Head hurts. How to deal with a constant headache

At the same time, neuropathologists believe that the source of the problem is in the brain, therapists believe that it is in the vessels, and psychotherapists attribute everything to stress.

And each of these experts is right in their own way. There are many sources of headaches. It can be both lack of sleep, stress, osteochondrosis, a deficiency in the body of certain trace elements (potassium, copper, magnesium or phosphorus), as well as serious diseases, such as meningitis and even a brain tumor. Fortunately, only 5 out of 100 headache attacks are a reason for immediate hospitalization. In other cases, you can cope with malaise on your own.

This hat doesn't fit

Physicians have such a concept - "helmet of a neurotic", or "tension headache". We are talking about unpleasant sensations that arise as a result of increased tone of the muscles of the neck and scalp for a long time. The cause of this ailment, as a rule, is physical overwork and emotional experiences, sometimes it is caused by excessive smoking and even clips or earrings that put pressure on certain points on the ear.

The "helmet of a neurotic" is usually bilateral, it is distinguished by a dull, monotonous, diffuse character of pain, the skull is as if squeezed by a hoop. It can be episodic - less than 15 days a month and chronic - more than 15 days a month for six months. Experts have noticed that this “headdress” is more often worn by patients who tend to negatively evaluate life events, that is, inveterate pessimists. In this case, pain is a bodily expression of anxiety, a manifestation of accumulated experiences and complexes. Such a problem can be eliminated with natural sedatives (chamomile tea, peony tincture, passionflower) and autogenic training. Self-massage of the head helps well: it relieves the same muscle tension - the cause of discomfort. There is even such a technique - "combing out" a headache with a massage brush. At the same time, blood circulation increases, and the muscles relax. Normal blood circulation is restored.

What to do: massage your fingertips with the tip of a pencil. Find the most painful point and press on it (this is a kind of home reflexology). Breathing exercises or aromatherapy help well. Try 5-10 minute hot foot or hand baths. Instead of a water treatment, you can put a wrung out hot towel on your forehead, massage your neck and shoulders, drink green tea (but without chocolate and sweets).

Insidious vessels

The cause of the headache may be a spasm or vasodilation. Most often, this problem worries those who lead a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle. Another category of unfortunate people suffering from such a headache is patients with vegetovascular dystonia and osteochondrosis. In this condition, the whole head splits at once. The pain is of a pulsating nature, “knocking at the temples”, the face looks puffy, the general condition is broken. In those who are subject to this ailment, the discomfort is aggravated by changes in the weather and a few days before menstruation. During pregnancy, the frequency of headaches decreases or they stop altogether, but, unfortunately, resume after childbirth, as soon as the period of breastfeeding ends. In this case, home remedies will not help. We need medicines that stabilize blood vessels and relieve spasms (stugeron or no-shpa).

What to do: Moist compresses can relieve the pain a little - hot if the face turns pale during an attack, and cold if it turns red. Massage of the head and neck helps a lot. As a prevention of pain caused by blood vessels, experts recommend swimming. Fans of folk methods of treatment use herbal preparations containing hawthorn, cudweed, lemon balm. But to get involved in coffee and drugs with caffeine in this case is not worth it.

A monster named "Migraine"

The term "migraine" was introduced by the ancient Roman physician Galen. This is a complex disease, the main symptom of which is bouts of unbearable pain strictly in one half of the head. Doctors associate this pathology with a violation of the metabolism of serotonin, a substance involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. By the way, women are more likely to suffer from migraines. If your mother has suffered most of her life due to an unbearable headache, most likely, a similar fate awaits you. After all, migraine, as a rule, is inherited. The situation is aggravated if you lead the wrong way of life: you smoke, drink alcohol, move little and rarely go outside.

The first headaches can be observed in childhood. They are fully manifested by the age of 25-40. The attack can last from 4 hours to 3 days, accompanied by nausea, sometimes vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sounds. It is often preceded by such special effects as flickering flashes of light followed by a "veil before the eyes", a narrowing of the field of view, a split image.

