A headache usually comes on suddenly and takes the person by surprise. Doctors have a different opinion on this matter: behind each attack of a severe headache there are reasons caused by pathology of the cardiovascular, nervous or any other system.

Severe headache requires special treatment. It needs to be taken seriously. Pain in the head can be a mask of one of the serious diseases that require a visit to a doctor and a complete examination of the body.

Of course, medicines that can be bought at a pharmacy should help with a severe headache. This treatment option is justified only in the case of tolerable pain and a single attack. If or excessively strong, you should consult a doctor: go to an appointment or call an ambulance. So, let's see what caused and how to relieve a severe headache?

Why can a headache be so bad

Common causes of severe headaches include:

  • Stroke
  • Skull injury, brain injury
  • High blood pressure
  • chronic stress
  • migraine attacks
  • Inflammatory changes in the lining of the brain

1. Stroke

The brain itself never hurts. Pain of varying intensity appears with damage and inflammation of the nerves, membranes of the brain, blood vessels, compression processes and increased pressure in the cranium.

A stroke is a serious pathology that develops as a result of the death of a part of the brain. The causes of a stroke can be different - hemorrhage (rupture of a vessel), thrombosis, ischemia, compression.

A stroke often manifests itself not only in the form of severe headaches, but also with special symptoms: vomiting, loss of consciousness, loss of sensation in one of the limbs or half of the body.

A stroke is the outcome of a critical state of the body. A person who has had a stroke often suffers from metabolic disorders, diseases associated with the work of the heart and blood vessels.

Seeing a doctor, calling an ambulance are mandatory steps in the treatment of a stroke. Without the help of specialists, a fatal outcome is possible.

2. Trauma of the skull

Head injuries are one of the typical causes of severe headaches. When trauma usually develops a state of inhibition, loss of consciousness. Possible.


Trauma to the skull is one of the causes of malaise

A concussion requires treatment by medical specialists. Surgical care is necessary for head injuries associated with damage to the bones of the skull, a fracture of the base

In most cases, traumatic brain injury is difficult to miss. The pain is combined with other manifestations, including bleeding and a violation of the general condition of the body.

3. High blood pressure

Arterial hypertension is a relative concept. Each person lives with his "working" blood pressure. In some cases, the standard pressure of 120/80 can cause a person severe discomfort and pain in the head.

The pressure is due to the work of the heart. Violation of its normal functioning leads to vascular pathology and increased tension in them. Headache is just one of the symptoms. In addition to the brain, the kidneys, liver and all other organs suffer.

The treatment of headaches caused by arterial hypertension must be approached thoroughly, with the help of qualified specialists. A cardiologist, after conducting all the necessary studies, will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and begin to treat the disease, and not the symptoms in the form of a headache.

Medicines prescribed for severe headaches help only for a certain period of time, blurring the picture of the underlying disease that requires special treatment.

Only an integrated approach, correction of eating behavior and lifestyle, drug therapy can keep the cardiovascular system in a healthy state.

4. Chronic stress


Stress can also be the cause of high-intensity headaches. The human brain is a complex system that needs rest. You can compare the brain to a computer. If a digital device works without interruption for several days, then even the simplest operations take more and more time from it. As a result, the computer freezes.

Pain during stress and overwork is a signal from our “internal computer” that the brain is tired and needs rest.

It is worth noting that before diagnosing stress, it is necessary to exclude other dangerous diseases. This requires a doctor's consultation and a complete examination.

If stress turned out to be a confirmed diagnosis, measures should be taken to rehabilitate the nervous system.

A number of rules must be followed. Compliance with the regime of work and rest is the basis of stress prevention. Only by correctly distributing the load, one can achieve not only excellent performance, discovery of creative thinking, but also the absence of unpleasant symptoms from the brain.

Proper nutrition is important for the human body. By following the rules of a nutritionist, calculating the amount of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, the ratio of plant and animal food, you can lose weight by a few kilograms and improve your well-being. Sometimes a change of activity helps to overcome fatigue and stress. Periodic change of routine work for creative activity improves well-being and gives a new surge of strength.

5. Migraine attacks as the cause of severe headaches

One of the main ones is pain in the head of varying intensity. It can be unilateral, bilateral, dull and pulsating.

There are several theories of migraine. The most common: genetic theory, vascular theory (deterioration of blood flow in the brain), neurological disorders, metabolic disorders.

The diagnosis of "migraine" should be made by a specialist doctor, excluding diseases that are amenable to standard drug treatment.

Headache associated with migraine can be described as:

  • At least five seizures
  • Medium or high intensity
  • Increases with physical activity
  • May be accompanied by nausea, vomiting
  • No associations with other diseases were found during the survey.

6. Inflammation of the membranes of the brain

The most common cause of inflammation is a bacterial or viral infection. Meningitis and encephalitis have special symptoms of the manifestation of the disease, require treatment in a medical hospital with the use of drugs.

Timely admission to the hospital is the main factor determining the degree of effectiveness of therapy for meningitis and encephalitis.

The symptoms of meningitis include repeated vomiting, pain that causes a strong cry, a special position of the body (posture of a pointing dog, when a sick person lies with his head thrown back, bringing his arms and legs to the body). Symptoms of intoxication of the body are characteristic: lethargy, weakness, decreased appetite and high fever.

Pain in this pathology is often severe. What to do when you have a severe headache and there is a suspicion of an infection? Urgently call a doctor and start treatment.

Headache attacks can start unexpectedly and last for a very long time. The strength of pain in each case is different and depends on the cause of the appearance. Why is this happening? What does the headache mean?

All reasons must be considered on a case-by-case basis. Because the body of each person in the same circumstances reacts differently. The headache can be very severe.

Causes of characteristic severe pain in the head

Seizures develop in several ways:

  • side effects begin to appear, then pain is felt and gradually intensifies;
  • immediately severe headache, which gradually subsides;
  • side effects are accompanied by dull pain, but gradually the pain intensifies and passes from one part of the head to another.

These are just examples, there can be a lot of such schemes. In some cases, the attack begins each time the same way, in others it may change. The most important thing is the strength of pain sensations and the frequency of their manifestations. There can be no trifles in establishing a diagnosis. It is very important to observe all the features and tell the doctor about it.

If you suffer from severe headaches and this happens several times a week, you should definitely consult a doctor and undergo a complete medical examination. Such measures are needed to correctly establish their cause and exclude any complex disease. There may be several such reasons. Most often, severe headaches occur for such reasons.

Any catarrhal disease - sore throat, flu, sinusitis, otitis media. In this case, a severe headache appears, usually in the morning. If the attacks do not go away with the treatment of the underlying disease, and the headache does not decrease, it can be assumed that the treatment used is not effective.

In this regard, it is necessary to inform the doctor and change the approach to treatment. It can also occur due to the fact that during the night mucus is collected in the nasal and frontal sinuses. Therefore, in the morning and in the evening it is necessary to clean the sinuses.

