Headache Overview:Headaches can be a severe condition that can afflict millions of Americans a year. There are a multitude of causes of headaches that range from harmless to absolute emergencies. Headaches have the ability to completely alter the quality of your life. There are some Americans who live their life headache to headache. If you are one of these Americans then you have come to the correct place. We are here to make sure we can cure your ailments. Our doctors have been treating headaches for decades. That is why we want to impart the wisdom we have learned onto you. Now without further ado we will describe the different causes of headaches so that you will know when to contact your physician and go to urgent care, or go straight to an emergency department for prompt evaluation. For further questions call 1 919-759-5460.
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Harmless Headaches |
Tension type headaches: These headaches are a common cause of headache that can be caused by alcohol, caffeine, drug, or pain medication withdrawal. They are a cause of headache that afflicts millions of Americans per year. They are typically a two sided headache that can feel like a band is compressing the head in a balanced fashion. This headache can last from minutes, to hours, to days. This is a significant distinguishing feature from other types of headaches. The tension type headache is a headache that is not accompanied by visual disturbances such as shapes, nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity. If you have those symptoms it may be best to suspect another cause of headache. The tension type headache can be treated with over the counter pain medications such as Tylenol, or ibuprofen but watch out! The tension type headache can be made worse by withdrawal from these medications as well. The tension type headache can be caused by tension in the musculature of the head. This can be apparent after a head massage is done for headache relief. Tension type headaches are annoying, and inconvenient, but completely harmless. If you have more questions about your headaches then contact us now at our toll free hotline. For further questions call 1 919-759-5460.
Migraines: Migraines are a severe headache that can last from minutes to hours. It does not last days, and thus can be differentiated from the tension headache in this way. If you have a migraine it can be located on both sides of the head as well as one side of the head. If it is one sided it can be located behind the eye. It can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, as well as light and sound sensitivity. This differentiates it from the harmless tension type headache. Atypical migraines can cause stroke-like neurological symptoms such as weakness, pain, numbness, and tingling. This is not an excuse to not get evaluated at an emergency department for stroke symptoms. If you experience these symptoms ever, call 911 immediately. Migraines can be familial in origin and thus run in the family. If you have family members with diagnoses of migraine then odds are that may be experiencing a migraine as well. Migraines are mostly harmless, but they can also be caused by severe diseases as well. Strokes, seizures, brain tumors, electrolyte disturbances as well as cancer can all cause these symptoms of migraines. If you have a migraine the treatment is typically triptans, NSAIDS (ibuprofen/acetaminophen), and ergotamines for abortive therapy. For prevention you may be put on beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers as well as other medications. All in all if you are having severe headaches out of your control call our toll free hotline now, unless otherwise directed in the information above. |
Emergency Causes of Headaches |
Stroke: Strokes are the blockage of blood vessels by plaque, clots, and other gunk that can circulate in your blood vessels. If a vessel is blocked in your brain it cannot deliver nutrients, and oxygen to your brain. Your brain will become angry as a result. The brain can become inflamed and cause migraines if you are not careful. We discussed early that a cause of migraines can be strokes. This is an example of an emergent cause of a migraine. If you are having a stroke refer to our stroke section. Neurological symptoms such as one-sided body symptoms of numbness, weakness, or tingling will prompt a 911 call to your local dispatcher. If you are having headaches and have more questions call us at our toll free number. For further questions call 1 919-759-5460.
Brain Aneurysm: An aneurysm is when a weakened portion of your artery or blood vessel balloons out due to the sustained pressure of blood flow. The aneurysm is a weakening in the blood vessel wall that can eventually bust like a balloon cause blood to leak into the brain. This brain bleeding will increase the pressure in the brain and irritate the brain tissue as well. This leads to headaches described as the worst pain in your life. If you are experiencing these symptoms call your local 911 dispatcher immediately. For more questions about headaches due to aneurysms then call our toll free number now. For further questions call 1 919-759-5460. |