What Cause Headache?

Headache is referring pain sensation occurs in head and neck region. It is also called as cephalgia. Headache is explained as stretching & the contraction of blood vessel & muscles causing pain in the head and neck area.

There are many type of headache classified based on the intensity, frequency and location.

There are many type of headache classified based on intensity, frequency and location. Brain does not have any pain receptor therefore increase in the blood vessels and muscles stimulates the nerves causing pain.

Causes of headache 

There are many causes of headaches, primary and secondary headache. 

Primary headache causes are a direct factor that cause headache. 

• Stressful environment 

Stressful environments result in anxiety unproductive work and decrease person efficiency. It also result in increasing heart rate, shivering which tend to cause headache.

• Sleep disturbance 

Constant sleep deprivation results in constriction of blood vessels, decrease brain cognitive functions. A person feels tired, confuse, and suffer from headache, that continues throughout a day.

• Social uneasiness 

Social phobia, anxiety disorders are also factors causing excessive stimulation of nerves and blood vessels. It could stimulate various pain receptor lead to headache.

• Muscle strain 

• Drug abuse 

• Physical inactive person 

Physically inactive person ex. person working in offices are more physically inactive. This could lead to prohibiting many chemical formation and decreases hormone level. It could lead to headache.

• Smoking 

Smoking irritate the lung tissues and also increased co2 level in blood vessels causing headache.

• Body injury 

• Infection 

• Hypoxia 

Secondary causes are, 

• Hypertension 

Hypertension is defined as elevated blood pressure more than 140/90 mm hg. High blood pressure present in the body increases vascular pressure stimulating many pain receptors. It also increases load on blood vessels to carry fluid in the body.

• Anxiety disorder 

• Brain diseases:- Many brain disorders causes headache due to inflammation, the formation of swelling, and increased blood pressure. 

• Meningitis 

Meningitis is define as inflammation of meninges. It causes inflammation and swelling in brain area which causes headache.

• Encephalitis 

Encephalitis is define as inflammation of brain cells due to viral infection. It result in sever headache due to infectious activity, inflammation, and swelling.

• Hydrocephalus 

Hydrocephalus is define as fluid accumulation in the brain area majorly occur in newborns. It result in increase venous and arterial blood pressure, it also promotes swelling and compression of various brain areas causing pain.

• Brain tumor 

Brain tumor is the growth of abnormal cells in the brain area. It is characterized by abnormal cell present in the brain obstructing and damaging normal cells of brain. It can lead to headache.

Headache Symptoms 

Headache result in pain sensation in the neck, head areas. Perosn may feel palpiation on upper head. It causes confusion, irritation and loose cognitive functions. 

Headache types 

There are more than 300 type of headache some frequently arising headache are,

• Primary headache 

It is commonly seen on forehead, back of head, neck and in and above head. It occur due to muscle extension, stimulation to blood vessel and chemical changes in brain.

• Secondary headache 

Secondary headache is occur due to disease condition. In pneumonia, pregnancy, infection, brain tumor. The headache is continuous and only reduced when disease condition become normal.

• Migraine headache 

Migraine headache is severe type of headache resulting in nausea, stretching of muscles etc. It persist for 1 to 3 hours.

• Tension headache

It is common kind of headache seen in mid-day in work life. It results in headache surrounding the head and pain at neck.

• Cluster headache 

It occur due to dilation of blood vessel via release of histamine. Symptom are the red eyes, runny nose and sweating on face. 

Pathophysiology

Headache is start with injury or infection to brain area. There are two type headache occur primary and secondary. Primary headache includes direct stimulation to brain cells and tissues like smoking, injury, high work load, presence of tumor, etc. Secondary headache results from the disease condition that stimulate pain receptors in the body. 

Brain does not have direct pain receptors. It receives pain sensation via blood vessels and muscles they stimulate surrounding nerves which causing pain sensation in the head area. Headache is refer as pain subsiding in the neck, back of head, eyes, and surrounding to teeth and mouth. 

Diagnosis

Hypertension is diagnosed via time of occurance, frequency and intensity. Other diagnostic criteria:-

1. Complete blood count test:- It is done to check infection in body.
2. MRI & X-ray :- It is done to check for tumor, cancer cell, infection and injury in brain.

Treatment

Treatment of a headache depends on the underlying cause, but commonly involves pain reliving medication. A headache is one of the most commonly experienced of all as physical discomforts.

Headache is treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammattory drug, beta-blockers and analgesics etc. It decrease inflammation, infection, maintain normal muscle tone in head and neck region. Beta-blocker block action of epinephrine resulting in decreased blood pressure and muscle tone. 

Supporting management:-

• Eat healthy food

• Meditation

• 30-minute exercise

• Take time to relaxed

• Do what you like when you feel stressed

• Read and learn stress management

• Perform breathing exercise

• Limit caffeine intake 

• Stop smoking and alcohol 

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