Common Causes of Headaches and How to Prevent Them
What are Headaches?:
Everyone has had this experience at least once in their lifetime; headaches. Headaches are painful sensations that can happen in any part of the head and range from extremely painful to dull. Headaches may even come with other symptoms such as pain, nausea, sensitivity to light, and more. There are also several types of headaches such as tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches that many individuals can deal with almost everyday in their lives. Thankfully, there are ways we can manage and perhaps even prevent these headaches from occurring, helping us get the relief that we need.
Types of Headaches:
There are two main types of headaches; primary and secondary. Primary headaches are not symptoms of an underlying health condition. Some individuals do have genes that make them more likely to develop these headaches. Examples of primary headaches include migraine, cluster, or tension-type headaches. Primary headaches typically aren’t dangerous. However, they can be painful and may disrupt someone’s day-to-day life. Secondary headaches on the other hand, is a symptom or sign of an underlying condition. Some of these can easily be resolved with time and treatments such as a dehydration or sinus headache. Others, however, can be life-threatening and examples include spinal headaches, thunderclap headaches, or even a brain bleed. These two headaches have vast differences and may be a sign of something bigger, which is why it’s important to differentiate the two.
Causes of Headaches:
Headaches can happen for a number of reasons, ranging from lifestyle choices to underlying health conditions. The pain results from signals that interact among our brain, blood vessels, and surrounding nerves. When a headache occurs, we have many mechanisms that are activated for specific nerves that affect muscles and blood vessels, sending pain signals to our brain, creating a headache. Although there are many causes, the main ones include stress, heredity, or alcohol. Stress can trigger muscle tension and cause changes in brain chemicals, which can lead to pain in the head. Genetic variations and polygenic disorders can heavily influence the heredity of headaches. Many genes are linked with migraines, such as those controlling blood cells and nerve activity. Polygenic disorders play a role since common migraines are caused by many genetic variants. Drinking alcohol and hangovers can lead to dehydration, chemical imbalances, and much more. These are ways that can definitively trigger headaches, some people may be more sensitive, depending on allergies.
Treatments and Preventions for Headaches:
Headaches can be treated in a variety of ways such as medications, devices, and lifestyle changes. A combination of getting good sleep every night, taking medications, or using medical devices if needed, can do wonders in treating the headaches that affect many individuals each day. There are also preventions for headaches such as stress management, getting good exercise, and eating well. Being able to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally can help prevent painful headaches or even headaches in general as a whole. Start by practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, eating regularly, exercising regularly each day, and more can help reduce the chances of developing a headache!
In conclusion, headaches can be a part of someone’s life everyday and can be a painful sensation, ranging from dull to sharp. The causes of it happening can vary from person to person as well, with different symptoms that one may face. Yes, it can be annoying but thankfully, there are many ways we can treat and prevent ourselves from getting it. We can start by making sure that we have a healthy diet each day, getting good enough sleep each night, and trying to reduce the stress that’s been built up by practicing relaxation techniques in order to make a big difference in getting rid of the chances of an occurring headache.
Written By: Amy Lian
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