Headaches & Migraines

By Andrew C. Povel

An estimated 80% percent of the population suffer from headaches and migraines. With over 220 different types of headaches identified, the real reasons for a headache are still unknown. Most of the headaches are painful but harmless. As long as the reason for a headache is not a disease, a doctor is not required.

Medical attention however is immediately required if your headaches are not vanishing, getting stronger or especially when you suffer additional symptoms like sight problems, neuralgia or memory problems. There are several diseases which need medical treatment like sinus infections, teeth problems, meningitis, brain tumors, abnormal expansion of blood vessels and others.

When you suffer from headaches then you are looking for an immediate pain relief and a way to avoid headaches in the future. Understanding what headaches are and what causes the aching may help you to find your personal headache pain remedies.

There are four types of headaches. Vascular, myogenic, traction and inflammatory headaches. The most common headaches and are tension-type headaches or muscular headaches (myogenic). Pain comes from stressing muscles of the neck and face. A pain relief comes from simple methods like relaxation techniques, massage, sport or just more sleep. Tension-type headaches are usually not very strong and go away when the reasons for it are withdrawn.

Vascular headaches are also very common and can cause severe pain. Migraines, cluster headaches and headaches caused by fever are all vascular headaches which are caused by a disfunction of the blood vessels in the head. Usually the dilatation of the vessels causes the pain but the real reasons behind these types of headaches are still unknown. One theory says that some vessels narrow because of stress while others dilate to compensate the need for more oxygen.

Migraines and cluster headaches are often confused because both causing severe pain. Migraines are more common in women while cluster headaches are rare but more common in men. Cluster headaches come in repeated attacks of strong pain (that's why the name) while migraines don't. If you suffer from migraines then you will notice that you feel better when you lie down. Cluster headache patients do the opposite, they feel better by walking around because lying down makes the pain worse. They also have additional symptoms like redness, a droopy eyelid, sweating or a decreased pupil size.

Inflammatory headaches like the sinus headache need medical attention. The sinus can become infected by a cold or allergy which then causes headaches.

There are various drugs and natural treatments available to treat headaches. Popular over-the-counter painkillers are Aspirin, Paracetamol and Iibuprofen. Natural ones are Feverfew, Magnesium, Vitamin B2, and Coenzyme Q10. If you have myogenic or traction headaches you should look for relaxation. Inflammatory headaches should be treated by your doctor.

Article Source: http://www.relaxedreading.com

Andrew C. Povel is an expert in Headaches and Migraines and provides detailed information about treatment and pain relief at his web site www.HeadacheABC.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_C._Povel

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