What are the common triggers for migraine headaches? Discover the top 7 culprits, from stress and diet to hormones and lack of sleep. Get expert advice on how to identify and manage these triggers to find headache relief.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Migraine Triggers

Headaches are unwelcome guests, barging into our lives and disrupting our daily routines. While the causes can be varied, understanding the common triggers for migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches can be the key to finding relief. By identifying the specific factors that contribute to your headache pain, you can take proactive steps to manage and potentially prevent these debilitating episodes.

The Top 7 Migraine Triggers Unveiled

As you navigate the challenging terrain of headaches, it’s important to keep a close eye on the circumstances surrounding the onset of your pain. Maintaining a headache diary can help you track the day, time, symptoms, and factors that may have contributed to the discomfort. Let’s delve into the seven most common triggers for migraines and other types of headaches:

1. Stress: The Tension Builder

Stress is a well-known culprit when it comes to headaches, particularly tension headaches. When tension builds up in the shoulders and neck, the brain perceives this as pain in the head, creating a tight, band-like sensation. “It’s believed to start in the muscles,” explains Dr. Sait Ashina, a neurologist specializing in headache treatment at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “When tension headaches become frequent, the pain in shoulder and neck muscles is felt by the brain as pain in the head.” Stress can also be a common trigger for migraines, which typically manifest as a throbbing or pounding pain on one side of the head, accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound.

2. Dietary Triggers: The Food Factor

Certain foods can be a significant trigger for migraines. “Processed foods with nitrites, nitrates, yellow food dyes, or monosodium glutamate can be especially problematic,” Dr. Ashina notes. The list of potential culprits includes beans, nuts, avocados, bananas, cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, herring, dairy products, and onions. For some individuals, even a single type of food can be enough to spark a migraine episode.

3. Alcohol Intake: The Drink Dilemma

Alcohol is a common trigger for both migraine and cluster headaches. “For some people, a few ounces of red wine are all it takes to provoke a headache, although any kind of alcohol can be a trigger,” Dr. Ashina explains. The exact reason why alcohol can lead to headaches is not entirely clear, as it may be the alcohol itself or another component in the drink that causes the problem.

4. Environmental Factors: The Seasonal Surprise

Certain environmental conditions can also contribute to headache episodes. “Cluster headaches seem to be seasonal and often happen in the spring or fall,” Dr. Ashina says. “It’s something in the environment, but we can’t tell exactly what it is yet.” Other environmental triggers associated with migraines include bright light, smoke, humidity, intense scents, and cold weather.

5. Hormonal Changes: The Estrogen Roller Coaster

Fluctuations in estrogen levels are closely linked to migraines in women. Menstrual cycles, perimenopause, and even estrogen therapy can all trigger migraine episodes. “Menopause does seem to end migraines in most women,” Dr. Ashina notes, suggesting that the stabilization of hormone levels can provide relief for those who have suffered from migraines throughout their reproductive years.

6. Caffeine Withdrawal: The Vascular Culprit

If you’re accustomed to consuming caffeine in the form of coffee or tea, abruptly stopping the intake can trigger a migraine. “This may be because caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict; without caffeine, the blood vessels widen and bulge out with each heartbeat — a chief reason for the pounding pain of migraines,” Dr. Ashina explains.

7. Lack of Sleep: The Rest Deficit

Insufficient sleep is associated with both migraines and tension headaches. “We don’t know why, but we do know there’s a correlation and that sleep can lead to pain relief. Sometimes people feel better after taking a nap,” Dr. Ashina says. Ensuring adequate rest and addressing sleep-related issues may be an important step in managing headache conditions.

Taking Control: Strategies for Headache Prevention and Relief

If you can identify specific triggers that contribute to your headache experiences, you can take proactive steps to avoid or manage them. However, if these strategies don’t provide the desired relief, it’s time to consult your healthcare provider. There are various prescription medications and non-pharmacological treatments, such as acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback, and relaxation therapy, that can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches.

Beyond addressing the triggers, Dr. Ashina emphasizes the importance of maintaining overall health and balance: “Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise, eat a healthy diet, limit alcohol intake, and reduce stress. Headaches are a condition of hypersensitivity, so you need balance in your system to fight triggers.”

