Headache
There are four types of headache: vascular, muscle contraction (tension), traction, and inflammatory. The most common type of vascular headache is migraine. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, an upset stomach, and, at times, disturbed vision. more...
Headache Discussions
I get headaches almost everyday if not then 4-6 times a week, I have since I was 12 years old and I am now 20 years old.. sometimes they are really really bad, other times they're just bad. nothing works for them. i've tried advil, tylenol, ibuprofen, asetameniphen (sp?), and more. it's to the point now where i'm so used to the pain of a normal feeling headache that those don't bother me at all anymore but the bad ones seem to just get worse as i get older. does anyone have any idea what might work? and ...
by ashley1728, 11 replies, updated about 1 month ago.In April my husband ended up in ER with what Dr's thought was a stroke. Test say it wasn't a stroke. He has a headache 24/7 then he gets a throbbing headache on top of the constant headache, With this comes confusion, not be able to hear correctly or understand what is being said. He has lost short term memory, very angry, slurred speech, loss of balance at times. Dr's say it is stroke like symptoms. One Dr does think he is having TIA's. They are treating him for vascular headaches. He is getting worse...
by shangwife1, 10 replies, updated 2 months ago.I've been getting headaches since i was young,now am 53. I have been given al kinds of meds. Along with the headaches came depression. Yes, I get thme most every day on some level. But sometimes extremley bad. I have prety much got them to where I can live and work with the meds. But now am having soreness of the bottoms of feet and toes,elbows,arms,knuckles,and fingers. Is hard to close fingers to make a fist,or to move my toes. What is happening here?
by rand77, 0 replies, updated 2 months ago.I HAVE GOTTEN HEADACHES SINCE I WAS LITTLE OFF AND ON BUT LATELY I HAVE BEEN GETTING THEN EVERY DAY. I HAVE TRYED ALL KIND OF MEDS SOME TIMES THEY WORK AND SOMETIMES NOT, MY DR SEEMS TO THINK ITS FROM STRESS, SHE PRESCRIBED CELEXA AND NOW I HAVE ALL KIND OF OTHER PROBLEMS PLUS THE HEADACHES. BUT I DONT REALLY FEEL STRESSED. DOES ANYONE HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION??????
by rosalia, 2 replies, updated 2 months ago.Since spring arrived, I have had a continuous headache just above my eyes. I have tried all over the counter meds and have now been put on Alagesic. Just wondering if anyone else has had aches like this and what was your remedy. I have been told they could be summer headaches that could be caused from glare, humidity and dehydration.
by lindan96, 1 replies, updated 2 months ago.Start a new topic about Headache
What is Headache?
There are four types of headache: vascular, muscle contraction (tension), traction, and inflammatory. The most common type of vascular headache is migraine. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, an upset stomach, and, at times, disturbed vision. Women are more likely than men to have migraine headaches. After migraine, the most common type of vascular headache is the toxic headache produced by fever. Other kinds of vascular headaches include "cluster” headaches, which cause repeated episodes of intense pain, and headaches resulting from high blood pressure. Muscle contraction headaches appear to involve the tightening or tensing of facial and neck muscles. Traction and inflammatory headaches are symptoms of other disorders, ranging from stroke to sinus infection. Like other types of pain, headaches can serve as warning signals of more serious disorders. This is particularly true for headaches caused by inflammation, including those related to meningitis as well as those resulting from diseases of the sinuses, spine, neck, ears, and teeth.
When headaches occur three or more times a month, preventive treatment is usually recommended. Drug therapy, biofeedback training, stress reduction, and elimination of certain foods from the diet are the most common methods of preventing and controlling migraine and other vascular headaches. Regular exercise, such as swimming or vigorous walking, can also reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. Drug therapy for migraine is often combined with biofeedback and relaxation training. One of the most commonly used drugs for the relief of migraine symptoms is sumatriptan. Drugs used to prevent migraine also include methysergide maleate, which counteracts blood vessel constriction; propranolol hydrochloride, which also reduces the frequency and severity of migraine headaches; ergotamine tartrate, a vasoconstrictor that helps counteract the painful dilation stage of the headache; amitriptyline, an antidepressant; valproic acid, an anticonvulsant; and verapamil, a calcium channel blocker.
Not all headaches require medical attention. But some types of headache are signals of more serious disorders and call for prompt medical care. These include: sudden, severe headache or sudden headache associated with a stiff neck; h eadaches associated with fever, convulsions, or accompanied by confusion or loss of consciousness; headaches following a blow to the head, or associated with pain in the eye or ear; persistent headache in a person who was previously headache free; and recurring headache in children. Migraine headaches may last a day or more and can strike as often as several times a week or as rarely as once every few years.
Prepared by the National Institutes of Health
