What does it mean when you get a headache everyday. Chronic Daily Headaches: Causes, Types, and When to Seek Medical Help
Is it normal to experience headaches every day. What are the different types of chronic daily headaches. What factors can trigger chronic headaches. When should you consult a doctor about frequent headaches.
Understanding Chronic Daily Headaches: More Than Just an Occasional Nuisance
Headaches are a common ailment that most people experience from time to time. However, when these headaches become a daily occurrence, it may be a sign of a more serious condition known as chronic daily headaches. But what exactly qualifies as chronic daily headaches?
Chronic daily headaches are defined as headaches that occur 15 days or more per month for at least three consecutive months. This persistent and frequent pain can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, making it crucial to understand the nature of these headaches and seek appropriate treatment.
The Four Main Types of Chronic Daily Headaches Explained
Chronic daily headaches can manifest in various forms, each with its own unique characteristics. Understanding these different types can help in proper diagnosis and treatment. Let’s explore the four main categories:
1. Chronic Migraine Headaches
Chronic migraines are perhaps the most well-known type of chronic daily headaches. They typically feature:
- Pain affecting one or both sides of the head
- A throbbing or pulsating sensation
- Moderate to severe intensity
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
2. Chronic Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are another common form of chronic daily headaches. They are characterized by:
- Pain affecting both sides of the head
- A pressing or tightening sensation (not throbbing)
- Mild to moderate intensity
3. New Daily Persistent Headaches (NDPH)
NDPH is a unique category of chronic daily headaches that:
- Develop suddenly, often in individuals without a prior history of headaches
- Typically affect both sides of the head
- Produce a pressing or tightening sensation
- Cause mild to moderate pain
4. Hemicrania Continua
This less common type of chronic daily headache has some distinctive features:
- Affects only one side of the head
- Continuous pain with no pain-free periods
- Occasional spikes of severe pain
- Responds to the prescription NSAID Indocin
- Associated symptoms may include tearing or redness of the eye, nasal congestion, drooping eyelid, or a feeling of restlessness
Unraveling the Mystery: Potential Causes of Chronic Headaches
The exact cause of chronic daily headaches often remains elusive, but several factors have been identified as potential contributors. These include:
- Blood vessel issues: Inflammation or other problems with blood vessels in and around the brain
- Strokes: Blockages in brain blood vessels reducing blood flow
- Infections: Such as meningitis
- Intracranial pressure abnormalities: Either high or low pressure within the skull
- Brain tumors: Although rare, they can cause persistent headaches
- Traumatic brain injury: Head injuries can lead to chronic headaches
- Medication overuse: Ironically, overusing pain medication can lead to more frequent headaches
Understanding these potential causes can help healthcare providers develop more targeted treatment strategies for individuals suffering from chronic daily headaches.
Preventive Measures: Reducing the Frequency and Intensity of Chronic Headaches
While the underlying cause of chronic daily headaches may not always be clear, research suggests several strategies that can help prevent or reduce their occurrence:
Identify and Avoid Triggers
Can keeping a headache diary help identify triggers? Absolutely. By tracking your activities, diet, and environment when headaches occur, you can identify potential triggers and work to avoid them.
Proper Medication Management
How can medication use impact chronic headaches? Overusing headache medications (more than twice a week) can actually increase the frequency and severity of headaches. If you’ve been relying heavily on medication, consult your doctor about safely reducing your intake.
Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule
Why is sleep important for headache prevention? Consistent, quality sleep is crucial for overall health and can help reduce the frequency of headaches. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night and try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Regular Meals and Healthy Diet
How does diet affect chronic headaches? Skipping meals can trigger headaches in some people. Maintain a balanced diet and be mindful of any foods or beverages that seem to trigger your headaches.
Regular Exercise
What role does exercise play in headache prevention? Regular physical activity can improve both physical and mental well-being, potentially reducing stress-related headaches. Always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.
Stress Management
How can managing stress help with chronic headaches? Stress is a common trigger for headaches. Incorporating stress-reduction techniques like yoga, tai chi, or meditation into your routine may help reduce headache frequency.
Caffeine Moderation
What’s the relationship between caffeine and headaches? While caffeine can sometimes help relieve headache pain, it can also be a trigger for some people. Consider reducing or eliminating caffeine intake to see if it impacts your headache frequency.