Finding that delicate balance can be challenging, especially in the face of the turbulent times we’re living in. But by taking a holistic approach to your health and identifying the specific factors that contribute to your headache experiences, you can take back control and find the relief you deserve. With the right strategies and support, you can reclaim your freedom from the burden of persistent headaches.

Have a headache? The top 7 triggers

“Headaches aren’t welcome here” — that’s the sign you have hanging on your brain’s front door, but the pain is barging right in. You can chalk it up to stress from world events or something you ate or drank, and you might be right. But there are a number of common triggers for migraines, tension headaches, or cluster headaches. The faster you identify them, the quicker you can boot headache pain off the property.

What are the triggers for your headaches?

Take note of your circumstances when a headache starts. Keep a diary to track the day, time, symptoms, and circumstances surrounding the pain (what had you eaten? where did it happen?). Common causes of headaches include the following seven triggers.

1. Stress. Stress can cause tight muscles in the shoulders and neck. This often leads to a tension headache, which starts in the neck and back and works its way up to feel like a tight band around your head. “It’s believed to start in the muscles,” says Dr. Sait Ashina, a neurologist who specializes in headache treatment at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “When tension headaches become frequent, the pain in shoulder and neck muscles is felt by the brain as pain in the head.” Stress is also a common trigger for a migraine headache, which begins on one side of the head, throbs or pounds, makes you sensitive to light and sound, and can last for hours or days.
2. Diet. Eating certain foods often triggers a migraine headache. Migraines may be started by just one type of food — like beans or nuts — or many foods, such as avocados, bananas, cheese, chocolate, citrus, herring, dairy products, and onions. “Processed foods with nitrites, nitrates, yellow food dyes, or monosodium glutamate can be especially problematic,” Dr. Ashina notes.
3. Alcohol intake. Alcohol is a common cause of a migraine headache or a cluster headache — a stabbing pain in the eye that may last hours, go away, and come back several times per day. For some people, a few ounces of red wine are all it takes to provoke a headache, although any kind of alcohol can be a trigger. It’s not clear if the alcohol itself is to blame, or if another component in the drink causes the problem.
4. Environment. “Cluster headaches seem to be seasonal and often happen in the spring or fall,” Dr. Ashina says. “It’s something in the environment, but we can’t tell exactly what it is yet.” Environmental factors such as bright light, smoke, humidity, intense scents, or cold weather are associated with migraine headaches.
5. Hormones. Changes in estrogen levels are associated with migraines in women, and women suffer from migraines more often than men. Menstrual cycles may be tied to migraine in younger women. Varying estrogen levels during perimenopause can sometimes start migraines in women who never experienced them before. Estrogen therapy may also be a migraine trigger. Menopause does seem to end migraines in most women.
6. Caffeine withdrawal. If you normally consume caffeine in coffee or tea, stopping intake abruptly may trigger a migraine. This may be because caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict; without caffeine, the blood vessels widen and bulge out with each heartbeat — a chief reason for the pounding pain of migraines.
7. Lack of sleep. A lack of sleep is associated with migraines and tension headaches. “We don’t know why, but we do know there’s a correlation and that sleep can lead to pain relief. Sometimes people feel better after taking a nap,” Dr. Ashina says.

Next steps to avoid headaches or ease headache pain

If you can associate your headache pain with particular triggers, you can try to avoid them. If that doesn’t help, talk to your doctor. There are many prescription medications, as well as pill-free treatments (acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback, relaxation therapy) that can help reduce headache frequency.

And you’ll need to go a step further: “Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise, eat a healthy diet, limit alcohol intake, and reduce stress,” Dr. Ashina says. “Headaches are a condition of hypersensitivity, so you need balance in your system to fight triggers.”

Finding that balance may be difficult right now, with the world in turmoil. But maintaining good health, and keeping a clear head that’s free of pain, will certainly give your more focus, and maybe even more strength to get through this challenging time.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Triggers of Headaches | Mount Sinai

Headaches occur for a variety of reasons. Here are several examples of headache triggers and how they affect people. 