They can appear at any age and at any time of the day. The duration of such an attack can even be several days. In this case, various side effects can be observed: nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, hearing. Irritants in this case are: bright light, loud sound, pungent smell. With a long stay in a stuffy room or working at a computer, a migraine attack may begin.

Any dental disease, usually with a severe headache will be felt in the frontal part. Various brain diseases, especially tumors. In this case, headaches are supplemented by loss of vision or hearing, frequent dizziness, convulsions, and personality disorders.

Various eye diseases. If the loss of vision began to occur quite abruptly and at the same time headaches became more frequent, you should consult a doctor and be sure to undergo an examination.

Any trauma to the head, spine. After treatment, a side effect may remain in the form of headache attacks and its sensations can be very strong. Such manifestations can last for a long time, and can become constant companions, it all depends on the complexity of the injury. In such a situation, it is necessary to pay great attention to preventive measures and the attacks will begin to recede.

Overexertion and overwork. The body can work for a long time without normal rest, but after a certain time it will begin to give signals. One of these is headache.

Stress is a very common cause. The strength of a headache depends on how resistant you are to stress. Therefore, learn to resist negative emotions. Also, high or low blood pressure.

Types of pain in the head

Scientists believe that there are eight types of pain in the head. The first type of headache is tension pain. The cause of such pain is stress or trauma to the head and neck. Attacks occur according to a certain schedule and are felt in the forehead, eyes, and upper part of the head. This usually happens in the afternoon, when you are already tired and have done some work.

Migraine is also a separate type of pain. Attacks usually last several hours. Very often there is an aura before the onset of an attack. An irritant or several appears, after which pain is felt. Scientists say that this is due to violations in the work of the vessels of the brain.

They mostly affect men. At the same time, there is a throbbing pain in the eye area, tearing may increase, a runny nose appears, the eyes turn red. The pain will be very strong, there are cases when movement becomes difficult and the patient tries not to talk. The attack lasts from several minutes to an hour.

In this case, pain can be felt in any part of the head. Sometimes it goes from one to another. Attacks can be regular, usually they come when the body feels tired.

The attack occurs due to changes in the work of blood vessels and serotonin ceases to perform its function. Also, due to large doses of alcohol, the body is dehydrated and headaches appear.

Headaches due to serious brain diseases, any neoplasms. The formation may increase in size and affect intracranial pressure. Usually the attack starts in the morning, maybe even with vomiting and convulsions. In such a situation, be sure to consult a doctor.

Temporal arthritis, with pain may be felt in the neck and shoulder. Such attacks appear in middle-aged people. There are several reasons for this: infections, alcohol abuse, unsystematic medication, frequent exposure to the sun.

Intracranial pressure - pain begins in one side of the head. In this case, vision can deteriorate sharply, speech can be lost, coordination of movements, nausea and vomiting can be disturbed. This happens due to a rupture of a blood vessel or an injury. The pain will be very strong and sharp.

Vertebrogenic headache

These headaches are associated with spinal disease. There is a curvature of its vertebral section and blood circulation in the arteries is disturbed. So there is an attack. The brain is deficient in oxygen. Usually, pain in this case begins to be felt from the back of the head, during the attack it moves towards the forehead and temples. The causes of these attacks can serve as scoliosis and osteochondrosis.

With such changes in the structure of the spine, the following can occur:

  • sudden pressure drops;
  • at the same time, attacks of nausea and vomiting occur;
  • frequent dizziness, deterioration of the general condition;
  • dizziness can also be felt when lying down.

All the arteries that pass through the vertebral section are very important for the body. If they are squeezed, the work of the brain, heart, and respiratory organs can be disrupted. Such phenomena can also occur due to curvature of the chest. Any changes in the location of the arteries lead to disruption of the vital systems of the body and to headache attacks.

In such situations, you must definitely go to the hospital. For the correct diagnosis, an examination of the spine and chest is performed. Treatment may include massage therapy and medications to help with the healing process.

In some cases, surgery may be indicated. It is necessary to eliminate the cause of the curvature of the spine and restore the functioning of the arteries. Very often, such changes occur with age or as a result of injuries. Heavy physical labor, which could cause a change in the shape of the spine.

With age, changes occur in the intervertebral regions, the connective tissue is erased, and thus the arteries may experience additional stress. Such changes may appear due to an infection that has entered the body and the development of an inflammatory process. Growth failure during puberty adversely affects the entire circulatory system. Hypothermia can be the cause of many diseases.

It is not possible to self-medicate, with the appearance of frequent and severe headaches and painful sensations in the cervical spine, you need to undergo a medical examination and a course of treatment. By agreement with the doctor, it is possible to use folk methods and medicinal herbs.

Symptoms of severe headaches

The symptoms of a severe headache may be similar to those of other attacks. There is one difference, the pain is very strong. These attacks can occur in men and women. Even children suffer from such headaches. Severe headaches can begin during pregnancy.

Start of attack. If this is a migraine attack, then the appearance of an aura in the eyes may precede the onset. You begin to hear muffled sounds, objects and things around you have fuzzy outlines. You may feel nauseous and vomit. After such manifestations, a headache is felt. Usually the attacks are very strong, the head can start to hurt in one place, and then move throughout the head or other areas.

Very often the pain is felt with a pulsating effect. At the beginning, this happens in the temples, it can give to the eye area. As a result, sleep is disturbed, a feeling of lethargy occurs. With such attacks, a person cannot work normally, the child is engaged in the learning process. In this case, blood pressure can change dramatically, for example, from high to low.

Thirty minutes before the attack:

  • the person turns pale;
  • there may be a feeling of numbness of the limbs;
  • pain in the back and neck, neck;
  • very large sweating;
  • will often want to go to the toilet;
  • speech will become slurred;
  • muscles will require more control;
  • vision and hearing deteriorate.

There are several irritants that provoke headache attacks. But in any case, you need to find out what exactly will serve as such an irritant for you. Maybe stimuli affect in a certain complex and begin to provoke an attack.

The pain may start inside the head and move throughout the attack. Very often, the vessels sharply narrow or expand, and because of this, a person feels pain. In some cases, the pain can begin abruptly and very strongly, without prior symptoms.

All symptoms are important for choosing a method of treatment:

  • How exactly does an attack manifest itself?
  • what helps him?

First aid for severe headache

Headache must be treated. If the attack is very strong, you do not need to endure the pain. Here are simple tips to help you get rid of severe headache pain:

  • take an anesthetic drug and the attack will be stopped. To enhance the effect of the drug, it is recommended to ventilate the room, lie down, do a head massage;
  • if possible, you need to do some physical exercises. You need to stretch your back and neck a little. After such actions, the pain may begin to pass without medication;
  • You need eight or ten hours of sleep a day. More sleep can cause a headache attack, so control your sleep;
  • The best sleeping position is lying on your back. With an uncomfortable posture during sleep, blood circulation will be disturbed and the neck muscles will contract;
  • try to watch your gait and back position when you are sitting;
  • you can make a compress, depending on the situation, it can be cool or warm, or just tie your head with a scarf;
  • try to relax completely, for this, take a comfortable position in a chair or lie down. Close your eyes and try to escape from reality;
  • you can massage certain points on the human body, which will help relieve pain;
  • wear sunglasses in bright sun or lighting, take breaks every half an hour when working at a computer.

