Headaches

Some of you may deal with headaches on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. For some they have become as regular to life as the alarm clock. For a lucky few, headaches are only something they hear others complain about. 45 million Americans per year suffer with headaches, or roughly 1 out of 6 people. But there are only an estimated 1% of people who never experience a headache. Are these people affected by others that do? Migraines alone are the cause of 157 million days of work missed last year in the United States, and almost 10 million doctor visits. This affects everyone’s pocket book!

Understanding your head ache will help you understand how to treat it, or avoid it all together if possible. There are many different causes for headaches, and they are divided into two groups: Primary and Secondary. Secondary headaches are caused by something else. Getting hit in the head with a baseball bat is a good example. More commonly are sinus headaches, allergy headaches, or even tumors. All of these have one thing in common, it’s not the head ache that needs treatment, fix the cause and you will fix the head ache.

Primary headaches are known to be problem itself. Migraine, cluster and tension headaches fall in the category. Tension headaches are the most common in this group, and tend to have dull, vice like pain that is progressive, usually starting at the neck or back of the head. Tension headaches are also known as stress headaches, mainly because stress can trigger them.

Cluster headaches are sudden headaches that are severe. Often they are believed to be migraines by the people who have them. Usually one sided and settle behind the eye on that side of your head. They usually come in clusters and can last hours or days. The eye affected may have a droopy lid or small pupil. The eyelid may be swollen or red.

Migraine headaches are a specific class, even though people assume that any severe headache is a migraine. Classic migraines have precursors known as the aura phase that let you know they are coming. They can be ringing in the ears, halos of light, nausea or dizziness. Most migraine suffers are also photophobic, or light sensitive, during their headache. Some research points to an even earlier phase known as the premonition phase that may be hours or days before the headache, made up of a change in mood or behavior.

Treatments can vary even for the same type of headache. Most commonly they are treated with over the counter medications, or OTCs. Many people who have suffered with headaches for a long period of time routinely take OTCs to make it through their day. This can be very harmful, most medications are not meant to be taken for extended periods of time. I am sure most of you have never read the warnings on a bottle of aspirin or Tylenol stating that you should discontinue use after 10 days. Both have damaging effects, aspirin on your kidneys and Tylenol on your liver. These damages can compound problems when taken with other medications.

Some prescriptions are given for chronic headaches, and while they are a life saver for many, they can still have severe side effects. Many people choose to fight the headache verses dealing with the foggy feeling of migraine medications.

Remember the important thing is to deal with the cause or triggers to avoid your headaches. Allergies in food and the environment can be avoided for those who know which are their triggers. Changing your eating habits as well as a good exercise program may also improve your headache severity and frequency.

Drink water! Dehydration is a very common cause of headaches. For those of you that exercise hard, you know that a pounding head ache can occur when you aren’t properly hydrated. For those of you that party hard, nothing fights a hangover better than staying hydrated with water.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication. People who get regular adjustments know they best way to avoid the headache in the first place is to stay tension free with adjustments.

There are headaches that need prompt attention. If you experience headaches that worsen with coughing, or are affecting your vision, speech, or motor skills, see your doctor immediately. While headaches are common in our society, remember that they are never normal.