What to do: in the first phase of migraine, vasodilators are used: dibazol with papaverine, nicotinic acid, trental, stugeron. On the second - vasoconstrictor: ergot preparations. During an attack, rest in a darkened room is necessary, as well as a light massage or warm hand baths with essential oils of lavender, lemon, peppermint, marjoram.

"Wrong" sausage

Scientists have recently found that headaches can be associated with food intolerance to certain foods. The reason is in substances that affect blood vessels. First of all, it is tyramine, which can be found in chocolate, long-aged cheese, yogurt, sour cream, salted or pickled fish, canned seafood (crabs, shrimp), smoked meat, sausages, as well as in all types of beer. This substance is insidious in that its amount in products increases during long-term storage.

Another chemical element that causes the so-called sausage headache is sodium nitrate. And monosodium glutamate, found in many dishes and sauces of Chinese cuisine, is the source of the malaise with the sonorous name "Chinese restaurant headache." If you are not a fan of oriental cuisine, do not rush to rejoice. This substance can be encountered in bouillon cubes, potato and corn chips, flavored crackers, and some dry soups.

Caffeine deserves special attention. It is curious that he causes discomfort not by his presence, but by his absence - this is the so-called abuse headache. In this case, people suffer from a shortage of their favorite coffee, cola or tea. A sharp rejection of these drinks is accompanied by throbbing headaches in the temporal regions, weakness, irritation, absent-mindedness, anxiety, fear, sleep disturbance and nausea.

What to do: A prerequisite for recovery is diet. Switch to a diet that excludes the use of harmful foods. Phytotherapy, methods of cleansing the body and kinesiotherapy (a special method of physiotherapy exercises) have an excellent effect.

Attention!

Don't put off seeing a doctor if the headache gets worse, the pills don't help, or the discomfort keeps coming back for days or weeks. If the disease is accompanied by visual impairment, dizziness, it is necessary to visit a specialist as soon as possible.

Only 5 out of 100 headache attacks are a reason for hospitalization

• Whole head - fever, colds, infectious diseases
• Forehead (both sides above the eye sockets) - eye diseases, improperly selected glasses
• Whiskey on both sides, back of the head - throbbing vascular headache (with hypertension)
• Hoop (passes through the forehead, temples, back of the head) - with tension headache
• Behind the ear (on one side), temple - dental problems or otitis media
• Temple (on one side) - migraine

Expert opinion

Larisa Novikova, neuropathologist of the highest category

Of course, in the treatment of headaches, the normalization of the daily regimen is of great importance, that is, compliance with the rules of rational nutrition, the obligatory alternation of work and rest, limiting emotional stress (primarily negative), good sleep. But, unfortunately, these measures are not always enough. And only a specialist can understand the true cause of a headache. If the use of first aid is not effective, do not postpone a visit to a specialist. After all, early diagnosis of the disease is the key to successful treatment.

Headache Stars

Tatiana Arno:

- I am a happy person - I almost never have a headache. This attack happened to me only two or three times in my life. At the same time, in order to come to my senses, I did not need to rest, drink special teas or decoctions, or take wonderful baths. When this happened, I was saved by a regular aspirin tablet. Apparently, this is just a feature of my body, which, seeing how others suffer, I am very glad.

Yana Rudkovskaya:

“A warm, relaxing bath is the best remedy for my headaches. I always add stress relievers to the water - salts, gels, balls and rose petals. If there is no time for water procedures, then I wipe my face with a piece of ice, in which I dilute an ampoule of collagen-elastin before freezing. The procedure kills two birds with one stone: the pain goes away and the contours of the face are tightened at the same time.

Alexander Malinin:

- You see, I live in such a rhythm that there is no time to pay attention to such trifles as a headache. I relieve unpleasant symptoms by drinking an analgin tablet and turning on calm, pacifying, best of all classical music. But if the problem occurs frequently, you need to see a doctor and look for the immediate cause of its occurrence. After all, a headache can be the result of a cold, overwork, problems with blood vessels.

