About
A headache is pain in the head or face that is often described as a pressure that’s throbbing, constant, sharp or dull. Headaches can differ greatly regarding pain type, severity, location and frequency. While most headaches are not dangerous, certain types can be a sign of a more serious condition.
Types
- Primary – Primary headaches are caused by dysfunction or over-activity of pain-sensitive features in the head and not by an underlying medical condition.
- Secondary – Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying medical condition and are considered a symptom of that condition
Seek medical attention immediately if a severe headache is accompanied by:
- Stiff neck
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Convulsion
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Muscular weakness
- Double vision
- Change in level of consciousness.
Causes
- Alcohol
- Certain foods, such as processed meats that contain nitrates (food-triggered headaches)
- Consuming nicotine (nicotine headache)
- Changes in sleep or lack of sleep
- Poor posture
- Physical activity, such as exercise (exertion headaches)
- Skipped meals (hunger headache)
- Coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, straining (such as when having a bowel movement), or laughing or crying vigorously (primary cough headaches)
- Dehydration
- Sinus infection (sinus headache)
- Medication overuse
Treatment
Treatment is individualized depending on the headache type, headache frequency and underlying condition causing the headache. Mild to moderate headaches can be managed with over-the-counter medicines.
Locations Treating Headache
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