Headaches afflict almost everyone at some time or the other, since during most of the times, they are functional, caused by temporary upsets and is not related to any organic changes in the brain. A headache arises from irritation to nerve endings in the shoulder, neck and scalp muscles and also in the smooth muscles encircling the blood vessels, which serve these areas.
Causes of Headache
Headaches may occur if there is an infection, such as a cold, virus and fever also. The common causes of headaches are allergy, emotional reasons, eyestrain, high blood pressure, hangover, infection, low blood sugar, nutritional deficiency, tension, the presence of poisons and toxins in the body, and migraine. Intense emotion often causes headaches.
Additives in foods and in many cases, cosmetics, skin and hair products are also serious offenders in bringing on headaches. In addition, there are many toxic air contaminants also that accumulate in the body, resulting in headaches.
Types of Headache
There are numerous types of headaches. The most common ones are:
•Tension Headaches: Also called stress headaches, chronic daily headaches, or chronic non-progressive headaches, they are the most common type among adults and teens. They cause mild to moderate pain and come and go over time.
•Migraines: These headaches are often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from 4 hours to 3 days and usually happen one to four times per month. Along with the pain, people have other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light, noise, or smells; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and upset stomach or belly pain.
•Mixed Headache Syndrome: Also called transformed migraines, this condition is a mix of migraine and tension headaches. Both adults and children can have it.
•Cluster Headaches: This type is intense and feels like a burning or piercing pain behind the eyes, either throbbing or constant. It"s the least common but the most severe type of headache.
•Sinus Headaches: This type of headache gives a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose. They happen when cavities in the head, called sinuses; get inflamed. The pain usually comes along with other sinus symptoms, such as a runny nose, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever and swelling in face.
Treatment for Headache
Since eyestrain always causes headaches, simple eye exercises should be practised to relieve eyestrain, such as moving the eyes up and down from side to side, palming, rotating the head with neck outstretched, forward and backward three times, then thrice clockwise and thrice anti-clockwise.
Water Treatment is the safest method of headache treatment as it draws the blood away from the head and down to the feet, giving relief from the headache. Aromatherapy oils for the benefit of curing headaches are Lavender, Peppermint, Camomile and Rosemary. Magnetic Therapy is also helpful in curing headache.