Material provided by the magazine "AiF Pro Health" No. 12, 2008

There are several types of headaches: severe, throbbing, pressing, dull, bursting, etc. The following are the main dull pains in, as well as a few tips for these unpleasant sensations. Dull and monotonous pain spreads throughout the head, most often it occurs in the late afternoon. The reason for this is usually overvoltage, causing in the vessels of the brain. To improve well-being, massage the back of the head, lightly massage the temples and knead the neck muscles. After that, take a comfortable position, close your eyes, relax and imagine that you are somewhere on vacation, and all the problems and worries are far away and at the moment do not concern you at all. Spend 12-15 minutes in this state. Aching dull pain in the head is accompanied by weakness, possibly dizziness, appears closer to the middle of the day of minor physical activity. Most likely, the reason is that you are weather dependent. Your body is very sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure, changes in temperature and wind direction, which contributes to the formation of vasospasm. Determine your blood pressure using a tonometer or by the nature of the headache: when it is low, it occurs in the temporal region, and when it is high, it occurs in the back of the head. With reduced pressure, it is recommended to lie down a little with raised legs, and with high pressure, on the contrary, with a raised head. Do a massage (suitable for any change in pressure). Touch the center of your forehead with the pad of your right index finger. Then vertically raise your finger above the hairline by 1 cm, press on the indicated point and hold your finger in this position for 2-3 seconds, then gently lower your finger to the point between the eyebrows (above the bridge of the nose), press again and hold for 2-3 seconds. Do this massage for 1 minute, then break for 3 minutes and repeat again. If you do not feel better after 10-15 minutes, call your doctor. Dull pressing pain occurs in the left or right side of the head, sometimes accompanied by pain in the eyes, while your face turns pale or red. The cause is irritation of the trigeminal nerve, which occurs due to overwork, excessive excitement, sometimes when the weather changes. Create a twilight in the room and take a comfortable position. Take a small terry towel and a bowl of hot or cold water with you (if your face is red, you need cold water, otherwise hot). Wet a towel, wring it out and, putting it on your face, leave it for 5-7 minutes. Then wet the towel again, wring it out and place it on your face. Repeat this procedure for 30-40 minutes. Dull pain in the head in the morning. The reason for this may be lack of sleep or caffeine addiction. Try to increase your sleep time, and reduce the number of cups of coffee you drink to 1-2 per day. If methods without medication do not help you, consult a doctor and undergo examinations. Depending on the severity of your disease, an experienced doctor will prescribe the necessary medications or prescribe herbal tinctures.

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Headache is the most common signal of the body about the presence of physiological failures or organic problems in it. Even his one-time appearance deserves attention. People who have a headache regularly or severely need to undergo a thorough diagnosis and identify the causes of the symptom. In 10-20% of cases, the sign turns out to be one of the secondary consequences of serious violations in the functioning of the organs. Such situations require the immediate initiation of adequate therapy. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing chronic diseases or emergency conditions that can lead to a decrease in the quality of life, disability, and death.

Why does my head hurt

Pharmacies offer drugs for cephalalgia that are different in price, composition, type of action and rules for use. In some cases, they quickly relieve discomfort, in others they do not give the desired result. The effectiveness of funds depends not so much on their quality, but on the appropriateness of a particular situation. The mechanism of development of pain in the head is different, it is under it that the medicine must be selected.

There are five common causes of the symptom:

• muscle strain - the result of prolonged physical exertion or being in an uncomfortable position;
• decrease in the functionality of cerebral vessels - pathological narrowing or expansion of blood channels, increased permeability or stretching of their walls. Excessive blood density, atherosclerotic plaques, swelling of tissues, tumors, blood clots increase the risks. They interfere with normal blood flow, which disrupts metabolic processes;
• violation of the circulation of liquor - most often it turns out to be the result of compression of certain parts of the brain by a cyst, hematoma, tumor, displaced bone;
• failures of a neuralgic nature - appear when nerve fibers are irritated (infringement, squeezing, malnutrition, infection);
• the action of psychogenic factors - the consequences of mental disorders in the form of depression, apathy, stress, genetic diseases, chronic fatigue.

