Headaches are one of the most common physical complaints. Depending on the type of headache, pain can range from mild to disabling. There are a variety of reasons that headaches develop, from eye strain to sinus pressure. Understanding the cause of your headache can help you decide on an appropriate treatment.
Tension
Considered one of the most common causes of headaches by the National Institutes of Health, tension headaches can occur at any age but are more common in adolescents and adults. The pain typically occurs in the scalp, head or neck, and is due to tightness of the muscles in these areas.
When tension headaches occur two or more times a week over a period of several months, they are considered to be a chronic problem. The most common triggers for these types of headaches include typing or computer work which causes you to hold your neck in the same position for a prolonged period of time, sleeping in a cold room or sleeping with your neck in an abnormal position.
Eyestrain
Eyestrain headaches have a multitude of causes: watching too much television, working too many hours on your computer or playing video games for a prolonged period of time. These headaches are brought on when you attempt to read the fine print of a newspaper or book. Not only does your vision become blurred, but a headache soon kicks in. This is because you are not giving your eyes time to rest after subjecting them to the damaging screens of the television and PC at close range.
To help prevent these headaches from occurring, take a 2-minute break for every 60 minutes of work and/or play. Closing eyes for this short period of time allows your them to recuperate, states Headache Updates. When reading, close your book every 30 minutes and look at something different for a few minutes; this also helps eyes refocus, allowing them to regain strength.
Abnormal Brain Activity
Abnormal brain activity is the most common cause of migraines, one of the most disabling headaches. Approximately 11 out of 100 people suffer from migraines, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the average onset age is between 10 and 46. Women are more prone to these headaches than men, and there may be a genetic link.
Other symptoms usually accompany a migraine and include nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. Blurred vision may also occur. In some cases, people see or experience auras which manifest as visual or sensory disturbances, a warning that a migraine is about to strike.
Head Injuries
Head injuries can be the result of whiplash, blows to the head and concussions from falls or car accidents. Also referred to as head trauma, headaches that result from head injury usually require testing to rule out blood vessel problems and bone injury. Treatment is at the discretion of the doctor and depends on the cause of the injury.