Red Flags: When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention for Headaches
While most headaches don’t require emergency care, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. Seek emergency care if your headache:
- Is sudden and severely intense
- Comes with a fever, stiff neck, confusion, seizure, double vision, weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking
- Occurs after a head injury
- Worsens despite rest and pain medication
These symptoms could indicate a more serious underlying condition that requires prompt medical evaluation.
Chronic Headache Management: When to Consult a Doctor
Even if your headaches aren’t severe enough to warrant emergency care, certain patterns suggest it’s time to consult a healthcare provider. Consider seeking medical advice if you:
- Experience two or more headaches per week consistently
- Rely on pain relievers for headaches most days
- Need more than the recommended dose of over-the-counter medicines for relief
- Notice changes in your headache patterns or worsening pain
- Find your headaches are disabling or significantly impacting your daily life
A healthcare provider can help diagnose the underlying cause of your chronic headaches and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Beyond Home Remedies: Professional Treatment Options for Chronic Headaches
When self-management strategies aren’t providing sufficient relief, various professional treatment options are available for chronic daily headaches. These may include:
Preventive Medications
What types of medications can help prevent chronic headaches? Depending on the type and frequency of your headaches, your doctor might prescribe preventive medications such as:
- Beta-blockers
- Antidepressants
- Anti-seizure medications
- Calcium channel blockers
These medications are taken regularly to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.
Botox Injections
How can Botox help with chronic migraines? For some individuals with chronic migraines, Botox injections can be an effective treatment. These injections, typically administered every 12 weeks, can help reduce headache frequency and severity.
Nerve Blocks
What are nerve blocks and how do they work for headaches? Nerve blocks involve injecting medication around certain nerves to interrupt pain signals. This can provide relief for some types of chronic headaches.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
How can therapy help with chronic headaches? CBT can be beneficial in managing chronic pain conditions, including headaches. It can help you develop coping strategies and change thought patterns that may be contributing to your headaches.
Biofeedback
What is biofeedback and how does it help with headaches? Biofeedback is a technique that teaches you to control certain bodily processes that might be contributing to your headaches, such as muscle tension. By learning to recognize and control these processes, you may be able to reduce headache frequency and intensity.
Acupuncture
Can acupuncture provide relief for chronic headaches? Some individuals find relief from chronic headaches through acupuncture. While more research is needed, some studies suggest it may be beneficial for certain types of headaches.
Living with Chronic Headaches: Strategies for Coping and Improving Quality of Life
Chronic daily headaches can significantly impact your daily life, but there are strategies to help you cope and maintain a good quality of life:
Develop a Support System
Why is a support system important for chronic headache sufferers? Having a strong support system can provide emotional support, practical assistance, and help reduce stress. This can include family, friends, support groups, or online communities of individuals with similar experiences.
Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
How can mindfulness help manage chronic headaches? Mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help reduce stress and tension, which are common triggers for headaches. Techniques like deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery can be particularly helpful.
Maintain a Consistent Routine
Why is routine important for managing chronic headaches? A consistent daily routine, including regular sleep patterns, meal times, and exercise, can help reduce the frequency and severity of headaches for some individuals.
Workplace Accommodations
What workplace accommodations can help manage chronic headaches? If your headaches are impacting your work, consider discussing potential accommodations with your employer. These might include flexible work hours, the ability to work from home when needed, or modifications to your work environment to reduce triggers.
Educate Yourself and Others
Why is education important in managing chronic headaches? Understanding your condition can help you make informed decisions about your treatment and lifestyle. Additionally, educating friends, family, and coworkers about your condition can help them understand your needs and provide appropriate support.
Explore Alternative Therapies
What alternative therapies might help with chronic headaches? Some individuals find relief through alternative therapies such as massage, yoga, or herbal supplements. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new treatments or supplements.
Living with chronic daily headaches can be challenging, but with the right strategies and support, many individuals are able to effectively manage their condition and maintain a good quality of life. Remember, what works best can vary from person to person, so it may take some time and patience to find the most effective combination of treatments and coping strategies for you.
Is It Normal To Get Headaches Everyday?
Back to Blog
May 16, 2022
No, it’s NOT normal to get headaches everyday
Most people have headaches from time to time. But if you have a headache more days than not, you might have chronic daily headaches, which come in many forms – most of them pretty disabling.
You may be suffering from chronic daily headaches if the headaches occur 15 days or more a month and you have experienced them for at least three months.