One-time or regular pain in the head can occur under the influence of another two hundred factors. This list includes smoking, drinking alcohol, eating unhealthy foods and caffeine.

Cephalgia is the result of prolonged exposure to heat, in conditions of high humidity. Often a headache occurs due to a lack or excess of sleep, wearing incorrectly selected glasses, contact lenses. The danger is strict diets, head injuries, hypothermia, slagging of the body.

Symptoms

Headache manifests itself in different ways. Its intensity, localization, character are influenced by provoking factors, the mechanism of development, the stage, and the features of the course of the pathology. An experienced doctor is able to make a preliminary diagnosis, based only on the specifics of the clinical picture.

The type of pain in the head depends on the causes of cephalalgia:

• vascular - most often the patient is tormented by pulsation or aching sensations. They are accompanied by dizziness, a decrease in the quality of vision. The symptom intensifies with a change in body position, physical activity, inclinations;
• liquorodynamic - pain rolls in waves, reminiscent of pressure from the inside. Complemented by nausea, dizziness, weakness, general deterioration of well-being;
• neuralgic - acute and sharp cephalgia of a local nature. Often, when you press on the affected area, the sensations intensify, become cutting or piercing, unbearable. The sensitivity of the skin in the problem area increases or decreases. The symptom does not respond well to conventional analgesics, may persist for several days or weeks;
• tension - constant, moderate or weak, aching. Accompanied by irritability, dizziness, neck ache. Quickly disappears after a light massage of the collar zone or rest;
• psychogenic - can take on a very different look, be supplemented by obsessive states, a decrease in mental abilities.

In each of the cases, a special therapy is required, selected by a specialized doctor. If you suddenly have a headache, you can try to cope with it with folk methods or taking analgesics. If there is no effect or if the symptom recurs soon, you should seek medical help.

The most common causes of headaches

Doctors identify dozens of factors, the action of which can lead to the appearance of cephalalgia. This list includes not only diseases of the head, but also pathologies of distant localization. Five conditions are worth mentioning separately - they account for about 95% of all cases of a symptom. Do not self-diagnose, even when the clinical picture is obvious. Some diseases proceed according to a similar scenario, but require different approaches to treatment. It is better to initially visit a specialist and strictly follow his instructions.

Tension headache

If for no apparent reason the head hurts for a long time and obsessively, this diagnosis should be considered first of all. Sensations occur in the afternoon or after a long stay in an uncomfortable position. They look like pressure due to tight hair or tight headgear. Most often, the pain covers the cranium like a hoop. Initially, only one side of the head or the frontal part hurts, gradually the symptom spreads around the perimeter. It is complemented by dizziness, decreased mental activity, impaired attention.

To get rid of the problem, it is enough to breathe fresh air, relax, drink soothing tea. Prolonged, persistent sensations indicate a violation of blood flow. In this case, it may be necessary to take medications to protect nerve cells, increase brain activity, and improve circulation (nootropics, neuroprotectors).

Migraine

A neurological disease of a vascular nature is more often diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It manifests itself in the form of cephalgia, nausea and vomiting at the peak of sensations, an increased reaction to external stimuli. The head usually hurts on one side, the sensations are pulsating, intense, intensified due to loud sounds, pungent odors. Attacks last from 2-4 hours to 3 days. In a quarter of the cases they are preceded by an aura. Depending on the specifics of the case, the head hurts every few months or up to several times a week. Therapy requires a comprehensive, aimed at alleviating the patient's condition and preventing subsequent exacerbations.

Histamine headache

The disease is also called Horton's or cluster cephalgia. It is especially susceptible to middle-aged men, strong physique, drinking alcohol, with an impressive history of smoking. The pain has a one-sided localization, gives to the eyeball, lasts from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Sensations are sharp, sharp, burning. They do not allow a person to do their usual things and react poorly to taking drugs of any type. The onset of an attack may be preceded by lacrimation, nasal congestion, dull pain in the head, drooping of the upper eyelid in one eye.

