Headaches

A headache is characterized as pain or discomfort in the head or face. Headaches vary greatly in terms of the location and intensity of the pain, and how often the headaches occur. Headaches are characterized into Primary (no underlying cause) and Secondary Headaches (headache due to underlying cause).

Primary Headache:

• Migraine -A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing
  sensation, usually on one side of the head which lasts between 4-72 hours. It is often
  accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
• Tension Headache – This is the most common type of headache. It can cause mild,
  moderate, or intense episodic pain behind your eyes and in your head and neck. A tension
  headache can feel like a tight band around your forehead.
• Cluster Headache - A cluster headache commonly awakens you in the middle of the night
  with intense pain in or around one eye on one side of your head. Cluster headaches bring
  about frequent attacks, known as “cluster periods”, which can last from weeks to months,
  usually followed by remission periods when the headaches stop.

Secondary Headache:
This headache is usually due to an underlying cause. This could be due to a brain stroke,
haemorrhage, brain infection or a tumour.

Symptoms of headache are as below:

• Pain or tightness on the face or head
• Crankiness
• Tiredness or fatigue
• Neurological symptoms; dizziness, weakness, loss of balance
• Stiffness
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble falling asleep

Causes

• Stress – Emotional stress or depression
• Alcohol consumption
• Medication
• Back strain or poor posture
• Change in sleep patterns
• Illness – This includes cold, fever, sinusitis, ENT infection
• Blow or trauma to the head
• Environmental factors – Stress, pollution, light, weather changes, noise, allergens, smoke
• Genetics – Headaches, especially migraines tend to run in families