In general, there are four kinds of chronic daily headaches. They include:
- Chronic migraine headaches. These can affect one side or both sides of your head, have a throbbing sensation, and cause moderate-to-severe pain. They can also cause nausea, vomiting, or both. People tend to be sensitive to light and sound during these headaches.
- Chronic tension headaches. These tend to affect both sides of your head, cause mild-to-moderate pain, and produce a pain that feels like pressing or tightening but not throbbing.
- New daily persistent headaches. These occur suddenly, usually in people without a history of headaches. They often affect both sides of the head, cause pain that feels like pressing or tightening and produce mild-to-moderate pain.
- Hemicrania continua. These affect only one side of the head, are continuous with no pain-free periods, produce spikes of severe pain, respond to the prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Indocin, and are associated with one or more of the following:
- Tearing or redness of the eye on the affected side of the head.
- Nasal congestion or a runny nose.
- Drooping eyelid or narrowing pupil.
- The sensation of restlessness.
What Causes Chronic Headaches?
No one really knows why some people suffer from this debilitating condition. Conditions that may cause it include:
- Inflammation or other problems with the blood vessels in and around the brain.
- Strokes, in which blood vessels in the brain a blocked, reducing blood flow to the brain.
- Infections, including meningitis.
- High or low intracranial pressure.
- Brain tumors.
- Traumatic brain injury.
- Overuse of pain medication.
While the cause of these headaches is unclear, research suggests that you can do some things to help prevent them – or at least reduce their intensity:
- Avoid headache triggers. Keep track of things that appear to result in headaches, including foods you eat, activities you are doing, and the environment in which the headaches occur. If you can identify your headache triggers, you can try to avoid them.
- Do not overuse medication. Using headache medications more than twice a week can increase the frequency and severity of headaches. If you have been taking medication for a long time, consult a doctor about weaning yourself off. Some medicines cannot be stopped cold turkey.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If you have trouble sleeping, see a doctor.
- Don’t skip meals. Eat healthy meals and avoid food or beverages that seem to trigger headaches. Lose weight if you’re obese.
- Get regular exercise. Physical activity can improve your physical and mental well-being and reduce stress. With your doctor’s OK, choose activities you enjoy, like walking or cycling.
- Reduce stress. Stress is a common trigger of chronic headaches. Try stress-reduction techniques, like yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
- Cut back on caffeine. Some headache medications include caffeine because they can help to reduce headache pain. But it can also aggravate headaches. Try reducing or eliminating caffeine.
When Should You See A Doctor?
Occasional headaches usually require no special medical attention. However, you should consult a doctor if you:
- Consistently have two or more headaches a week.
- Take pain reliever for your headaches on most days.
- Need more than the recommended dose of over-the-counter medicines to relieve headache pain.
- Experience changes in the pattern of your headaches, or they get worse.
- Find the headaches are disabling.
Seek immediate medical care if your headache:
- Is sudden and severe.
- Is accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, confusion, seizure, double vision, weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking.
- Occurs after a head injury.
- Gets worse after you rest and take pain medication.
Get The Care You Need
If your chronic headache is sudden and severe and associated with one of the symptoms above, you should call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. If you suffer from more common chronic headaches, visit your doctor for advice. If you do not have a doctor, Grady can help. If you need a primary care physician, call us at (404) 616-1000 or make an appointment online. We’ll arrange an appointment at a Primary Care Center near you. Doctors there can treat most conditions and provide access to Grady’s unparalleled medical specialty expertise.
Related articles
Are Your Daily Headaches a Sign of Something More Serious?
Don’t fret just yet. The pounding pain in your head may be annoying, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate a bigger problem.
There it is again — the throbbing in your dome. If you’re bothered by frequent headaches, you may be concerned that you have a more serious condition, such as a brain tumor or an aneurysm. And while those and other dangerous conditions can be marked by headaches, it’s likely that your pain is primary. In other words: It’s probably not the result of another condition.
Unfortunately, doctors don’t know what causes most headaches. According to some estimates, only 10% of headaches have a known cause. But there are contributing factors that can trigger chronic headaches, such as:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Dehydration
- Hunger
- Lack of sleep
- Sensory triggers such as bright lights, loud noises and pungent smells
- Stress
Chronic headaches can also be linked to other disorders, including depression, anxiety, sinus infections, allergies and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, also known as TMJ. In order to figure out your headache pattern and identify your triggers, you may want to keep a headache diary to share with your doctor. The National Headache Foundation provides a handy template.