Stress and Headaches

The most common headache trigger is stress, which releases certain chemicals in the brain that cause vascular changes. Anxiety, worry, shock, depression, excitement, and mental fatigue can cause stress-induced headaches. Stress-related headaches, typically in a “hat-band” distribution, can accompany sleep disturbances.

Lowering stress through relaxation, psychotherapy, behavior modification, and antidepressant drugs (under the watch of a physician) can provide relief for stress headaches. 

Alcohol and Headaches

Alcohol can trigger headaches immediately or following prolonged periods of drinking. Ethanol, the key ingredient of alcohol, is a natural diuretic and causes the body to lose vital salt, vitamins, and minerals. Over-consumption of alcohol can cause dehydration and chemical imbalances in the body and brain, leading to headaches that last for hours to days. Migraine and cluster headache sufferers can be especially sensitive to alcohol, even in small amounts.

If you suffer from headaches, you should avoid alcohol because it can worsen headache symptoms.

Allergies and Headaches

If you have an allergy, your nasal or respiratory tissues will react by becoming inflamed, which can increase pressure on your sinuses. If you have frequent migraines, you may also have a sensitive nervous system that triggers attacks provoked by specific smells or lighting situations. You may get a migraine or other headache not because of something you are allergic to, but because that allergen places stress on your body, which can then cause a headache. Migraines can come from nasal congestion or sinus symptoms. If this happens, it is more helpful to treat the condition as a migraine, rather than as a sinus headache or sinus infection.

Caffeine and Headaches 

Caffeine can both help and hurt a headache. Sometimes a cup of coffee offers relief from a headache, but you should limit your daily use of caffeine. Caffeine is a very common ingredient in prescription and over-the-counter headache medicines because it helps the body absorb headache drugs more quickly, bringing faster relief. But overstimulation from caffeine can trigger headaches, as can the “rebound effect” when you “come down” from the energy boost of caffeine.  

Eyestrain and Headaches

Long hours looking at television, computers, tablets, cell phones, and video games can lead to exhaustion, lack of circulation, and eyestrain, which can cause headaches. Rarely is eyestrain the sole cause of headaches. If we suspect that eyestrain is a problem, we may recommend an ophthalmological exam.

To lessen the risk of headaches, take frequent short breaks, walk for a bit, and stretch your neck, arms, and back while watching TV or using the computer to aid circulation. If you feel headache or migraine symptoms developing, try closing your eyes and breathing deeply to relax.

Hormones and Headaches

Headaches related to hormonal imbalance typically affect women, due to fluctuations in estrogen levels. Few women experience headaches only with menses; often, hormones are just one of many migraine triggers. Estrogen levels drop around menstruation, causing migraine attacks in up to 60 percent of women who tend to have migraines. After menopause, most women experience fewer migraines. However, women taking hormone replacement therapy may not see a decrease in migraines.

Typically, migraine symptoms improve during pregnancy, though some women experience the onset of frequent migraines while pregnant. If you start having headaches, or experience a change in your headaches patterns during pregnancy, you should discuss this with your obstetrician to make sure there is not a more serious underlying cause. If you use any medications for migraine, including over-the-counter medication, during pregnancy, check with your obstetrician to make sure it is safe.

Hypertension and Headaches

High blood pressure can cause many health problems, like headaches, by increasing stress levels. Blood pressure usually has to be quite elevated, above 200/110, to cause headaches. Discuss your blood pressure and the issues surrounding it with a doctor to see if it could be contributing to your headaches.

Light Sensitivity and Headaches

During a headache or migraine, you may be very sensitive to light, especially bright and flashing ones. Research shows that slow, flickering lights are more irritating than rapid ones. To avoid headaches caused by flickering light, try using anti-glare screens on computer monitors and daylight spectrum florescent bulbs.

Smoking and Headaches

Smoking contributes to headaches for both smokers and nonsmokers. Nicotine, a substance found in tobacco, can trigger a migraine. Exposure to second-hand smoke can be a trigger for those with sensitivity and history of migraine. Smoking increases the risk of stroke in those with migraine. Smoking appears to affect cluster headaches, and quitting can help control attacks. If you experience migraines, you should quit smoking and avoid places with second-hand smoke.