Occipital headache

With the localization of cephalalgia in the back of the head, there is a high probability of a violation of the process of blood flow to the brain. Often this is due to problems in the cervical spine. The picture in this case is complemented by dizziness, soreness and crunching in the neck, decreased skin sensitivity, numbness of the fingers. The patient's head hurts mainly in one place, but the sensations are given to the ear, jaw, eye or shoulder from the affected side. The symptom increases during the day and intensifies over time. It is exacerbated by sudden movements, tilts, turns of the head.

The therapy involves the fight against pathological changes in the spine with the help of chondroprotectors, massage, physiotherapy, exercise therapy. Additionally, the patient is prescribed medications to normalize the functioning of the cerebral vessels, protect nerve cells from toxins, and improve circulation in tissues.

Arterial hypertension

With increased pressure, the head can hurt in different places.

Cephalgia is bursting or pulsating, constant or growing. It is accompanied by nausea, flies before the eyes, reddening of the face, changes in the frequency and quality of breathing, increased heart rate. To confirm the diagnosis, it is enough to measure blood pressure. Treatment is carried out strictly under the supervision of a physician. The fight against arterial hypertension is not limited to taking medications. Be sure to introduce changes in the diet, measures are taken to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Diagnostics

Features of the manifestation of diseases allow the doctor to make a preliminary diagnosis. Then various methods of research are applied, which are designed to confirm or refute the suspicions. Only after that a treatment regimen is developed, aimed not at cephalalgia, but at its cause.

Diagnosis of headache may include the following activities:

• MRI and/or CT;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and neck;
• EEG, REG;
• x-ray of the head and neck;
• lumbar puncture.

General and biochemical blood tests are mandatory. They help to evaluate the composition of biological material, its viscosity, cholesterol level, and exclude the presence of infection in the body.

Drugs that can treat headaches

If possible, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication. When the head suddenly hurts, it is better to start the fight against the symptom with the safest and most affordable approaches - rest, a walk in the fresh air or airing the room, tea with lemon and sugar. A good effect is given by massage of the head and collar area, inhalation of aromatic oils or rubbing them into the temples.

If you still have a severe headache, you can use the following drugs:

• NSAIDs - Ibuprofen, Aspirin;
• analgesics - "Paracetamol", "Pentalgin";
• antispasmodics - "No-Shpa", "Baralgin";
• hypotensive - only after measuring blood pressure and preferably those that were previously prescribed by a doctor;
• nootropics - Piracetam, Phenibut.

Specialists have developed a simple and affordable program for the prevention of cephalgia. In order to never have a headache, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle, walk a lot in the fresh air, play sports, observe the daily routine and stop eating harmful foods. You should also be attentive to your health, timely address complaints to doctors. You can not self-medicate - it is recommended to coordinate the intake of any drugs with a health worker.

It is difficult to find a person who does not have a headache at least from time to time. A one-time occurrence of a symptom is not a reason for panic. Unpleasant sensations after a hard day or stress indicate the body's need for rest and relaxation. Sometimes colds or inflammatory diseases begin with cephalalgia. With pain in the head, the body reacts to poisoning with toxins, slagging, changing weather conditions. The main thing is not to grab the pills every time, even if it is not clear what caused the symptom. Independent experiments pose a great risk to the body and complicate the process of making a diagnosis for doctors.

Headache is familiar to most modern people. Many consider themselves prone to frequent headaches, but they don’t really think about why the head often hurts and what possible problems in the body this may indicate. The site "Beautiful and Successful" will tell about the most common causes of a headache.

What are the causes of headaches that are not associated with specific diseases?

Headache is not a separate disease, but only a symptom inherent in a huge number of diseases!

However, physicians distinguish between so-called "primary" and "secondary" headaches.

A headache is called primary, which is the main and main symptom of any problems in the body - this is exactly the case when an ordinary person says “Oh, my head hurt again!”. A very common problem, especially typical for women, which is just a variant of the “primary” headache - (the site has already written about them).