Here are a few common types of chronic headaches:
Tension headache
This is the most common type of headache and it’s likely that you’ve had more than one of these in your life. But for some people, they occur almost every day. Tension headaches affect both sides of your head with a pressing, moderate pain. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) often help, but taking them for long periods of time can lead to headaches called “medication overuse” or “rebound” headaches. Instead, you may want to try meditation, relaxation techniques or heat therapy.
Migraine
Migraines, although less common, are more severe. The pain is intense, may pulsate and can be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, vomiting or visual disturbances called “auras.” Often, migraines only affect one side of the head, although they can affect both. They also affect women more often than men. Prescription medications are available to treat migraines, but you also may benefit from simply resting in a quiet, dark room and using hot or cold compresses. Progressive symptoms of more severe or frequent headaches, or any headache that is also associated with other neurological symptoms, should be evaluated by a physician
Cluster headache
Men are more likely to have these more sudden headaches, which are often marked by pain on one side of the head, behind the eye. They tend to happen in clustered periods of time, even multiple times a day, then disappear for a while. Eyes tend to water, and a restless feeling is common. These headaches usually require prescription medicines.
New daily persistent headache (NDPH)
If you suddenly get frequent headaches, you may have NDPH. The symptoms of NDPH can mimic tension headaches or migraines, but NDPH occurs in people who don’t have a history of headaches. Often, people with NDPH can remember exactly when the onset happened. Your doctor may need to run tests to make sure these headaches aren’t secondary — that is, a symptom of a serious underlying condition.
Although daily headaches might not be the result of a dangerous problem, they can affect your quality of life and shouldn’t be considered “normal.”
“Progressive symptoms of more severe or frequent headaches, or any headache that is also associated with other neurological symptoms, should be evaluated by a physician,” says Jonathan J. Russin, MD, a neurosurgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical neurological surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Even using these criteria, the majority of headaches will not represent an underlying problem. An exception is a ‘thunderclap’ headache, which refers to the sudden onset of the worst headache of your life. This type of headache should always be evaluated by a physician whether it is associated with other symptoms or not.”
Topics
cluster headache
Dr. Jonathan J. Russin
headaches
migraine
tension headache
Tina Donvito
Tina Donvito is a freelance writer covering health, culture, travel and parenting.
Why does my head hurt every day. Causes of daily pain.
Why does my head hurt every day. Causes of daily pain.
Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich
Neurologist, neurophysiologist, experience – 33 years;
Professor of Neurology, MD;
Clinic for Rehabilitation Neurology. About the author
Publication date: April 6, 2021
Updated: March 3, 2023
Headache indicates circulatory disorders and other pathological processes that occur with different intensity and speed. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to your own well-being.
At a young age, such problems do not occur so often and it is not always clear, for example, what to do if a child has a headache. The older a person becomes, the better he begins to understand how to deal with pain.
If your head hurts a little, but almost every day, you need to go through an examination and find out the reasons why the attacks happen during the day. The problem can be solved by adjusting the daily regimen, nutrition, replenishment of vitamins. Serious treatment for depression may be required [1]. Or other dangerous pathologies.
Article content:
- 1 Causes
- 2 Diagnosis
- 3 Treatment
- 4 Prevention
- 5 References
Causes
Often the problem in a person suffering from regular headaches is not a disease, but a negative influence of external circumstances.
Common causes that an adult has a very bad headache almost every day are:
- Too little or too much sleep. Too long a period of sleep, as well as its regular lack, lead to severe headaches in adults in the morning and afternoon, when most of the rest is not at night.
- Stress, acute and chronic. A stressful state provokes an excessive load on the nervous system. It leads to a constant feeling of fatigue and attacks, like a headache with a migraine.
- Systematic consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol negatively affects the circulatory system and brain cells, gradually destroying them. With excessive or frequent use of alcoholic beverages, episodes of cephalalgia become regular.
- Head injuries. After the impact, discomfort can persist in the patient for 1.5 – 2 months.
- Neoplasms, benign and malignant. A cyst or tumor inside the skull is accompanied by constant pain in the affected area [2]. The growing neoplasm increases in size and presses on adjacent tissues.
