Introduction

Your head is throbbing, or it feels like a clamp is squeezing it tighter and tighter. The pain is intense. The kids are screaming in the background, and the noise is making your head hurt more. You feel like screaming too but not over some silly, old toy. How can I relieve this headache?

Frequency of Headache Type

Ninety percent of all headaches are tension headaches. Migraines account for 8% of all headaches. Only 2% of all headaches are potentially serious and caused by some underlying condition.

Considering the frequency of headaches, what can we do to relieve them? This article will discuss the types of headaches; the causes of headaches; and the treatment of headaches.

Types of Headaches

There are several different types of headaches. While tension headaches are the most common, there are also migraine headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, hormone headaches, and a mixed syndrome headache. The mixed syndrome headache is a combination of a tension headache and a migraine headache.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type. Tension headaches are caused when the muscles surrounding your skull contracts. The pain is usually mild to moderate. The decreasing blood flow to the brain causes a the feeling of a constant band of pressure around your head.

Tension headaches are usually caused by: stress, poor posture, eye strain, fatigue, colds, sinus problems, and the excessive use of alcohol, cigarettes, or caffeine. With these kind of headaches, your lifestyle plays a major role in the frequency of them.

Migraine Headaches

Thirty million suffer from migraines yearly. They can an be hereditary. If one your parents is troubled with migraines, you have a fifty percent chance of developing them. The odds increase to 75%, if both parents have them. Research has suggested this may be due to a genetic defect for decreased serotonin production. Furthermore, migraine sufferers may be more sensitive to visual inputs.

Migraines are an intense, throbbing or pounding headache. The pain can be felt on one side of the head or both sides of the head. In addition too the pain, they may be accompanied by nausea and light sensitivity. They can last from four hours up to three days.

There are two types of migraines: migraines with an aura and migraines without an aura. Some people may be forewarned of an migraine by an aura. An aura may consist of seeing spots, wavy lines, or flashing. If an aura does occur, it usually happens thirty minutes before the migraine begins. The hand may tingle too. Auras may fade before the migraine begins or they may persist into the early stages of the headache.

Experts are not sure what causes migraines. However they suspect it is caused by inflammation of the nerves and blood vessels in the brain. The pain may be caused by the expansion and contraction of the blood vessels putting pressure on the nerves. Messages sent from one cell to another may be interrupted. These reactions may be caused by a change in the body or environment.

Migraine Triggers

Different activities may trigger a migraine. These triggers can be:

• Menstruation. Eating meat or foods rich in zinc may help. Low levels of progesterone may increase the frequency and severity of headaches. If your headaches occur more frequently two weeks before menstruation, have your doctor test your progesterone levels.
• Different foods can trigger migraines. Some examples are caffeine; chocolate; MSG (monosodium glutamate); vanilla; cheese; alcohol; aged meats; liver; products with hydrolyzed protien; yeast; nuts; and foods with tannins or tyramine. This is by no means a full list of food triggers. Just as some foods trigger migraines, other foods can help to relieve them. Some of these foods are: peppermint; cayenne pepper; fish; fish oil; magnesium rich foods; calcium rich foods; oatmeal; wheat; and garlic. In addition to food fighters, a supplement called DLPA may help. DLPA stands for DL-phenylalanine. DLPA is an essential amino acid that is known for it's ability to reduce pain and depression.
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Skipping meals
• Odors
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Bright light or light movements like flickering
• Excessive smoking or caffeine intake
• Weather conditions like changes in barometric pressure
• Exercise

If you feel the onset of a migraine, take your medicine immediately. Try to rest in a dark, quiet room. Try to go to sleep. An ice pack placed on the painful area may help relieve symptoms.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are the least common type but the most severe. They usually occur in a cluster of one to three times per day and can keep reoccurring for up to three months. Consisting of sharp or burning, piercing pain; the pain radiates around the temple and the eye on one side of the head. On the affected side, the eye becomes watery, red and puffy and it may be accompanied by a stuffy nose. They usually last 30 minutes to several hours. These headaches occur intermittently over the course of several weeks.

Cluster headaches can have triggers too. These triggers may be alcohol, sleep apnea, stress, and vasodialators. They can be treated with prophylactic headache medications or with highflow oxygen administered immediately after the onset of the headache.

Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches are caused by the inflammation and congestion of sinuses. The excessive mucous isn able to flow because of the inflammation and pressure builds ups. Accordingly, the pressure causes pain. With this type of headache, the pressure can be felt in your forehead, cheeks, and around the eyes. Additionally, the pressure is accompanied by a stuffy nose. Treatment consists of antihistamines, decongestants, and an antibiotic if necessary.

Headache Diary

If you are plagued by headaches, perhaps one of the most important things you can do is keep a headache diary. In this diary, you will want to record things such as: what you were doing before the headache; whether the headache included an aura; the location of pain; the type of the pain; the severity of pain; what foods you ate; how much sleep you had; etc. Look for patterns in your diary. By doing this, you may find out if anything triggers your headaches.

Negative Effects of Over the Counter Medications

When you feel the onset of a headache, if you take medications, you should do so immediately. The sooner you take the medication, the more probability the headache will subside.

However, if you take over-the-counter medications, you should be aware of the side effects. One side effect is rebound headaches. When you take pain medications, a tolerance to the medication can develop. In other words, the pain medication becomes less effective. As the pain medication becomes less effective, people have a tendency to increase their dosage. This creates a viscous cycle, and the headaches keep reoccurring. This is what is called rebound headaches.

In addition to rebound headaches, over the counter medications can have other side effects. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage if taken for extended periods of time. On the other hand, Ibuprofen can have gastrointestinal effects like bleeding or perforation. They may also increase your chances of life-threatening heart or circulation problems.

Professional Relief for Headaches

Professional help may also relieve headaches. Some examples of this are:

• Hypnosis
• Accupuncture: Effective with tension headaches and migraines.
• Chiropractic: May relieve headaches due to poor posture and cervical problems.

Herbal Relief for Headaches

If you don't want to take a medication for headache relief, there are natural rememdies. The following are some natural remedies:

• Betel leaf
• Herbal teas of feverfew, ginger, or peppermint may help. Feverfew releases mood hormones in the brain. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory which is known to relieve pain and headaches.
• Headaches from excessive sun: Paste of clove, salt crystals, and milk: Salt is hydroscopic. By absorbing fluid, it decreases the headache and tension.: Plaster of Henna Flowers mixed in vinegar. Apply over forehead.
• If you have skipped a meal, eat something.
• Drink water. Dehydration can cause headaches.
• Drink a cup of coffee or tea. Although high doses of caffeine can trigger headaches, low doses can help relieve headaches. Caffiene can also work synergistically to improve a medication's efficacy.
• Try pressure points. Using the thumb of one hand, apply pressure on the fleshy pad between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. Apply pressure for one minute. Additionally, you are someone else can apply pressure at the base of the skull with the fingers and slowly release.
• Squeeze the bridge of your nose with your index finger and thumb.
• Apply an ice pack to the area that hurts. Whereas some people thinks cold works, others think heat works. Apply a moist heat compress to the affected area or take a hot shower.
• Taking a bath with the oils of lavendar, eucalyptus, or peppermint may help. If you do not want to take a bath, fill the sink with either cold or warm water. Add 5 drops of essential lavendar oil to the sink. Soak a washcloth in the sink and apply to the head or neck.
• Since excessive movement tends to exacerbate headaches, try deep breathing or meditation. Soothing music may help.
• Lay down in a dark room. Try to fall asleep. After you have slept, the headache is often gone when you awaken.
• Self-massage. Knead your face, neck, shoulders, and back.
• Take a break from the computer. Using the computer too much may cause headaches.
• In some cases, exercise may help. Exercise releases natural pain killers in your body called endorphins. Try taking a half an hour walk.
• For relief of sinus headaches, see: Howard D. Kurland, MD "Quick Headache Relief Without Drugs" http://www.gwinslow.com/gw/headache.html

Conclusion

Headaches can be caused by a myriad of reasons. To prevent headaches, avoid known triggers. Avoid stress. Avoid too much sun. Avoid too much alcohol. Do not skip meals. Drink enough fluids. Get regular exercise. And finally, get an adequate amount of sleep. If you have sudden, severe headaches, get is checked out by your physician.