by Estella Reed

Created on: January 23, 2008

Headaches: Causes and treatment Options.

Headaches are a common cause of absenteeism from work and school. It is one of the commonest ailments which probably everyone of us would have experienced at some point of time in our lives. Most of the time headaches are benign and self limiting in nature.

Tension Headache
The most common type of headache is tension headache amounting to 75-90 percent of all persons complaining of chronic or frequent headaches. It is more common among women than men. Tension headache is a dull, steady, achy pain on both sides of the head. It is believed to be due to stress; and you are more likely to get one after a stressful day at work. It can also be caused by lack of sleep, alcohol, missing meals, anxiety, depression, too much of coughing and sneezing, and dehydration. It can be described as a response by our body to emotional strains and pressure.

Migraine
Migraine headaches are the next common type of headaches. It is estimated that about 12% of the US population will experience migraine headaches. Migraine can affect children as well as adults. During childhood, both boys and girls are equally affected; but after puberty, it more common affects girls than boys. It is a severe, throbbing or pulsating type of pain, often on one side of the head; associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light sound and smell.

It may or may not be associated with an aura. An aura is a neurological phenomenon that is experienced 10-30 minutes before an attack of migraine. Aura as described by migraine sufferers may be seen as bright shimmering lights around objects or at the periphery of the field of vision, zigzag lines, wavy images, visual hallucinations, weakness, dizziness and vertigo.

Migraine can be triggered by a number of factors including stress, coffee, chocolate, alcohol, aged cheese, cigarette smoke, fasting, smell of perfume, hunger, bright or flickering light, lack of sleep, hormonal changes and certain medications. The best one can do to avoid an attack of migraine is to avoid the triggering factors and taking prophylactic medication.

Sinus Headache
Sinusitis or inflammation of the sinuses may be associated with headache. An inflammation of the sinus can be caused by a common cold, nasal allergy and changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity. Adults have four pairs of sinuses and the site of pain will depend on the sinus involved in the inflammation. The headache associated with sinusitis is a dull ache or a feeling of fullness

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