If your head hurts frequently, it could be a tension headache. This is not a disease as such - rather, the body's reaction to adverse conditions.

In this case, the sensation of pain is distributed over the entire head and forehead, sometimes with a focus on the temples - such pain is characterized as a "compressing helmet". Such a headache can continue for quite a long time, but it is easily removed when taking analgin, citramone and other painkillers, it can also go away without medication if the adverse factors that caused it are removed.

What causes tension headaches?

• Staying in a stuffy room, prolonged inhalation of pungent odors (starting with chemical dyes and ending with overly fragrant bouquets or perfume in an unventilated room).
• Staying in the heat, in the sun.
• Prolonged exposure to loud sounds, music (for example, after a concert, etc.).
• Nervous tension, stress.
• Depression (with prolonged depressive states, people complain that for some reason their head often hurts).
• Physical activity (usually unusual or excessive for a given person).
• Prolonged uncomfortable position of the body, neck (even an incorrect posture during sedentary work can lead to the fact that the head hurts very often, and a person cannot understand why this happens).
• Lack of sleep, failure of the usual mode of sleep and wakefulness.
• Insufficient fluid intake and sometimes malnutrition.

If you notice that you are prone to tension headaches, try to minimize the factors that lead to such pains, as well as balance your lifestyle - spend more time in the fresh air and ventilate the room, drink water in sufficient quantities, and normalize sleep patterns.

Headaches can also sometimes be caused by caffeinated foods: chocolate, coffee, strong tea.

For some women, headaches are accompanied by PMS - this is unlikely to indicate any health problems, but it is better to consult a gynecologist.

When is a headache a symptom of any disease?

Headaches accompany the course of completely different diseases, so you should be alert in any case if your head often hurts, and why is unclear! These are the so-called "secondary" headaches - most likely, you can relieve the pain itself with painkillers, but it is better to deal with the root cause.

Associated symptoms and the nature of the pain can serve as a hint for determining a possible disease. For example:

• Pain in the region of the nose, aggravated by bending, sudden movements, accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the nose, sometimes nasal congestion - is characteristic of sinusitis, sinusitis. See an ENT doctor.
• Often the head hurts in the back of the head - the variant of cervical osteochondrosis is not excluded. Osteochondrosis is also noticed by pain in the back, shoulder body, and the neck itself.
• Headaches can be explained by an increase or decrease in blood pressure (hypertensive / hypotensive crisis). With increased pressure, a person's cheeks turn red, sweating increases. When lowered, on the contrary, pallor is noticeable, and the palms and fingers feel cool to the touch.
• To understand why the head hurts very often without any additional symptoms, contact a neurologist. There are a lot of diagnoses that manifest themselves in this way - for example, vegetovascular dystonia, various neuralgias, etc.

However, in no case should you self-diagnose and self-medicate - be sure to contact your doctor with your assumptions!

When should you see a doctor as soon as possible if you have a headache?

In some cases, a sudden headache is an SOS signal from the body, which in no case should be neglected! Since the onset of many diseases looks quite similar, you need to remember the warning signs for which it is better to seek qualified medical help:

• Nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite plus headache. This condition happens with food poisoning, sun (heat) stroke, but many infectious diseases also begin in the same way! It is better to call a doctor in time and understand the diagnosis!
• Diarrhea, abdominal pain. Most likely, this indicates the beginning of an infectious disease.
• Dizziness, loss of consciousness or fainting (darkness in the eyes, feeling of lack of air, etc.).
• Temperature increase.
• Inability to relieve a headache with standard painkillers.
• Light and sound fear, numbness of the neck, impaired perception, consciousness - these are symptoms of meningitis! Call an ambulance immediately!

You should always be on your guard and see a doctor if your head hurts infrequently at all, but suddenly a strong and / or headache that is not characteristic of you feels like it starts!