In any case, after stopping the attack, you must consult a doctor and find out the cause of the attack. With very severe pain, you can take "Paracetamol" or drugs that contain it.

If attacks of severe headache occur during pregnancy, drugs should be taken only in consultation with the doctor. In such a situation, try or take No-shpa.

A severe headache can be a sign of a serious illness. To get rid of seizures, it is necessary to treat the root cause of their appearance. If they depend on high blood pressure, you must definitely choose a drug that will help bring the pressure back to normal. You need to choose according to the recommendation of a doctor.

When overtired, you must definitely relax, sleep, walk in the fresh air. After that, the seizures will pass. A very important place is given to preventive measures. For a long period of remission, all the advice of a specialist, a healthy lifestyle should become a habit for you.

A severe headache brings a lot of discomfort. Therefore, an important point is to determine and identify the true cause of the attack. First of all, you need to stop the attack and then consult a doctor.

Treatment requires an integrated approach. To achieve a quick and effective result, you need to follow a few rules:

  • proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle;
  • giving up alcohol and nicotine;
  • physical education and sports, feasible physical activity;
  • learn to avoid and survive stressful situations;
  • during sedentary work, be sure to take breaks during the day, once every half an hour.

To establish the correct diagnosis can be assigned:

  • analysis of urine and blood;
  • MRI and ultrasound;
  • x-ray.

Be sure to follow all the doctor's instructions and follow all the recommendations during the treatment. Preventive measures are very important in the treatment of severe headaches. You can use herbal teas and tinctures, aromatherapy, massage.

Such measures increase the period of remission and help get rid of attacks of severe headache. Self-medication can lead to major health problems, so do not take medication indiscriminately or in large quantities.

Headache is not just considered one of the main signs of impaired functioning of the body. The nature of its manifestation often helps to establish the diagnosis.

Of course, you still cannot do without a comprehensive examination, but the causes, signs and symptoms of headaches are closely interconnected with each other.

And the correct definition of the disease is already a big step towards healing.

Signs and symptoms

Probably everyone has experienced a headache at least once in their life. Many people suffer from it regularly. And only 10% of the lucky ones do not know such a misfortune. Statistics do not speak in favor of health, but on the other hand, a headache warns a person. If you do not listen to the work of the body, then in the future serious illnesses often develop.

Signs and symptoms of a headache usually appear in a complex, but there are also features. In fact, it all depends on the cause of the disorder. What should you pay attention to?

First of all, related events and various changes:

  1. Dizziness and fainting.
  2. Nausea and vomiting.
  3. Temperature.
  4. Weakness.
  5. Noise and pain in the ears.
  6. Pain in the neck and throat.
  7. Pulsation.
  8. Feeling of pressure and constriction.

As you can see from this list, headaches are different. Therefore, it is worth considering each symptom separately.

Dizziness and fainting

Cardiovascular disorders often provoke dizziness and fainting with a headache. It can be both high blood pressure and low blood pressure. In the brain, any changes in the state of blood vessels are perceived negatively due to the high sensitivity of nerve cells.

About 25% of all blood is consumed by the brain. And if its qualitative composition is violated, then this also leads to dizziness. For example, a low red blood cell count reduces the supply of oxygen. But too saturated blood can be harmful due to its high viscosity and hampered current through the capillaries.

Sometimes a patient is even suspected of hypoxia, and oxygen starvation is fraught with irreversible consequences (tissue death, mental disorders, etc.).

But most often dizziness and fainting occur with prolonged abstinence from food. The lack of nutritional compounds adversely affects the condition of all tissues of the body, and the brain is no exception. Therefore, you need to follow a diet wisely and after consulting a specialist.

If dizziness was the result of migraine, then other signs are also observed in patients: pronounced pulsation of the vessels of the head, weakness, fatigue, impaired attention and coordination of movements. Usually women suffer from such a pathology, so they should consult a doctor with frequent recurrence of attacks.

Nausea and vomiting

After a person wakes up from a faint, he often has a feeling of nausea. At the same time, the headache becomes pronounced, the state of health deteriorates greatly. It feels like a bandage has been pulled around the head. Often people even complain about some spots before their eyes and hearing loss.

But it rarely comes to vomiting. And if this has already happened, then you should carefully consider this sign. It is possible that meningitis is manifested in this way - inflammation of the brain. This is a very serious disease that can lead to death. With meningitis, the patient has the following symptoms:

  • severe headache;
  • regular vomiting;
  • increased pressure inside the skull;
  • increased sensitivity of the scalp;
  • delusions, hallucinations.

You must go to the hospital without fail, even with the slightest suspicion of meningitis. But a headache with vomiting also occurs in case of an injury, such as a concussion. Strong blows or falls often lead to such a consequence. Many athletes are familiar with concussion, although this happens in ordinary life.

Vomiting may also indicate subarachnoid hemorrhage, which occurs due to rupture of blood vessels in the brain. If a person is not provided with timely assistance, this will affect his future life (mental disorders, regular headache, hormonal disorders). Sometimes doctors simply do not have time to save the patient from death.

Thus, we can conclude: headache and vomiting are dangerous symptoms. With their joint manifestation, it is necessary to immediately call the doctors, otherwise it may be too late.

Temperature

Headache and fever are frequent companions of an infectious disease, such as influenza or tonsillitis. Probably all people faced such ailments. Pain manifests itself in different ways. It usually begins in different parts of the head, gradually merging and intensifying.

The rising temperature also creates discomfort, but in no case should it be knocked down with a thermometer reading in the range of 37-38 ° C: such conditions maximize the activation of the immune system against microbial attacks.

If the temperature exceeds the permissible limit, then it is recommended to take an antipyretic drug based on paracetamol or drink tea with lemon and raspberries, sweating well after that under the covers. Treatment of respiratory infections depends on the type of disease, but doctors also advise restorative drugs.

In particular, it is necessary to use vitamin complexes, because they directly affect the synthesis and activity of immune cells.

Women are familiar that fever and headache sometimes occur at the same time during menstruation. This is due to bleeding, but doctors consider this phenomenon not a pathology, but a normal physiological reaction of the body. If the head hurts too much, then it is allowed to take an analgesic (Citramon, etc.).

Weakness

The consequence of high temperature often becomes weakness, in which a person loses muscle tone, he wants to lie down and relax. If the weakness arose as a result of a metabolic disorder due to an injury, then in addition the patient is recorded:

  • tingling of the limbs;
  • feeling of numbness of the fingers and toes;
  • feeling of heaviness in the back of the head.

Of course, such symptoms appear individually, but it is worth paying attention to them. Headache with frontal sinusitis is localized in the region of the temples and the back of the head, although it is the frontal zone (forehead) that initially worries. At the same time, muscle tone inevitably weakens.