- Infectious diseases that cause inflammation of various parts of the head.
- Taking medications. The use of medicines without the advice of a doctor, too often or simply because of their specific side effects, leads to the manifestation of headaches.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system, to a greater extent associated with regular jumps in blood pressure. In this case, the vessels of the brain suffer, the nutrition of the brain is disturbed, to which it reacts with cephalgia.
- Eye strain. Working with equipment with a backlit screen, with small details or in poor lighting, leads to overstrain of the eye muscles. That gradually develops into a full-fledged pain syndrome.
- It is extremely important to find out in time why an adult has a very strong or slight headache almost every day, because the reason can be easily eliminated. Or, on the contrary, it is life-threatening and requires special treatment [3].
Diagnosis
If the head hurts almost every day during the daytime, then before deciding what to do about it, whether it is normal or a manifestation of the disease, they determine the causes, try to understand what it could be
As a result, he refers the patient for a consultation with a specialized doctor and prescribes the necessary tests:
- Blood tests: clinical, biochemical, for hormones in women.
- Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cervical spine.
- Diagnosis by ultrasound, intracranial dopplerography.
- Electroencephalography, EEG monitoring.
According to the data obtained, it will be clear why the head hurts not much, but every day, and why this or that symptomatology began to develop. After analyzing the results and consulting with colleagues, the doctor will make an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment
After the causes of severe or mild headaches are identified in an adult almost every day, the doctor, knowing exactly what this disease is, can treat it.
For regular headaches, adults may be prescribed:
- Painkillers of the appropriate category. Sometimes, they need to be combined and taken for a long time [4].
- Sedatives. Since headache attacks are often the result of psycho-emotional stress, sedatives help reduce anxiety and pressure on a person.
- Antibacterials if an infection has been found. At the same time, medications are prescribed for the symptoms that accompany the disease.
- Antihypertensive drugs to help manage high blood pressure (BP). Depending on the specific cause that causes attacks of high blood pressure, drugs of the appropriate groups are prescribed.
- Hypotension medicines help with low blood pressure. Quickly remove pain, increase efficiency.
Therapy is selected strictly based on the diagnosis and the identified symptoms. As a rule, it is possible to limit oneself to taking drugs and a complex of physiotherapeutic procedures.
Depending on the causes of daily headaches, additional physiotherapy procedures may be prescribed. Electrophoresis, magnetotherapy and massage courses become frequent appointments. Against the background of a sedentary lifestyle and in the presence of excess weight, a special course of physiotherapy exercises and a diet are prescribed.
In some cases, surgery may be indicated. It is resorted to in the case when the disease cannot be defeated by other means.
There are folk remedies that help to cope with headache attacks. Before resorting to them, you should consult with your doctor. There are ways that will have a negative impact on your condition or affect the course of therapy, cause side effects.
After examining the patient, the clinic complements the treatment complex with physiotherapy methods. In some cases, the result is shown by sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation – TMS.
For each patient, the modes of exposure that suit him are selected. Thanks to this, a quick and lasting result is achieved. TMS is also used for the prevention of pain.
Prevention
In most cases, if you suffer from daily headaches in the evening and during the day, you can improve your well-being by using preventive measures.
Most doctors agree that in order to avoid the occurrence of headaches, it is necessary to follow several rules [5]:
- Avoid overvoltage. Psycho-emotional exhaustion has the worst effect on well-being in adulthood. Avoid severe stress and perform only feasible physical and intellectual activities.
- Spend more free time outdoors. A walk in the park or a weekend trip to nature with a little physical activity will have a positive effect on health. It is relevant if you lead an inactive lifestyle most of the time.
- Alignment and observance of the daily routine. The distribution of time for sleep, work and rest according to psychophysical needs will avoid exhaustion of the body.
- Power regulation. It is worth paying more attention to a healthy natural diet: reduce the amount of sugar consumed, confectionery, fatty foods and products containing soy.
- Professional massage and self-massage of the frontal and temporal areas will stop the onset of a headache or prevent an attack. A course of special massage will allow you to forget about this problem for a long time.
If, even if you follow the right lifestyle and without the influence of changed external factors, you start to have a headache every day, you need to establish the causes with the help of diagnostics from a doctor.
References
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Headache – causes, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and treatment methods
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Headache – the causes of the appearance, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.
