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Professionals Consumers Pain Resources        Monday, January 05, 2009
 
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 Home : Consumers : Types of Headaches and Their Causes

Types of Headaches and Their Causes

Headaches, those horrible, pounding, and sometimes blinding and nauseating events, are divided into three basic classes: organic, tension-type, and vascular. In this article, Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the Diamond Headache Clinic and of the Inpatient Headache Unite at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, provides information about the cause of headaches and tips in handling them.

Types of Headaches

Organic headaches are also known as traction and inflammatory, and they are caused by the expansion and pulling of the blood vessels within the brain. Causes for organic headaches include aneurysms, subdural hematomas (collection of blood on the surface of the brain usually caused by injury or trauma), and brain tumors.

Tension-type headaches are also known as muscle contraction headaches, and are often triggered by stress, frustration, anxiety, or depression.

Vascular headaches are due to a disturbance of the amines, including histamine and serotonin. Migraine and cluster headaches are considered vascular in nature, and are caused by the widening of the blood vessels in the cranium.

Treating Headaches

There are many ways to treat headaches. However, it is best to avoid headaches by being aware of what triggers your headache. For example, certain foods and alcoholic beverages have a greater tendency to trigger headaches in some people. If you know what triggers your headaches, you can avoid these things.

Second, get defensive! At the first sign of a headache, begin treating the headache to ward off the worst of the symptoms. This may mean removing yourself from a stressful situation, taking a few minutes to close your eyes to rest and breathe deeply, or taking over-the-counter medicine or prescribed medications.

Recurring Headaches

Dr. Diamond states that recurring headaches can sometimes be a symptom of something more serious. This is the case when the cause of the headache is organic. These headaches are often caused by a brain tumor or aneurysm, both of which are life threatening. If you have recurring headaches, make sure to inform your physician as soon as possible.

In general, patients should also seek the advice of a physician if they experience any of the following:

  1. A sudden and severe headache
  2. A headache that affects one side of the head.
  3. A headache that is associated with pain in the eyes or ears.
  4. A headache that is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, or sensitivity to light and sound.
  5. A headache that recurs in a definite pattern - time of day, circumstances, and duration of pain are consistently similar.
  6. A headache which causes confusion or loss of consciousness, or weakness in the legs and arms.
  7. A headache which is persistent, when you were previously headache-free.
  8. A headache which interferes with your ability to function normally at work or in social situations.
  9. A headache which is similar to headaches suffered by other members of your family.