But weakness can be provoked by a stroke, meningitis, giant cell arteritis, and other serious diseases. Especially often the symptom is observed in children and adolescents, but without an examination it is difficult to name the exact cause of the disorder.

Noise and pain in the ears

Headache, dizziness, weakness, tinnitus - all this indicates a violation of the vestibular apparatus. This system is very sensitive to insufficient blood supply, which in itself is a pathology. Often, tinnitus is an early symptom of high intracranial pressure, but one should also not forget about its accompanying symptoms - nausea and vomiting.

Pain in the neck and throat

In the intervertebral region there are many arteries and veins. It is the pressure in these vessels that makes it difficult for the outflow of venous blood from the head. The result is intracranial hypertension. This condition is also called cervical migraine, because the pain begins with the spine and gradually spreads to the region of the crown, neck and temples.

But not always a headache occurs due to pinched blood vessels. And at the same time, the neck can still bother, like the throat. These symptoms usually indicate an infectious lesion of the mucous membranes of the ENT organs. Headache in such circumstances is inevitable, and it is especially pronounced in sinusitis.

Unpleasant sensations also arise due to spasm of the neck muscles. The vertebral roots located at the base of the head have a movable connection with the skull. With improper movement, a spasm in the cervical region is likely, but often the pain spreads to the throat and to the back of the head.

Ripple

If a person has throbbing pain, then first of all this indicates vascular diseases. Such violations are perceived by the patient very sharply, because the constant pulsation does not give rest at all. As a rule, doctors in this case diagnose vegetative-vascular dystonia or hypertensive encephalopathy, but mastocytosis, carcinoid syndrome, and many other diseases are also likely. Aggravating factors are usually alcohol, histamines or high levels of adrenaline in the blood.

Often a throbbing headache is observed with respiratory infections, because most of them provoke an increase in blood pressure. The patient feels regular tremors in the temples or other areas, but the phenomenon disappears after getting rid of the primary disease. Sometimes throbbing pain accompanies migraine, and in some cases, the symptom occurs as a reaction to stress: nervous strain is usually accompanied by jumps in blood pressure.

Feeling of pressure and constriction

About 90% of the world's population periodically experience a pressing headache. It manifests itself in all age categories, but 25-30-year-old people suffer most often. Doctors call the symptom tension pain that occurs after physical or emotional stress.

Pressive headache feels like a helmet or a hat that is too small. It spreads both throughout the head and in certain areas: temples, nape, crown, etc. Often the pressure is transferred to the eyes. Regularly recurring pain of this type greatly complicates a person's life.

And not any pills will help in such a situation. For example, Citramon is contraindicated, because it increases blood pressure. When choosing medicines, it is better to consult a doctor so that there are no complications.

Pressing pain can be a sign of a brain abscess or encephalitis, which develop due to the pathogenic activity of microorganisms. Unwanted guests enter the skull in various ways, and often from an inflamed ear or other focus.

The symptoms directly depend on the location of the pain, but such a disease is very dangerous: the impact of microbes on the nervous tissue can lead to mental disorders with irreversible consequences.

To some extent, the causes of headaches have already been superficially touched upon. However, this kind of information requires a specific approach. So, a headache is a sign of a violation of physiological processes. What causes such crashes? There are many reasons:

  • hypertension;
  • hypotension;
  • osteochondrosis;
  • vegetative-vascular dystonia;
  • tumor;
  • alcohol
  • tobacco;
  • physical and mental stress;
  • heat;
  • orgasm.

Hypertension

Often people go to the hospital only because of a headache, but as a result they learn about chronic high blood pressure - hypertension. Frequent vasoconstriction negatively affects the nerve endings: at first, discomfort occurs only occasionally, but over time, the pain becomes constant and dull.

If the disease is completely neglected, then often patients experience nausea and vomiting, a feeling of pulsation in the temples, which is also transmitted to the eyes. You can cope with hypertension, but for this you will have to completely revise your diet and daily routine.

Hypotension

Headache provokes both high blood pressure and low blood pressure. With hypotension, the vessels expand excessively and affect the nerve endings. And if such an event is repeated often, then the person begins to feel a headache of the following nature:

  • pulsating;
  • pressing;
  • paroxysmal;
  • dull;
  • monotonous.

Sometimes the pain occurs only in the temples, neck or eye area. But much more often it covers the entire head. There are even cases of fainting and vomiting due to a sharp decrease in pressure.

Osteochondrosis

Violation of the spine is usually associated with a change in its structural elements - intervertebral cartilage discs. With osteochondrosis, any sudden movements are dangerous, because they provoke disc shifts and pinch of blood vessels.

If the pathological process occurs in the cervical region, then the head in the back of the head will inevitably hurt. At the initial stage, the pain is diffuse in nature, i.e. appears only in small areas. But the progression of osteochondrosis leads to more pronounced symptoms.

With this disease, it is difficult for a person to rotate his head without discomfort. Sometimes a crunch is even heard in the neck, which causes pain backache. The veins blocked by the vertebrae do not allow blood to exit the skull normally, as a result of which the pressure inside it also increases.

Osteochondrosis is very difficult to treat, so it is better not to bring the body to such a deplorable state.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

Low stability of the cardiovascular system is often expressed in vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). Such a disease usually manifests itself with nervous strain, and it is characterized by a decrease in the intensity of blood flow. Insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to the brain causes a headache.

There are many varieties of VVD that have similar symptoms. In turn, the headache can be dull, aching or arching. Sometimes patients complain of a throbbing sensation in the temples and eyes. In fact, VVD is a consequence of a psychosomatic disorder, therefore, in order to treat the disease, you will have to pay attention, first of all, to the nerves.

Tumor

Almost 0.5% of all headaches are due to a tumor in the skull. A hematoma develops for various reasons, but it usually manifests itself in pain of a unilateral type. With the growth of the tumor, the unpleasant sensation intensifies.

Sometimes the symptoms of such a disorder are observed at an early stage, but much more often a person learns about his illness only after many years. And although it is still possible to help the patient, it is quite difficult to do so.

The tumor provokes a headache, the attacks of which have characteristic signs:

  • the pain is severe and constant;
  • usually begins after waking up;
  • lasts 3-4 hours, and sometimes longer;
  • often accompanied by a feeling of throbbing;
  • possible double vision and numbness of the skin;
  • decreased muscle tone;
  • aggravated by coughing, sneezing and even defecation.

Alcohol

Dizziness and headache often accompany alcohol intoxication. This is due to the fact that erythrocytes stick together from the action of ethanol. As a result, their passage through the blood vessels is difficult, and the tissues do not receive the right amount of oxygen.

The brain reacts sharply to such an event, and if a person has consumed a lot of alcohol, then the nerve cells simply die and are excreted along with the urine. In some cases, memories of the past day are even completely erased, which is a consequence of the death of cells responsible specifically for memory.

