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Headache simply means pain in the head, a sharp pain, a throbbing sensation, or a gradual discomfort are all possible symptoms of headache. Headaches can come on gradually or unexpectedly, and they can last anywhere from a few minutes to many days. it is the commonest symptom that brings a patient to the hospital.
TYPES
Primary headache
Secondary headache
Primary headache:
The malfunction, imbalance, and overactivity of the pain-sensitive structures in your head cause primary headaches. Some lifestyle, such as alcohol, certain foods, changes in sleep or lack of sleep, poor posture, skipped meals, and stress, can cause primary headaches. Types of primary headach include:
Migraine headache:
Mostly affect female, usually unilateral(one sided), throbbing and episodic in nature. It is triggered by stress, certain food, hypoglycemia due to hunger/starvation.
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Tension Headache
It is more common than migraine headache, some have described it as heaviness of the head, fire in the head, band like pain in the head. It is usually absent in the morning but progresses as the day goes by. It is the common cause of job absenteeism.
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Cluster Headache
It is common in males, it is characterized by throbbing and unilateral headache, restlessness, nasal stiffness, redness of the affected eye, eye ptosis.
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Cough headache.
Coughing and other forms of straining, such as sneezing, blowing your nose, laughing, sobbing, singing, leaning over, or having a bowel movement, can cause this.
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Exercise-induced headache.
Strenuous exercise that can cause headaches include running, rowing, tennis, swimming and weightlifting.
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Sex headache.
It is due to sexual activity, especially an orgasm. Men are more affected.
Secondary Headache
A secondary headache is a symptom of a condition that causes the pain-sensitive nerves in the head to be activated.it occurs as a result of exogenous(external and identifiable cause) factors.
Types of Secondary headache:
External compression headaches:a result of pressure-causing headgear.
Ice cream headaches: commonly called brain freeze.
Medication overuse headaches: caused by overuse of pain medication.
Sinus headaches: caused by inflammation and congestion in sinus cavities.
Spinal headaches: caused by low pressure or volume of cerebrospinal fluid, possibly the result of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak, spinal tap or spinal anesthesia.
Thunderclap headaches: a group of disorders that involves sudden, severe headaches with multiple causes.
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Common causes of secondary headache include:
Acute sinusitis (nasal and sinus infection)
Arterial tears (carotid or vertebral dissections)
Blood clot (venous thrombosis) within the brain — separate from stroke
Brain aneurysm
Brain arteriovenous malformation
Brain tumor
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Cerebral abscess
Concussion
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Dehydration
Dental problems
Ear infection (middle ear)
Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
Glaucoma (acute angle closure glaucoma)
Hangovers
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Influenza (flu) and other febrile (fever) illnesses
Intracranial hematoma
Medications to treat other disorders
Meningitis
Overuse of pain medication
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Stroke
Toxoplasmosis
Trigeminal neuralgia (as well as other neuralgias, all involving irritation of certain nerves connecting the face and brain)
Idiopathic
Treatment
Treatment depends of the type and cause of headache. Primary headache are usually chronic type of headache. There is need to visit your physician for proper investigation and individualized care after taken your pain killers and the headache persist also if the headache is sudden, sudden, severe headache or a headache associated with confusion, fainting, high fever, neck stiffness, difficulty seeing, difficulty speaking, difficulty walking, nausea or vomiting
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I urge us to be aware of and care for our health; certain serious illnesses might manifest as regular headaches, which we dismiss as mild but which can become dangerous over time. Please keep a watchful eye on your health.
Stay safe and have a lovely day.
Thank you for taking the time to read this; please share this information with your friends; you never know who might need it.
Reference:
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1142556-overview
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1142459-overview
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/headache/basics/definition/sym-20050800
