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Headaches are complicated, with researchers still trying to learn what causes them. However, studies show that the head pain that someone suffers is a sign that the body is under some stress
Whether sharp and stabbing or dull and throbbing, a headache can ruin your day. But your
brain doesn’t actually feel pain. So what is going on when it feels like your head is in a vise or about to explode?
Head pain is complicated, and there is still a lot to learn about what causes it and how it can be treated. But researchers know there are a few key players that take part in generating pain.
What are headaches?
Nerves
communicate information like pain through electrical signals between the body and the brain.
While the brain itself doesn’t have any nerve sensors to feel pain,
blood vessels in the head and structures that protect and surround the brain do sense pain. When these tissues detect injury or damage, they release chemicals that trigger transmission of electrical signals through nerves to tell the brain the head is hurting.
The brain will also use nerves to signal the body to
respond to pain with symptoms like feeling tired, teary eyes, runny nose, upset stomach and discomfort in bright or loud environments. It’s not clear
why humans evolved to feel these symptoms, but some scientists theorise that this can lead to healthier lifestyle choices to decrease the chance of future headache attacks.
What causes headaches?
Often, headaches are a sign that the body is under some kind of stress. That stress triggers
chemical and physical changes to the nerves and blood vessels around your brain, head and neck that can cause headaches.
Many types of stresses can cause headaches, including an infection, allergies, hormone changes during puberty and menstrual cycles, not getting enough sleep, not drinking enough water, skipping meals or drinking too much caffeine or alcohol. Sometimes, headaches happen with emotional stress, like feeling anxious or depressed. Even
pressure in your sinuses due to changes in the weather can cause your head to hurt.
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One in 11 kids have had a type of severe headache called a migraine. They feel like a pulsing and pounding pain in your head and come with other symptoms, including nausea or being sensitive to lights and sounds. During a migraine, it can be hard to do everyday activities because they can make the pain worse. It is also very common to feel unwell or irritable
before the head pain starts and after the pain is gone.
Migraines occur when the nerves and other structures used in signaling and interpreting pain aren’t working properly, leading to pain and discomfort from stimulation that wouldn’t normally provoke this. There are many
environmental and genetic factors that contribute to this dysfunction. Some people are
born with a higher risk of developing migraines. Most people with migraines have someone in their family who also experiences them.
What can treat and prevent headaches?
Identifying what type of headache you’re experiencing is crucial to making sure it is treated properly. Because migraines can be severe, they’re the type of headache that
most often leads to doctor’s visits for both kids and adults.
There are several ways to
reduce your chances of having headaches, such as drinking plenty of water and limiting caffeine. Eating, sleeping and exercising regularly are other ways you can help prevent headaches.
While painkillers like ibuprofen are often enough to relieve a headache,
prescription medications are sometimes necessary to make head pain more bearable. Some medications can also help control or prevent headache episodes.
Physical therapy to exercise the body or
behavioural therapy to work on the mind can also help you manage headache pain. There are even
electronic devices to treat headaches by stimulating different parts of the nervous system.
It is important to talk with a doctor about headaches, especially if it’s a new problem or you experience a change in how they usually feel. Sometimes, brain imaging or blood tests are needed to rule out another health issue.
Recognising a headache problem early will help your doctor get started on helping you figure out the best way to treat it.
Katherine Cobb-Pitstick, Assistant Professor of Child Neurology,
University of Pittsburgh
This article is republished from
The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the
original article.
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