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

Migraines are about three times more common in women than in men, and about 60-70% of all migraines in women are so-called menstrual migraines. 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 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

Radiological examination (doppler ultrasound of cerebral vessels) is the key in chronic cerebral ischemia

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 scan 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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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

Stop 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 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:

• neurologist, psychotherapist;

Migraine headache:

• see a neurologist,
  therapist

Headache with colds:

• k
  therapist, ENT doctor;

Headache with 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 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…

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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…

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lipid metabolism indicators

Lipid profile: extended

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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 …

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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.

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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.

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If abnormalities occur, you may need to take antidiabetic drugs, statins, or anticoagulants. 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.

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to control the progression of atherosclerosis of cerebral and aortic vessels.

Sources:

1. Clinical guidelines “Migraine”. Developed by: All-Russian Society of Neurologists, Russian Society for the Study of Headache. – 2021.
2. 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 in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories can use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

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Headache: causes, types, treatment

home

About health

Headache

Headache

26. 07.23

For many of us, a headache is not a problem, as it is easily resolved after taking pain medication. And when the pill stops helping, we do not go to the doctor, but switch to stronger drugs and even injections.

Unfortunately, the consequences are lost time. The time when you could, but did not want to discover the problem that your body is signaling persistently. After all, a headache is not an independent disease, it can be a symptom of serious diseases. Only a doctor should diagnose and treat them.

Why headaches occur

As a rule, not the whole head hurts, but some part of it. Causes of headache depending on its location:

• the temple area can hurt with sudden changes in blood pressure, poisoning the body with toxins or infectious diseases;
• headache in the back of the head occurs with high blood pressure, problems with the cervical spine (osteochondrosis, spondylosis) or hypertonicity of the muscles of the neck and collar zone;
• if the forehead hurts, it may be an inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinuses – frontal sinusitis. It can also be a sign of increased intracranial pressure or occipital nerve entrapment. Such pain accompanies very serious diseases – meningitis, pneumonia, malaria, typhoid;
• if painful sensations occur around the eyes, these are signs of migraine, vegetative-vascular dystonia. This is how eye diseases, including glaucoma, can manifest themselves.

Be careful if your head hurts regularly, with a certain cyclicity. This is a clear and specific signal – you have chronic diseases, or the level of stress and hard work is very high.

Different intensity of headache

Headache in a particular area can be of varying intensity: from sharp and sudden attacks to prolonged debilitating. This is also valuable diagnostic information.

The intensity of the pain in the head can be:

• Strong, sometimes unbearable. The causes of such pain are migraines, pressure drops, sinusitis, head injuries or infections. If the pain does not subside with time, but grows, it means that the painful process is progressing.
• Long lasting. This is a very serious SOS signal that our body can only give. It can indicate lesions of the nervous system of an infectious nature, meningitis, tuberculosis, parasitic diseases, and even a brain tumor. Particularly fearful frequent headache.
• Pulsating. Most often migraine manifests itself in this way. However, it can also be vascular diseases – brain damage, impaired outflow of cerebrospinal fluid or venous outflow. Pulsating pain is caused by some types of infectious lesions, otitis, glaucoma. A severe and prolonged throbbing headache is especially dangerous.
• Sudden. PC As a rule, it is caused by spasm of cerebral vessels. This happens in case of nerve infringement with cervical osteochondrosis, with a vascular crisis. An aneurysm rupture, intracranial hemorrhage is very dangerous. But a sharp headache often occurs as a result of stress, if a person is nervous or poisoned by low-quality products.

Be careful if your head hurts regularly, with a certain cyclicity. This is a clear and specific signal – you have chronic diseases, or the level of stress and hard work is very high.

Which diseases are accompanied by headaches

Only a doctor can establish a diagnosis, after several stages of examination. After all, with similar symptoms, the causes of headaches are different. Here is a list of the main diseases accompanied by pain in the head:

• Migraine. Severe headache , often throbbing, the person is sick, irritated by light, odors. There is a general weakness, a desire to lie down. Often the pain is on one side of the face. A migraine attack can last a few hours, or maybe 2-3 days.
• Tension headache. The most common type of disease. Usually the head hurts slightly, but the pain returns again and again. It can last 6-7 days. The pain compresses the skull, is localized in the back of the head, frontal part, crown, or spreads to all departments. This type of pain occurs in people who are engaged in sedentary work, driving for a long time, or constantly in a state of stress. Their shoulder girdle is so constrained that it does not relax even during sleep. The patency of muscles, nerve impulses, and tissue nutrition are impaired.
• Cluster disease. Very difficult to tolerate by patients, sometimes goes into a continuous form. The pain pulsates on one side of the head, compresses the eye or part of the forehead. The eye begins to water and swell. The peak of the attack lasts from half an hour to an hour and a half. Cluster pain is more common in men.
• Pain caused by infections. She is accompanied by chills, fever. The pain presses on the temples, eyes, forehead. With SARS, cough and runny nose join the symptoms. With meningitis, the pain is severe, throbbing, accompanied by vomiting.
• Pain resulting from injury. Their nature and intensity depends on the nature of the injury. Characteristic for concussion, skull damage, displacement of the vertebrae in the cervical spine. Moreover, unpleasant sensations can occur immediately, or they can occur after some time.
• Sinus pain. It accompanies inflammation of the sinuses, therefore it is localized in the frontal part of the head or near the nose. The patient has a runny nose, nasal congestion. You can get rid of it only by curing the underlying disease.
• Pain provoked by intracranial pressure. These are massive, intense pain sensations covering the entire surface of the head and the area around the eyes. Patients describe them as pressing or bursting. Often a person is sick and he can hardly tolerate bright light.
• Pain arising from lesions of the trigeminal nerve. Sharp, short (from 2 to 5 seconds), but very painful. Occurs suddenly in any part of the face. Most often, inflammation of the trigeminal nerve occurs in people with unhealthy teeth and oral problems.

What examinations are required

With complaints of headache, you should consult a therapist. First, the doctor collects an anamnesis – clarifies the nature, localization, duration of the headache. Remember when it first appeared and how often it recurs. In order to exclude additional factors that can provoke attacks, you need to undergo an examination by a neurologist, an ENT doctor, an ophthalmologist and visit a dental office. They will be able to accurately identify the causes and types of headaches and prescribe treatment.

Your doctor may recommend the following tests for you:

• electroencephalography – a study of the state of the brain. This is how vascular and tumor pathologies, hematomas are detected;
• x-ray – will show if there are signs of hydrocephalus, if there was a head injury or sinusitis;
• magnetic resonance imaging – this way you can detect a tumor, problems of cerebral circulation, diseases of the nasal sinuses, the consequences of a stroke.
• computed tomography – this way you can determine if there is a hemorrhage in the brain, what is the structure of the brain tissue and blood vessels;
• electromyography – determines the damage to neural connections and nerves;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the neck with Doppler – a popular procedure reveals atherosclerosis, vascular and blood flow pathologies, aneurysms;
• laboratory tests – tests will help detect inflammation, the presence of infection, problems with cholesterol metabolism and autoimmune processes.

Headache treatment

The consequences of headache can be very serious. The more often and stronger the headaches become, the brighter their consequences will manifest themselves – up to muscle spasm and brain hypoxia. And besides, the underlying disease will inevitably begin to progress.

Headache treatment is not limited to the use of drugs – although the use of anti-inflammatory, painkillers and local analgesics is an important part of the treatment. For example, a course of drug blockades greatly facilitates the patient’s condition.

Good help in the treatment of headaches will be:

• manual therapy is a method of applying manual massage techniques to the spine. Especially effective for migraine and tension pain;
• massage techniques. Effective for recovery from injuries and chronic migraines;
• acupuncture – the impact of medical needles through special points on the body. So you can activate the work of organs associated with certain nerve endings and start the process of self-healing;
• osteopathy – in this case, muscle clamps and changes in the joints and organs are worked out using special massage techniques on points on the patient’s body;
• physiotherapy – treatment with ultrasound, alternating or constant weak electric and magnetic fields, exposure to heat. Effective for different types of headaches;
• physiotherapy exercises – moderate physical activity, especially good in the treatment of post-traumatic conditions and overexertion pain;
• Botox injections – if the muscles are in spasm, a Botox injection will relax the area of ​​​​the body and relieve headaches;
• extracorporeal hemocorrection is a method based on blood purification from excess cholesterol and toxic substances.