What is a headache? Does our brain hurt?

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What is a headache? Does our brain hurt? – Question from the grade five and sixth grade students of Ms. Young, Baden Powell College, Victoria.

Scientists and doctors define "a headache" as a situation in which your "head" "suffers".

Sorry to be technical from the start, but that's the simple answer.

If we look a little further, things get very interesting: a pain is a kind of pain, but what is the pain? And more importantly, why does this happen to your head?

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Look at the pain

Pain is the way the brain tells you things are going badly for you. For example, a hot stove or a slammed door can damage your skin and muscles. If, for example, you burn your fingers or slam a door, information about the damage is sent to your brain.

When that happens, you will unfortunately feel it as a pain.

As most of us know, the pain is terrible, but it is actually very helpful. This is the way the brain convinces you not to do things that could hurt you.

"Come on, buddy," whisper, rubbing your temples, "start having a headache."

Cerebral pain?

The brain itself (that is, its thinking elements) can not feel the damage done in the same way as your fingers. To my knowledge, no one has accidentally burned their brains on a hot stove, so we can not ask them what that does (as always, do not try this at home or elsewhere).

However, we know that we can sting or even cut a brain and that it will not be painful for the person. We know it because people can be operated on the brain while they are fully awake.

In fact, it is the safest way to do it. Having said that, I'm sure we can agree that having your brain operated by surgery (hopefully, a surgeonAs they discuss the weather with you, it's probably a very strange experience.

"Come on, David!" You murmured, grimacing against the light as your patience weakened and your headache intensified. "If the brain can not feel an injury, then why does my head hurt?"

The brain itself can not feel injury, but do you know what can? The muscles and membranes that surround the brain, as well as the veins and arteries that pbad through the brain.

These things close to the brain but not the brain can experience things like irritation, inflammation or dehydration. If this is the case, your brain will interpret this information as a pain that occurs in your head and thus cause a headache.

This irritation, inflammation or dehydration can occur if you get sick, if you hit your head or if you spent a hot day in the sun without drinking enough water.

If you have a headache, inform your parents or teacher, and then lie down in a quiet, dark, cool room. If the pain does not go away after lying down, you can ask your parents to go to the doctor.

Sometimes, for some reason that I do not understand, people around me seem to have a headache when I talk to them about scientific topics (like headaches) for too long.

In this case, you can get rid of a headache in two stages: you must first wait until I leave, then lie down and wait until the pain disappears as usual.

The first good news is that if I am not the cause of your headache, you just have to do the recumbent part.

The second good news is that this is the last sentence of this article on headaches and the nature of pain causing headaches.

David Farmer is the mastermind of the Melbourne Comedy Festival's "Why is not dead yet" program, devoted to the workings of the brain.

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