In conditions of oxygen starvation, intracranial pressure rises, which provokes a headache. Sometimes there is a pulsation, but more often there is a feeling as if the head is splitting. The impact of ethanol never goes unnoticed, so it is worth observing the measure during the feast.

Tobacco

The influence of tobacco is caused by carbon monoxide, which is formed during combustion. It binds strongly to red blood cells, as a result of which the cell loses the ability to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. And although the number of erythrocytes in the blood does not decrease from this, but the functional units become much smaller. There is oxygen starvation. With frequent smoking of tobacco, the headache becomes oppressive, but after getting rid of the addiction, the situation normalizes.

Physical and emotional stress

Excessive physical activity often provokes muscle tension in the neck, which radiates to the head area. Weightlifters are familiar with this feeling, and this syndrome is also called the “headache of weightlifters”:

  • pronounced pulsation;
  • lasts for several hours and even days;
  • resembles a migraine.

Emotional stress provokes other pain. Many people face it after any events that affect the state of the nervous system (quarrels, stress, etc.). Sometimes a person is not even able to fall asleep for a long time due to monotonous, dull and constant pain, a feeling of constriction of the head. Pulsation usually does not appear, however, a long unpleasant sensation is quite enough for the vitality to decrease by an order of magnitude.

Migraine is considered a neurological disorder. Scientists put forward various hypotheses about the origin of the disease, and at the moment the role of heredity in the etiology of the disease has been proven. It is also reliably known that physical and emotional stress contribute to the onset of migraine.

Although the matter is not limited to this: food, hormonal drugs, and alcohol, and even a change in weather also affect. Getting rid of migraine is very problematic, because specific treatment costs a lot of money.

Heat

The high ambient temperature is joyfully perceived during the holidays. But the time spent in the sun should be controlled, otherwise you can easily grab a heat stroke. Exposure to heat leads to vasodilation and increased sweating, and the loss of fluid just becomes the cause of the headache.

Particularly affected are people who have a predisposition to migraine, but everyone else needs to be careful: overheating the body increases the risk of developing a headache by 8%.

Orgasm

It is hardly possible to call a headache after or during an orgasm a pathology. Rather, it is an exacerbation of receptors, which increases the sensitivity of all organs, incl. and brain. Women are more likely than men to experience a similar phenomenon, but you should not worry: this feeling quickly passes without any negative impact.

Each person needs to carefully monitor their own health. And an ally in this is a headache, which signals disorders in the body. If you ignore this symptom, then the result may be the development of a serious disease. Is it better to diagnose at an early stage than to wait for the situation to worsen?

In addition, a common consequence of headache is a decrease in the quality of life. Regularly occurring seizures prevent a person from thinking normally and doing everyday tasks. Sometimes it is worth taking a pill, but not every medicine will help: first you need to establish the exact cause, and only doctors can do this.

Conclusion

A review of the causes, signs and symptoms of headaches lifts the veil on such an exciting problem. And although some people will find it very difficult to cope with it, do not despair ahead of time. There are a lot of folk remedies that will get rid of this symptom quickly and effectively, but we'll talk about this in.

Education: Donetsk National University, Faculty of Biology, Biophysics.

Petrozavodsk State University Faculty of Medicine

Specialty: general practitioner

The phrase "headache" is used by people in almost all cases of ailments, so as not to explain what's what for a long time, so headache (GB, cephalgia, cephalgic syndrome) is a diagnosis for all occasions. Meanwhile, not all headaches are the same in origin, intensity, character, localization and duration. In this regard, to find out its cause, a large number of different analyzes and studies are often required.

Why does the pain appear in the head?

Why is the head so sensitive to all processes occurring in the body? This is due to the presence of a large number of pain receptors located inside the skull (dura mater and its sinuses, large arterial vessels, meningeal arteries, V, VII, IX, X intracranial nerves, spinal cervical roots). They perceive pain and receptors that are outside the cranium (skin and tissue underneath, arteries, tendons, aponeuroses, oral and nasal cavities, teeth, middle ear). In this regard, only the superficial veins, the bones of the skull and the spongy substance of the bones of the cranial vault (diploe) remain indifferent.

Any pathology that affects pain receptors can give a headache. and triggering the mechanism of development of cephalgia. Pain in the head manifests itself in many diseases, and sometimes it is generally the only symptom. In this regard, it is important to find out what kind of pain is: compressive, pulsating, bursting, squeezing, dull or sharp. Important criteria for diagnostic search are also:

  • Duration of pain (constant or short-term);
  • Seizure frequency (GB, occurring frequently or occasionally);
  • Harbingers signal an impending headache or an attack begins suddenly;
  • The presence or absence of neurological manifestations, dizziness, fluctuations in blood pressure, nausea and / or vomiting, visual disturbances and speech disorders;
  • Localization (temporal region, parietal, frontal or neck pain, unilateral or covering the entire head).

In addition to the amazing variety of options for a seemingly single symptom (GB), seizures differ in severity:

  1. The pain can be mild, not particularly affecting the ability to work, just take a pill, lie down and everything goes away;
  2. Moderate severity, which various remedies for headaches help to cope with (folk and medication);
  3. In other cases, an attack can lead to incredible suffering, proceed painfully and for a long time, depriving a person not only of the joys of life, but also of the opportunity to work.

Causes of cephalgia

Headache can be caused by various reasons, which are also of some importance, because everyone knows that GB with an increase in temperature due to a cold will pass after recovery, while constant or often recurring episodic pain requires additional diagnostic methods.

The occurrence of cephalalgia may be due to:

  • Vascular mechanism - slowing blood flow, excessive intracranial, hypoxia;
  • Raised or lowered;
  • Tension of the muscles of the head and neck during excessive (static) loads and stresses with activation of the transmission of impulses in neuromuscular synapses;
  • The impact of various pathological processes on the nerve endings;
  • The combined action of the above mechanisms.

The launch of the above pathogenetic mechanisms is carried out by certain factors that are considered the main causes of headaches:

  1. Change in blood pressure as a result of increased sensitivity of cerebral vessels to a lack of oxygen. Oxygen starvation is a provocateur and, of course, a severe headache that accompanies it. More often, GB associated with an increase in blood pressure is localized in the back of the head, however, with high numbers, patients often note a knock in the temples, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances;
  2. The ratio of such factors, as the ambient temperature, humidity and composition of the air, atmospheric pressure, entails a chain reaction of oxygen imbalances, which contributes to the occurrence of cephalalgia, which especially affects people who have;
  3. Sudden change in weather conditions(flight from one climatic zone to another) causes meteotropic reactions, characterized not only by a headache, but also by other symptoms. Nausea with vomiting, weakness, dizziness, cardialgia are a sign of a failure of biorhythms and stereotypes of the human body, which, when changing climatic zones, comes into an uncomfortable state. In addition, not only climate change, but also the flight itself can negatively affect the health of a person who already has vascular problems, so it becomes clear why hypertensive patients are not recommended to drastically change climatic conditions, and even more so with the help of air transport;
  4. Lack of physical activity(hypokinesia);
  5. stress, psycho-emotional and physical stress, starvation.

