What causes headaches?

Probably everyone has encountered headaches. For some it is a short-term issue, for others it is a chronic and long-term disease. It is headaches that can take us out of an active life.

Let's take a look at what causes it and how to effectively avoid it...

At the outset, it should be mentioned that headaches are divided into two basic groups, namely primary headaches and secondary headaches.

Primary headache is a disease that is unrelated to any other disease and occurs independently without observable external causes.

Secondary headaches are caused by an external cause or are a symptom of another illness, health problem or injury.

The causes of headaches are many and difficult to discern. Let's imagine the most common triggers of these unpleasant pains.

Muscle tension:

This is a broad group of tension pains that are caused by neck muscle strain. The manifestation tends to be dull and pressing pains. It is not a throbbing pain as in migraine. Sometimes these pains are associated with a sensation to vomit or pass out. Often it manifests itself when working with a computer, then it is necessary to stop work, massage and relax the neck muscles. They often occur in more sensitive or impressionable people who are more easily stressed and overworked. Sometimes they can also be associated with depression, anxiety, tension but also sleep disturbances.

Cervical spine syndrome:

Headaches caused by the cervical spine are often caused by improper sitting at work, in front of the TV or steering wheel. In addition to headaches, cervical spine syndrome can cause pain that goes into the arms and shoulders, as well as hearing loss, squinting in front of the eyes, dizziness, a tingling sensation and numbness.

Premenstrual syndrome:

In many women with the onset of menstruation, headaches arise due to hormonal changes. During this period, women should avoid food allergens. Rest in a dark room and cold compresses also help.

Headaches can also be caused by taking hormonal contraceptives, where other side effects such as mood changes, vomiting, weight gain and breast tightness can occur. Women suffering from migraine and taking hormonal contraceptives at the same time are at greater risk of stroke, especially if they smoke.

Migraine:

Another of the causes of headaches is the well-known and often mentioned migraine. Migraine often affects people between the ages of 25 and 55, but its symptoms are more common in women. Factors in the onset of migraine vary from stress, weather changes, food, hormonal factors but also exhaustion and lack of sleep. The pain usually gradually progresses into severe pain, usually affecting one side of the head.

A person with these pains is unable to continue working, needs silence and calm, often vomits, light and noise are also annoying. Frequent headaches caused by migraine should definitely be consulted and treated by a specialist.

Horton's syndrome:

Headaches of this type are suffered almost exclusively by men and manifest as a precisely targeted pain in one spot on one half of the head often around the eye, temples and orbits. It often manifests itself at repeated intervals of a few minutes sometimes up to half an hour. It is usually one to ten attacks a day. Occurs in continuous multi-week periods. This pain can sometimes disappear for years.

Food:

Headaches are not necessarily related to the symptoms we mentioned above, but can also be caused by certain types of food or drink. Most commonly, chocolate, nuts, cheese, vinegar, onions, soy sauce, liver, dressing or the so-called preservative 'E's' can cause pain.

Sometimes we can also hear the name Chinese restaurant syndrome in connection with headaches, where the pain is triggered by the substance MSG - monosodium glutamate.

Vitamins:

The induction of headaches is also related to vitamins. In the case of excessive use of vitamins A, B6, iodine or selenium, they may occur.

Hunger:

Hunger is also a common cause of headaches when the body's blood sugar is low. We can get rid of it mainly by eating foods that contain higher amounts of sugars and proteins.

Alcohol:

Another trigger is also excessive alcohol ingestion, when vasoconstriction, impaired water and electrolyte regulation, and brain edema occur.

Medicines

Headaches can also occur with overuse of certain types of analgesics or painkillers, or drugs with unwanted side effects. These pains may also accompany neck or head conditions, but may also occur in connection with certain medical procedures.

Last but not least, it's about skipping your regular caffeine intake, especially for coffee drinkers.

Headache prevention

Now we will look at how to prevent headaches and what to do as prevention:

• uninterrupted and regular sleep,
• examination by an immunologist and detection of possible food allergies,
• in any case do not starve, eat at regular intervals,
• not to consume large amounts of alcoholic substances, caffeine and we can also avoid "light" products and semi-finished products,
• adhere to a drinking regime, with headaches from dehydration, it is recommended to drink at least half or a liter of water at a time,
• manage stress effectively, for example through yoga or relaxation techniques,
• limit a diet rich in fats, simple sugars and salts,
• quit smoking,
• regular physical activity,
• Track your own pain triggers within foods and avoid them,
• Supplementing vitamins on a regular basis, especially vitamin B, C, D and magnesium,
• avoid frequent use of analgesics, which can cause dependence or other health problems such as heartburn, stomach ulcers or diarrhoea
• Natural product Salicort balm will relieve you from headache.