, the sides or back of the head. Some people liken a tension headache to a tight band wrapped around the head. This is thought to be one of the most common sorts of headache. A tension headache does not produce symptoms such as light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting.

Tension headaches occur in episodic or chronic kinds. Generally, most sufferers of this sort of tension headache, experience chronic headaches. It is thought that about 40% of the population suffers from tension headaches. Chronic daily headaches are another of these sorts of headache.

Most chronic daily headaches are tension headaches or headaches which are the result of ingesting too many pain killers. With these sorts of headache, the pain is of a constant, dull nature - there may also be a feeling of tightness like a rubber band around the head. A chronic daily headache is distinguished by its duration: the pain must last for at least 15 consecutive days per month during a three month period of time.

Another type of headache is the Cluster headache group, which is a rare but very painful type of headache. The name of this headache comes from the fact that the headache produces clusters of pain. Periods of continuous Cluster headaches may last weeks or months, but this is then followed up by long periods of no headaches at all.

Cluster headaches are experienced on one side of the head. Usually the sharp, penetrating pain begins behind an eye. Cluster headaches cause red, teary eyes, a stuffy nose and sometimes symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light may occur.

These are just a few of the many types of headaches that can be experienced. The pain from the headache can be mild or it can be excruciating in its severity. To find relief from these headaches you should talk to your doctor about treatment or you can buy some over the counter headache pain tablets.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you really ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches.

categories: headaches,migraines,cluster,tension,frustration,moods,emotions,anger,mental health,depression,anxiety,self help,advice,other