Headache again... Frequent and chronic pain

The causes of frequent headaches, when a person considers himself practically healthy, as a rule, lie in the wrong lifestyle, when work in the office is so addictive that you forget about walking in the fresh air, the need to do physical education disappears, and the psycho-emotional background is not given due attention at all. Thus, the prerequisites for the occurrence of frequent headaches are:

    • Hypoxia (oxygen starvation), which is doubly harmful for smokers, so there is no doubt that a “heavy, tired” head will remind of itself every day;
    • Hypokinesia, which develops into hypodynamia and leads to weakness, fatigue, weakness and ... headaches;

Types of GB according to the international classification

The causes of headaches often determine their types and classification.

Excluding episodes of cephalalgia in healthy people, which occur from time to time simply due to overwork or lack of sleep, headache in the ICD-11 is divided into primary and secondary. In addition, a group represented by cranial neuralgia, central and primary pains, and other GBs is separated into a separate (third) part.

Variants of primary headache

TO primary cephalgia include:

  1. Various options;
  2. Tension headache (muscle tension, psychogenic factor, occipital neuralgia);
  3. Extremely painful, truly "hellish" cluster headaches, which are called bundle headaches, since they occur in the form of a series of attacks (clusters, bundles);
  4. Other types of primary GB.

Primary headaches that appear as a result of exposure to some irritants are sometimes difficult to attribute to one or another type. For example, idiopathic acute headache is more often due to migraine, but may have other origins. It occurs in the eye area, in the temples, in the parietal region, its duration is short, only a few seconds (stings and that's it), the character is stabbing, it can appear sporadically or proceed as a series of attacks.

Cold headache, which is usually localized in the forehead, can be experienced when exposed to cold (weather, swimming in an ice hole, or even food, such as ice cream). Headache that radiates to the temples occurs with prolonged bronchitis (cough), and tension headache in other cases can lie in wait at the most inopportune moment - during violent sexual contact. In general, all the reasons leading to primary cephalalgia cannot be counted ...

Causes of secondary cephalalgia

Looks a little different secondary headache, which, being a consequence of a pathological process, usually does not take a person by surprise, since he already has a problem in the form of an underlying disease. Thus, a group of secondary headaches accompanying other diseases can be presented:

  • Post-traumatic cephalgia, which were the result of TBI (traumatic brain injury) and / or trauma to the cervical spine;
  • Pain in the head due to vascular lesions of the head and neck;
  • GB with intracranial pathology of non-vascular origin;
  • Pain resulting from the use of certain drugs or their sudden withdrawal;
  • GB caused by infectious diseases;
  • Cephalgia associated with a violation of the constancy of the internal environment;
  • Psychogenic cephalalgia caused by diseases of the internal organs;
  • Symptomatic headaches arising from structural changes in the skull and cervical spine, disorders in the organs of vision and hearing, pathology of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, dental diseases,.

sinus headache is secondary and occurs due to “non-brain factors”

The most common type is tension headache.

HDN is muscular in nature

Tension-type headache (THT) affects people of both sexes, regardless of age. This is the most common form, arising for a number of reasons that occur at every step. We can agree that it is difficult to protect yourself from unrest, fatigue, calculate correctly physical activity and strictly follow all the prescriptions of medicine. HDN can be triggered by daily life factors, which a person is not always able to prevent: a stuffy room, strong wind, transport, weight lifting, alcohol and much more ... And how diverse the causes that caused the pain are, how heterogeneous its manifestations are.

Patients compare the nature of cephalalgia with tightening the head with a hoop, being in a vise or in a helmet, which indicates a tightening, squeezing (but not pulsating!) pain. Usually, HDN is monotonous, but each person has its own strength: mild, "bearable" or painful, accompanied by other symptoms (irritability, nervous tension, weakness, intolerance to loud sounds and bright lights). At the same time, with HDN, as a rule, neither vomiting nor nausea is present, and it does not have attacks.

In addition, HDN is divided into episodic, lasting from half an hour to a crescent (but not more than 6 months a year) and chronic, when the head hurts for a week and does not go away, the second, third, and in total it turns out that a person does not part with it. Chronic pain is monotonous, exhausting, leading to neurosis and depressive states, a person gets tired of it, he is not happy with life and, as they say, “the white light is not dear to him.” There is only one way out in a chronic situation - a trip to the doctor for examination and treatment. First, you can contact a family therapist, if there is one, or go to the clinic in the community. Further treatment of the headache will most likely take place with a neurologist.

Cluster headache is a “privilege” for men

Cluster headache (CHH) is a rare type of vascular headache, only 1% of people living on Earth know about it, and the vast majority (about 80%) are men. The female half has such a "pleasure" extremely rarely, and then after complex surgical interventions caused by gynecological pathology.

Cluster or bundle GB slightly resembles a widespread migraine, but it also has a number of differences, where the main one is a series of emerging attacks (clusters) that haunt a person from a day to a week, mainly at night. The attack lasts from half a minute, although it seems that an eternity passes, up to several minutes, then the pain subsides for a short period of time (from 5 minutes to 1 hour) to resume again. And so 5-6 times a night for several days. Beam GB ends as suddenly as it begins, and after a series of attacks it may not appear for several years, but it is difficult for a person who has experienced incomparable, sharp, "wild" headaches to forget about them. And sometimes they are even impossible to withstand, in medical practice there are cases of suicide, the cause of which was cluster headaches.

The causes of severe headaches in such situations have not been fully elucidated, just as the exact mechanism of their development has not been found. Meanwhile, the assumption that the sources of the KGB are:

  1. Expansion of the carotid artery (vascular character);
  2. Irritation of the nerves behind the eyes, which causes pain in the eyes, which is considered a characteristic sign of cluster headaches;
  3. Significant hormonal imbalance (structural changes in testosterone, the male sex hormone).

Describing their condition during an attack, patients mention sharp hot objects stuck in the eye and reaching to the very brain, torture, when the skin of the face is torn off a living person or dissolved in acid. In a word, the symptoms of cluster headache are quite eloquent:

  • A piercing acute headache “behind the eyes” quickly joins the stuffing of the ear;
  • Eyes redden, tears flow;
  • stuffy nose;
  • Breaks into sweat.

At the first attack, the pain is usually one-sided, with repetition it spreads over the entire head.

KGB does not imply self-therapy, since traditional headache remedies are unlikely to give the desired effect, therefore, having survived one night, it is better to visit a doctor (therapist or neurologist), who will determine the type, cause and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Cephalgia in children

For many years it was believed that children rarely have a headache, although, as it turned out, this statement is not true. Just small children are not able to correctly assess their feelings and indicate the localization of pain. They act up, they have a fever, they may vomit, but, as a rule, adults attribute such manifestations to the symptoms of an infection, which is completely understandable, since infectious diseases also have such a beginning.