The basis of the headache is irritation of pain receptors located in:
- dura mater and brain vessels;
- periosteum of the skull, vessels of the soft tissues of the head, muscles.
The brain tissue itself does not contain pain receptors.
Types of headaches (cephalgia)
Headaches are divided into primary and secondary. Headache is considered primary if it is the main manifestation of brain disease, such as migraine and tension-type headache.
Secondary headache is a symptom of other disorders, such as head trauma, chronic cerebral ischemia, viral diseases, diseases of the cervical spine, etc.
Let’s take a look at the four most common types of headaches.
Possible causes
Tension headache
Tension headache is the most common form of primary headache. Psycho-emotional stress, depression, anxiety and various phobias, overstrain of the muscles of the shoulder girdle are the main causes of tension headaches.
Migraine headache
Migraine occurs in women about three times more often than in men, and about 60-70% of all cases of migraine in women are the so-called menstrual migraine. However, the causes and mechanism of development of migraine attacks are not fully understood. At any age, both in men and women, migraine attacks can be provoked by emotional and physical overload, malnutrition, drinking alcohol, changing weather conditions, harsh noise, strong odors, etc.
Headache with colds
Headache with colds is caused by hyperthermia and the damaging effect of microbial toxins on brain cells.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
The cause of this pain, which is the most common secondary headache in elderly patients, is the pathology of the cerebral vessels, in which blood circulation is disturbed and the blood supply to the brain tissues deteriorates.
The result is progressive brain dysfunction.
What diseases occur
Tension headache
Tension headache is based on irritation of the structures of the central nervous system (CNS), called the nociceptive system. Myogenic, stress, psychogenic headaches are tension headaches.
Most often, tension headache occurs at a young and working age.
In cases of tension headache, the person experiences bilateral, usually mild, pressing and squeezing, monotonous and dull headaches. Attacks of such pain are accompanied by fatigue, nervousness, impaired appetite and sleep, and decreased performance. The duration of the attack is from 30 minutes to several days.
Migraine headache
Indicates only one disease – migraine, since the attacks of such cephalalgia have a peculiar character. Migraine pain is paroxysmal, throbbing, of moderate or severe intensity. It covers half of the head.
The pain may be aggravated by physical activity, tilting the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting.
Bright light, sharp sound, strong smell increase the pain. A migraine attack may be preceded by an aura lasting up to one hour – a collection of visual, auditory, olfactory or other neurological symptoms.
Headache associated with colds
Occurs with most acute and chronic diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract caused by bacteria or viruses. In some cases, the intensity of such cephalgia correlates with the severity of fever, the strength of the cough, sore throat and other symptoms. The pain most often spreads throughout the head.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
ic brain injury). In the clinical picture of chronic cerebral ischemia, dizziness, cognitive decline, emotional lability (unstable mood), motor-coordination disorders, and perception disorders (tinnitus, “flies” before the eyes) become indispensable companions of headaches. Headaches are usually mild, distributed throughout the head, and prolonged.
Diagnostics and examinations
Tension headache and migraine headache, headache with colds
Diagnosis is made by a neurologist based on the analysis mnesia and evaluation of patient complaints.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
The key radiological examination in chronic cerebral ischemia (ultrasound dopplerography of cerebral vessels)
Duplex scanning of the brachiocephalic arteries with color Doppler flow mapping
Examination to evaluate blood flow in the vertebral and carotid arteries.
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USG recognizes only relatively large stenoses of cerebral vessels caused by atherosclerotic plaques. CT
CT of the brain and skull
Scanning of the brain, skull and surrounding tissues, which allows diagnosing various pathologies.
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and MRI
CT of the brain and skull
Scanning of the brain, skull and surrounding tissues, which allows diagnosing various pathologies.
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Contrast injection
The contrast agent is administered intravenously.
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MRI of the brain
Safe and informative scanning of brain structures for the diagnosis of its pathologies.
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also distinguish between extensive brain lesions due to strokes, but not finely diffuse foci characteristic of chronic cerebral ischemia. In chronic cerebral ischemia, conservative treatment is prescribed.
What should you do when you see one?
Pain is always a sign of a malfunction in the body. You can not tolerate pain or self-medicate. With regular headaches (more than five times a month), it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Tension headache
Relieve a pain attack with analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antispasmodics. It is important to remember that many analgesics cannot be taken in the presence of chronic diseases (in particular, with lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys). Indications and contraindications for the use of certain drugs should be discussed with your doctor.