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Headache may be associated with arterial hypertension. This is a chronic condition of the cardiovascular system, a disease characterized by a persistent increase in blood pressure (abbreviated designation - BP) from 140/90 mm Hg. Art. and higher. Approximately 20-30% of adults suffer from arterial hypertension. With age, this figure increases. About 50% of people over 60 years of age have a named chronic disease.

In people suffering from arterial hypertension, the pressure is increased, the head hurts in the early hours. The place of localization of pain is the occipital region. It is worth noting that pain may not occur with a slight or moderate increase in pressure. They are always observed only with a rapid increase in blood pressure over 200/120 mm Hg. Art.

Arterial hypotension

If you often have a headache, what could be the reasons? One of the answers to this question is arterial hypotension. This is a condition in which the blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg. Art. and less. He is characterized by a headache. It can be dull, constricting, bursting or pulsating. The place of its localization is the fronto-parietal or fronto-temporal region. With arterial hypotension, the following symptoms are also observed:

• weakness;
• lethargy in the morning, drowsiness;
• dizziness;
• emotional instability;
• sensitivity to weather conditions;
• pallor;
• palpitations and shortness of breath on exertion.

Specialists have created a classification of arterial hypotension. There are acute and chronic varieties. The latter is subdivided, in turn, into physiological, primary and secondary. Acute hypotension is a sudden decrease in blood pressure. A similar condition is observed with blood loss, acute myocardial infarction.

Low blood pressure, headache... Such symptoms are sometimes noticed by absolutely healthy people. Athletes are an example. They have low blood pressure with constant physical activity. This feature is an adaptive reaction of the body, a protective measure. This type of arterial hypotension is called physiological.

The primary form is considered an independent disease. It is not a consequence of any pathologies, does not occur against the background of existing diseases. Doctors see primary hypotension as a special form of a neurosis-like brain disease. But the secondary variety is observed in various diseases (for example, in heart failure, brain injuries, arrhythmias).

subarachnoid hemorrhage

Sudden diffuse or occipital pain may be characteristic of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This term (abbreviated designation - SAK) experts refer to the accumulation of blood in the cavity between the pia mater and arachnoid. Hemorrhage occurs suddenly due to rupture of an arterial aneurysm or a traumatic brain injury.

People who have experienced a subarachnoid hemorrhage note that the pain they experienced was the most severe of those they encountered in their lives. Other symptoms of SAH include nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. With a hemorrhage, a person needs urgent medical attention. This is a very dangerous condition that can lead to death or severe disability.

intracerebral hemorrhage

Diffuse or local intense pain may be a symptom of intracerebral hemorrhage. This is the ingress of blood into the substance. Hemorrhage occurs when the walls of the cerebral vessels are ruptured or during diapedesis (the release of blood elements from the vessels in violation of their permeability and tone).

Who can face this dangerous condition? Most often, hemorrhage occurs in people in adulthood and old age due to cerebral atherosclerosis, hypertension. Much less often, the causes are blood diseases, inflammatory changes in the cerebral vessels. Cerebral hemorrhage sometimes occurs in young people. The most common cause is drug use.

brain formations

If you often have a headache, what are the reasons? An unpleasant symptom can be caused by various brain formations (hematomas, tumors, abscesses). Pain is most often diffuse. Sometimes it occurs in the place where the volumetric formation is localized. In the early stages of the disease, it makes itself felt in the morning and is weak. As the disease progresses, the nature of the pain changes. It becomes constant and stronger. Other symptoms that indicate the presence of space-occupying formations include:

• vomiting that occurs without nausea;
• the appearance of oculomotor disorders;
• memory impairment;
• behavior change, etc.

It is worth noting that pain sometimes occurs when tilting the head, coughing, straining, physical exertion. Such a symptom may be characteristic of tumors of the posterior cranial fossa. The pain that occurs in these situations and is short-lived can occur without intracranial pathologies.

Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses

If the head often hurts in the forehead, heaviness is felt near the nose, then this is sinusitis. This term means inflammation of the mucous membrane lining one or more paranasal sinuses. Sinusitis occurs as a complication of influenza, runny nose, infectious diseases. Bacteria and viruses provoke inflammation.