Older children can describe feeling unwell in two words: “headache” and usually mark a place in the forehead. In most cases (more than 50%), these pains are of a vascular nature, due to the presence. Migraine headaches are common. As it turned out, migraine often begins in childhood and in about 25% (of all headaches) gives severe headaches, from which girls suffer more.

sinus headache in children is a common occurrence in the disease

Constant headaches torment babies with various neurological pathologies. It hurts very much when a simple touch on the baby's head with dropsy of the brain gives him a severe headache.

Besides, sinusitis and sinusitis are often a complication of SARS in children and subsequently can turn into constant headaches, which can not be treated very well with pills.

A pediatrician, or rather, a pediatric neurologist, who is sometimes called a cephalgologist, is engaged in the treatment of headaches in children. It should be noted that such a profession, as it were, does not exist at all, or it is so rare that it is the privilege of only large cities, however, it is clear that a cephalgologist is a neurologist specializing in the treatment of headaches. Adults in such cases go to their local doctor (therapist), who, if necessary, sends them to a neurologist or other specialist, depending on the cause of GB.

Does pregnancy cause headaches?

Headache during pregnancy is a fairly common occurrence for this condition. In addition, headache and nausea in other cases are the first to tell a woman about the upcoming changes in her life. In pregnant women, attacks of cephalalgia are caused, in general, by the same circumstances as in other people., however, it should be borne in mind that the body begins to rebuild in order to prepare for childbirth, therefore it becomes especially sensitive and reacts faster to the environment.

Due to the changed hormonal influence, an increase in the volume of circulating blood necessary to ensure the nutrition of the fetus, fluid retention, especially in the later stages, women often experience fluctuations in blood pressure, and, in addition, chronic diseases often worsen. For example, migraine can progress, which already brings a lot of suffering, and in such a state leads to constant headaches.

It should be noted that "Interesting position" can provoke the onset of migraine, that is, some women note that they considered themselves healthy, and a severe headache began to haunt with the onset of pregnancy.

Many problems are created by diseases of the spine, which also has to bear a significant load. Brain malnutrition, which often occurs with cervical osteochondrosis, is especially undesirable for a pregnant woman, as it leads to jumps in blood pressure, that is, to symptoms. The repetition of such conditions has a negative impact not only on the well-being and health of the expectant mother, but also on the development of the fetus, which is unlikely to be comfortable from such stresses.

Pregnant women especially feel the lack of fresh air, they even know its smell, so they tolerate hypoxia extremely poorly. If a woman walks a little, leads a sedentary lifestyle, does not follow her diet, ignores moderate physical activity, then is it any wonder that she often has a headache?

Meanwhile, frequent dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headache are considered symptoms of toxicosis and almost a natural condition of a pregnant woman, referring to which you can miss a serious pathology. In this situation, a woman should not try to relieve a headache on her own, because this can harm the unborn child. The therapist or neurologist (depending on the cause) deals with the treatment of headaches during pregnancy, and the consultation of these specialists is prescribed by the doctor (gynecologist) of the antenatal clinic, who observes the woman before childbirth.

Headache treatment

Cephalgia refers to those conditions that are said to be treat the cause, not the symptom.

Traditionally used (analgin, spazmalgon, paracetamol, askofen, etc.) help in cases of rare episodes of headache caused by some domestic reasons.

In other cases, it is necessary to treat a headache, not forgetting about the underlying disease, the consequence of which it became:

  1. For a bursting headache in the occipital region, inherent, affect not only antihypertensive drugs and medicines that normalize the tone of arterial vessels, but also by other methods (massage, gymnastics, adherence to sleep, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol);
  2. For treatment severe migraine headaches they use a number of drugs that are selected individually for each patient, since there is no clearly developed treatment regimen for this disease, since one is helped by vasodilators, and the other by vasoconstrictors;
  3. Treat headache with cervical osteochondrosis, localized in the back of the head and spreading to the forehead and temples, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with an analgesic effect (naproxen, ibuprofen, ketorol), simple analgesics, antispasmodics, muscle relaxants (tizanidine) help;
  4. Take off headache due to neuralgia trigeminal nerve, often succeeds with carbamazepine and its analogues (finlepsin), phenibut, baclofen. By the way, the pain that goes along the nerve (trigeminal) is very intense, usually burning, sharp and also, like a cluster headache, suggestive of suicide, so the intervention of a specialist in this situation is extremely necessary.

These are just a few examples, but it is not possible to list all the headache medicines, because each disease, a symptom of which is a headache, requires its own approach, and long-term regimens should be indicated by the attending physician after examining the patient. We can only keep over-the-counter headache medicines in our medicine chest, designed to help a person who has a headache as a result of banal circumstances.

At least 70% of the population of developed countries suffer. But in fact, many more people are familiar with this condition, it's just that many do not go to the doctor, preferring to cope with it on their own. But we must remember that the only symptom of many serious diseases is a severe headache. What to do in this case, only a doctor can advise. And, despite the fact that now there are many means that can quickly alleviate suffering, you should not get carried away with them. After all, in order to get rid of headaches, you need to eliminate the causes that cause them, and not just the symptoms themselves. Therefore, before drinking pills, you need to find out why you have such a condition.

What diseases can cause headaches

Their most common cause is vascular diseases: arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, vegetovascular dystonia and others;

Migraine is also quite common, especially among women;

Cervical osteochondrosis can lead to pinching of the artery, resulting in severe headache and nausea;

Often this condition is a symptom of viral diseases;

Sinusitis, tonsillitis and sinusitis also cause headaches;

It will certainly occur after a traumatic brain injury;

Various vision problems, ranging from increased intraocular pressure and glaucoma to the wrong selection of glasses, can cause headaches;

This condition is sometimes caused by otitis media and dental disease;

A constant strong may indicate the development of a brain tumor;

It can also be caused by some diseases of the endocrine glands, as well as such rather rare diseases as temporal arteritis and disorder of the temporomandibular joint.

Other causes of this condition

But in many cases, perfectly healthy people complain of severe headaches. What to do in this case, you can understand if you remember what events preceded this state. After all, pain is often caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and diet. What can cause them?

Most often, these are stresses, depressive states and psycho-emotional overstrain;

Nervous and muscular fatigue, as well as excessive mental stress;

Sedentary lifestyle and lack of fresh air;

Incorrect posture, the habit of tucking your legs under you and hunching your back;

Sleep disturbances, night work;

Change in meteorological conditions, sudden hypothermia or heat stroke;

Improper nutrition: malnutrition, diets, the predominance of nitrites, caffeine and histamine in food;

Poisoning by alcohol, chemicals and drugs;

Lack of certain vitamins and minerals, such as iron or vitamin B deficiency.

