For your health: just a headache … or something more?



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Do not write serious headaches as usual.

Whether it's after a long day of work, a pollen-filled morning or a noisy concert, headaches can affect your day in different ways. For most people, an occasional headache is not a concern. If the pain is not too severe, you can take a pain reliever and continue your day.

For people who suffer from chronic headaches, it is common to ignore them as "something that happens to me" or "normal". However, chronic headaches mean that your body is trying to tell you something.

Chronic headaches can come from, among other things, stress, allergies, a cold or a migraine.

If you have two headaches a week for more than two consecutive weeks, talk to your doctor. It is also important to talk to your doctor if your headaches are particularly painful or make your day difficult. They could be caused by a more serious illness.

Here are some of the main reasons why you may have a headache.

Tension headache

Tension headaches are one of your body's reactions to high levels of stress, concentration and often time spent in front of a screen. After long periods of high stress, you may experience mild or moderate pain. Tension headaches are not harmful and can be treated with painkillers. The pain results from an excessive contraction of the muscles of the head and neck.

Some experts estimate that 30 to 70% of people suffer from tension headaches.

Many people report tension-related headaches, as if someone is circling their head with a headband. People often experience tension headaches on their foreheads, backs, or necks.

Tension headaches do not usually cause nausea, vision changes, or loss of balance.

Sinus headache

If you have a cold or allergies, you may also have a headache.

We have four pairs of cavities in the head known as sinuses. When you contract an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection or allergy, your sinuses will burn and fill up with mucus. Once filled, you can feel pressure and pain, especially near the face and eyes. This pressure can become a headache in some people.

Analgesics, antihistamines and decongestants are effective ways to stop a sinus headache. These three drugs are especially effective when taken together.

Sinus headaches are not usually serious and should not affect your vision. However, since sinus pressure can affect the inner ear, it is possible to feel an "imbalance" due to a headache.

migraines

Do you have headaches that make you nauseous, see stars, or make you sensitive to sounds and lights? If so, you could have a migraine.

Migraines are usually the most painful type of headache. Migraines can have a variety of symptoms and the severity of the headache is different for everyone.

Somewhere between 12 and 27% of people suffer from migraines. Women are also three times more likely to have them.

Most migraines have a trigger or something that causes them. Try to identify and avoid your trigger, if possible, to avoid migraines.

If you experience severe pain, your doctor may prescribe special pain relievers for migraine headaches.

When to see a doctor

Headaches with mild and moderate pain are often not of concern. However, if you have a headache, if you experience severe pain or have frequent life problems, talk to your doctor about the cause of these headaches so you can treat the root cause.

In addition to acute pain, slurred speech, nausea, stiff neck and fainting may be symptoms of more serious conditions such as a stroke, another vascular problem. brain, meningitis or brain tumor. If you have any of these symptoms, immediately consult an emergency doctor.

Dr. Alfred Casale, cardiothoracic surgeon, is deputy chief physician of Geisinger Health and president of the Geisinger Cardiac Institute. Readers can write to him via [email protected]

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