Pain and heaviness in sinusitis are not the only symptoms. Other signs of the disease are:

• nasal congestion;
• fever;
• purulent discharge from the nose;
• soreness when tapping the area of ​​the affected sinus.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

The term "glaucoma" refers to an eye disease, which is characterized by such a sign as an increase in intraocular pressure. There are 2 forms of this disease. One of them is called angle-closure glaucoma. It occurs due to contact between the trabecular meshwork and the iris. With an illness, the outflow of intraocular fluid from the eye becomes difficult, the functioning of the trabecular network is disrupted. As a result, intraocular pressure rises.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is something that causes daily headaches for some people. With this disease, people complain of pain in the eye area, vision of rainbow circles around the light source, blurred vision. Intraocular pressure is measured to confirm or rule out angle-closure glaucoma.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

When often can be in a long-term head injury. The pain can be excruciating for a long period. Its character is dull, diffuse and aggravated by physical exertion. Usually this symptom is accompanied by memory impairment, decreased attention, poor sleep, dizziness, fatigue and psycho-emotional disorders.

In some cases, there are such suspicious signs as an increase in headache, drowsiness, confusion, changes in pupil size, asymmetry of reflexes. They may not be the consequences of TBI, but symptoms of chronic subdural hematoma.

Tension headache

And the treatment of the disease is a very relevant topic today. What is meant by this term? This is a common type of primary pain. Currently, it is called differently. Specialists use a new term - tension-type headache.

This symptom can occur at any age. It begins to manifest itself most often after 25 years. Tension pain is characterized by moderate intensity. In almost all cases, it is bilateral, and the place of its localization is the temporal, frontal and occipital regions. Pain has a squeezing effect. It usually lasts from several minutes to several days. Vomiting is not observed. Sometimes there is nausea, sound and photophobia.

Tension headache, the symptoms and treatment of which are known to about 20% of the inhabitants of our planet, has a different etiology. The causes of pain are different:

• getting into stressful situations;
• sleep disturbance;
• irregular meals;
• too high or too low ambient temperature;
• hormonal disorders;

Pain while taking medication

If you often have a headache, the reasons may lie in the medications you take. Painful symptoms are caused by the following drugs:

• vasodilators (calcium antagonists, nitrates, chimes);
• anticonvulsants;
• corticosteroids;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory;
• hypolipidemic;
• antihistamines;
• estrogens;
• antibacterial.

Visit to a specialist

If headaches periodically torment, then you need to seek help. This symptom may hide diseases that are life-threatening. If you often have a headache, which doctor can help? First you need to make an appointment with a therapist and tell him about your problem. It is very important to convey to the specialist all the important information, because the effectiveness of the treatment depends on it.

So, at the reception you should tell:

• in what area of ​​the head is the pain localized;
• at what time of the day does it make itself felt;
• when the pain first appeared (for example, a few days ago);
• when the pain sensation becomes maximum;
• what additional suspicious symptoms are observed with a headache;
• Are any medications being taken?
• how many pain attacks happen per day;
• whether there are any diseases.

It is imperative to express your point of view about what the pain could have caused. Maybe a few weeks (months, years) ago there was an injury or a blow to the head. This is very important information that will help the specialist determine the cause of the headache that occurs.

The therapist, after listening to all complaints, will prescribe the necessary examinations (blood test, X-ray, computed tomography, etc.). The doctor will also give a referral to the necessary specialist (for example, to an otolaryngologist in the presence of diseases associated with the ear, throat, nose, head, to a neurologist to rule out or confirm diseases related to the nervous system) in order to finally find out why the patient often hurts head.

The reasons (what to do, we described above) for the appearance of such a symptom, as is clear from the foregoing, are different. But summing up, it is worth noting that only 5% of patients who turn to doctors with complaints of headache have serious illnesses. Despite this, you should not refuse to make a visit to a specialist. The doctor will find out the real cause of the pain and give advice on how to get rid of this painful symptom.