Migraine headache
Patients with mild attacks are recommended to use NSAIDs and analgesics, with moderate and severe manifestations – specific anti-migraine drugs, which are prescribed by a neurologist after a comprehensive examination.
Cold headache
The main way to deal with such pain is to treat a cold.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
An important aspect of therapy is the fight against atherosclerotic changes in the vessels and cerebral ischemia. It is also necessary to monitor the manifestations of concomitant diseases, for example, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Which doctors should I contact?
Tension headache:
- to a neurologist, psychotherapist;
Migraine headache:
- see a neurologist,
therapist
Headache with colds:
- k
therapist, ENT doctor;
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia:
- k
neurologist, and
cardiologist and
endocrinologist.
Mandatory control of diseases included in the metabolic syndrome group: type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM 2), hypertension, obesity and atherosclerosis.
Treatment
Tension-type headache
Most patients with tension-type headache require therapy prescribed by a psychotherapist and a neurologist. It is also important to pay attention to relaxation and adequate physical activity.
Migraine headache
Treatment includes relief and prevention of attacks.
Headache with colds
Therapy is aimed at treating the underlying disease.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
As a rule, most patients suffer from several diseases, each of which negatively affects the state of cerebral vessels. Thus, the most reliable way to stop the progression of chronic cerebral ischemia is to prevent complications of diseases that are part of the metabolic syndrome group (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc.), which are dangerous in terms of worsening cerebral blood flow.
It is important to give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse, drug use) and follow a diet that includes a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum amount of trans fats.
If chronic ischemia is accompanied by hypertension or diabetes mellitus, daily monitoring of blood pressure and blood glucose levels is advisable. It is necessary to undergo laboratory and instrumental examinations with a certain frequency. You should visit a cardiologist and an endocrinologist at least once a year.
Once every three months, you should take a clinical
Clinical blood test: general analysis, leukoformula, ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear in the presence of pathological changes)
Synonyms: Complete blood count, UAC. Full blood count, FBC, Complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell count (CBC with diff), Hemogram.
Brief description of the study CBC: general a…
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and blood chemistry,
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in which attention is paid to the level of glucose
Glucose (in the blood) (Glucose)
Research material
Serum or blood plasma. If it is not possible to centrifuge the sample 30 minutes after collection for serum/plasma separation…
Up to 1 working day
Available with house call
335 RUB
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glycated hemoglobin,
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1С, Glycated Hemoglobin)
Synonyms: Blood test for glycated hemoglobin. Glycohemoglobin; HbA1c; Hemoglobin A1c; A1c; HgbA1c; Hb1c.
Brief characteristics of the analyte Glycated hemo…
Up to 1 business day
Available with house call
820 RUB
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lipid metabolism indicators
Lipid profile: extended
Up to 1 working day
Available with house call
3 960 RUB
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and blood coagulation system,
Hemostasiogram (coagulogram), screening
Synonyms: Hemostasiogram, coagulogram.
Coagulation studies (coagulation profile, coag panel, coagulogram).
Profile Composition:
No. 2 Prothrombin (prothrombin time, prothrombin (according to Quick), INR …
Up to 1 working day
Available with house call
RUB 1,620
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it is also necessary to undergo an electrocardiographic study (ECG),
ECG in 5 minutes
Examination of the functional capabilities of the heart – quickly, painlessly and informatively.
RUB 1,790
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Echocardiography.
Echocardiography
Examination to assess functional and organic changes in the heart, its contractility, as well as the state of the valvular apparatus.
RUB 4,190
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If abnormalities occur, antidiabetic drugs, statins, or anticoagulants may be needed. Ultrasound should be performed at least twice a year
Duplex scanning of the brachiocephalic arteries with color Doppler flow mapping
Examination to evaluate blood flow in the vertebral and carotid arteries.
RUB 3,690
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to control the progression of atherosclerosis of cerebral and aortic vessels.
Sources:
- Clinical guidelines “Migraine”. Developed by: All-Russian Society of Neurologists, Russian Society for the Study of Headache. – 2021.
- Clinical guidelines “Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in adults.” Developed by: National Scientific Society of Infectionists, Russian Scientific Medical Society of Therapists. – 2021.
IMPORTANT!
The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes over time, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.
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