Types of headaches

Depending on the causes, the pain may be different. It can vary in intensity: strong, sharp, dull, aching, pressing or throbbing. The pain may increase gradually or with a change in position, from sounds and smells. Sometimes it subsides when in peace and quiet, during sleep. Depending on this, you need to choose the means to combat it. Headache is also classified according to the place of its occurrence. It can be shingles, when the whole head hurts, or it can be localized in one place. It often depends on the reasons causing it. Most often there is pain in the temporal region. It can be caused by various diseases, stress and poisoning. Pain in the back of the head occurs due to pressure surges or cervical osteochondrosis. Eye strain and infectious diseases can cause such sensations in the forehead. Sometimes they are localized on one side. For example, a severe headache on the left side of the head indicates the development of a migraine.

Diagnostics

It is already clear that taking analgesics can not always be a salvation from suffering.

If you incorrectly determine the cause and do not eliminate it, then after the medication stops, the algia will reappear. Therefore, you need to know why a severe headache appears. What to do to get rid of it, the doctor can advise after the examination. He will find out where the pain is localized, how frequent it is, and when it hurts more. The doctor should definitely tell about additional symptoms: dizziness, nausea, visual impairment and others. You will need to remember what preceded the onset of pain, what medications you took and how you ate. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe additional laboratory tests: usually these are blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging, an electroencephalogram of the brain, and an x-ray of the cervical spine. You may also need to consult other specialists: an ophthalmologist, dentist, neurologist and endocrinologist.

When can you self-medicate?

Many people suffer from severe headaches. What to do in this case, some decide on their own. But you can do without visiting a doctor only when you have already passed the examination and know your diagnosis. If headaches torment you periodically, and you know their cause, you can not go to the doctor every time, but apply the treatment that he prescribed for you. When is it necessary to visit a medical facility?

It's the first time you've had a headache and you don't know what might be causing it.

The pain came on suddenly, for no apparent reason, and gradually gets worse.

The usual localization and intensity of pain has changed.

Additional symptoms appeared: nausea, dizziness, "flies" before the eyes, weakness.

Headache Treatment

If you know your diagnosis and the cause of this condition, if you experience pain infrequently and pass after the use of medications, you can self-medicate. Most people try to manage their pain with pills. Usually, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and others help. But in many cases, these drugs, which are by no means harmless, can be dispensed with if the causes of pain are eliminated. Rest, a walk in the fresh air, a relaxing massage, or a warm bath often help. For many, the headache goes away after sleep, meditation or auto-training. Folk remedies help well: herbs, compresses and acupressure. When treating in a medical institution, physiotherapy can be prescribed: electrophoresis, salt caves, magnetic and laser therapy. In any case, all methods of getting rid of pain should be directed primarily to its cause.

How to help yourself without medication

If you understand why you have a severe headache, what to do at home to relieve an attack? If it is caused by overwork, you need to take a break from work, take a walk in the fresh air or just relax. It is useful to drink a decoction of chamomile, valerian, linden or mint.

Then you need to lie down and try to relax. To do this, turn off the computer, TV and radio, draw the curtains. You can turn on pleasant music and light it up. A warm bath with sea salt or aromatic oils will also help to relax. It is good to do with your fingers or a stream of warm shower. Sometimes the pain caused by tension disappears if you tightly bandage your head with a towel for 10 minutes, you can just press hard on the temple area for a short while. In some cases, relief comes from drinking warm tea with lemon and honey or just sweetened water. All other treatments should be chosen depending on the reasons for which a severe headache appeared. What to do - in each case, the doctor can advise. For example, with high blood pressure, you need to take drugs to reduce it, during infectious diseases - antiviral and antipyretic drugs, and for osteochondrosis, massage. But in any case, measures must be taken in a timely manner, you can not endure if there is a severe headache.

What to do: what pills to take

All medicinal pains can be divided into several groups. Any of them without the recommendation of a doctor can be taken only once - to relieve an attack.

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help with pain of any origin, in addition, they will relieve inflammation and fever. The best of them are Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Nurofen, Imet, Ketorolac and others.

2. Antispasmodics are used for tension pain, vasospasm, if NSAIDs do not help. Recommended "Papaverin", "Drotaverin", "No-shpa", "Spazgan" and others.

3. If the pain is caused by pressure fluctuations or other vascular disorders, analgesics will help well in this case: Analgin, Nebalgin and others. But in combination with them, you need to take vasodilators or special hypertensive drugs.

4. These drugs may not help if you have a very severe headache. What to do, usually in this state, a person cannot decide. Combined preparations can quickly bring relief: Pentalgin, Solpadein, Brustan, Novigan and others.

Folk remedies

But sometimes taking medication is not possible for various reasons, and a severe headache occurs. What to do in this case? Many are helped by various herbal preparations, compresses and other traditional medicine. You just need to choose the method of treatment that is acceptable to you, which will really alleviate the condition.

You can drink warm decoctions of herbs: St. John's wort, coltsfoot, oregano, mint, valerian and some others will help;

You can make compresses with lemon, lavender or orange oil, or simply inhale their scent;

You need to drink the juice of potatoes, spinach or viburnum berries;

Ginger tea or cinnamon tea helps a lot;

Acupressure and acupuncture also help.

Severe headache during pregnancy

What should women who are expecting a baby do, because most drugs are contraindicated for them? And pregnant women often have headaches. This is due to hormonal changes in the body of a woman, toxicosis and circulatory failure.

If the headache is not very bad, you can try to cope with it without medication. Can help:

Rest and sleep;

Shower or warm bath;

Relaxing exercises or breathing exercises;

Neck and shoulder massage;

A warm or cold compress on the bridge of the nose and forehead for pain in this area, as well as on the neck in case of a severe headache in the back of the head.

What if these methods don't help? You can take one painkiller tablet. If you do it infrequently, then it will not bring harm. What medicines are allowed to be taken by pregnant women? In small doses, "Citramon" or "Paracetamol" is allowed, there is also a little-known drug - "Acetaminophen". It is strictly forbidden to drink "Nurofen", "Aspirin" and analgesics. The same rules must be followed during lactation, if there is a severe headache. "What to do: I feed the child, but I have no strength to endure?" - women are often interested. There are drugs compatible with breastfeeding, mainly based on paracetamol. These are Kalpol, Eferalgan or Panadol. They are the least harmful to the child, but often they should not be taken either.

Headache in children

Smaller patients are much more difficult to treat because they often cannot accurately describe their condition. Therefore, in case of a headache, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor. Only by making a diagnosis can a doctor determine how to deal with the problem. In addition to pain associated with various health disorders, today's children often experience tension pain and even suffer from migraines. A light massage, rest and sleep, linden tea or a cool compress can help the baby. For a one-time removal of a strong attack, it is permissible to give the child medicines based on paracetamol. Most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics are contraindicated for children under 12 years of age.

Prevention of headaches

As you know, all drugs are unsafe for health. Therefore, it is better not to allow a state when you need to drink strong drugs. For those who regularly suffer from headaches, it is very important to follow the correct daily routine, go to bed on time and walk more in the fresh air. It is necessary to lead an active lifestyle, spend less time at the TV and computer. It is also very important to monitor nutrition, because many foods can cause headaches: coffee, chocolate, carbonated drinks, canned food and sausages. They are best avoided. You also need to give up alcohol and smoking.