Headache

What causes headaches?

Headaches result from pain signals sent by the nerves in your head and neck to your brain. Some of the identifiable causes of headaches include:

• Head trauma
• Colds and flu
• Stress
• Muscle tension
• Insufficient sleep
• Dehydration
• Exposure to pollutants or chemicals
• Allergies
• Excessive light or noise

However, it's not always clear what triggers a headache. Many people regularly experience headaches that don't have an identifiable cause. Headaches like these can be a source of chronic pain and have a significant adverse effect on your quality of life.

What are the types of headaches?

Headaches due to stress and ill health affect almost everyone at some point. There are many other types of headaches, however — about 150. Some are very rare, but those that are most likely to cause chronic pain include:

• Migraines
• Sinus headaches
• Cluster headaches
• Occipital neuralgia
• Chronic daily headaches
• Rebound headaches
• Ice pick headaches
• Hemicrania continua
• Thunderclap headaches
• Cervicogenic headaches

Migraines are one of the most common types of severe, chronic headaches. The pain they cause is particularly disabling, often so intense that you're unable to function for hours or even days when having a migraine attack.

Migraines cause unpleasant symptoms like nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, lightheadedness, and sensitivity to light and sound as well. You might also experience auras, which produce visual disturbances.

How are headaches treated?

Everyday headaches brought on by stress or ill health don't require treatment unless you need over-the-counter medications to dull the pain. You should look at what might be causing headaches like these, though, and take steps to prevent them.

For instance, if you regularly get stress headaches, learning techniques for reducing and managing stress could resolve the problem. Mild dehydration is a common cause of everyday headaches, so make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids.

If your headaches are due to an issue with the cervical vertebrae that make up your neck, Performance Pain and Sports Medicine's teams can treat any tissue damage or misalignment.

Chronic sinus headaches might need treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication, and sinus rinsing. 

How are migraines and chronic headaches treated?

If you suffer from regular migraines or other types of chronic headaches, the Performance Pain and Sports Medicine team offers an extensive choice of treatments to relieve your symptoms. These include:

• Muscle relaxants
• Anti-seizure medications
• Ergotamine and caffeine
• Anti-nausea medicine
• Glucocorticoids
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Lisinopril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor)
• Electrical and magnetic pulse technologies
• Steroid trigger point injections
• Medical Botox® injections

For effective relief of chronic headaches and migraines, call Performance Pain and Sports Medicine for comprehensive care today.