Got a headache?

1.728973-1043759823 — Medically speaking there are about 150 types of headaches. Image Credit: Rex Features

Julie Ann, a 35-year-old expatriate based in Dubai, says that at least three times a month she returns home from work with a splitting headache. Initially, she started relying on painkillers. But when the headaches began affecting her social and professional life she decided to approach a doctor who, after a detailed diagnosis, told her that her headaches were triggered by stress.

Kate Smith (name changed on request), had a history of waking up with a severe headache. The throbbing pain used to hurt even her eyes. Smith, too, resorted to painkillers, but when she found out that they were not effective, she visited her doctor who told her that she suffered from a chronic case of migraine.

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According to a survey conducted by the National Headache Foundation (a Chicago-based voluntary organisation to support people who suffer from headaches of all types), there are more than 45 million Americans who suffer from severe headaches. Of these, 28 million suffer from migraine. Headaches that occur more than once a month are a cause for concern, say experts. If you experience a severe ache in the forehead and temple area or find one side of your head throbbing with pain, a trip to your doctor is mandatory.

While medically speaking there are about 150 types of headaches, doctors broadly classify these into two categories: primary and secondary.

"Migraine, tension, cluster and trigeminal neuralgia [a condition that causes pain in several parts of the face] are the most common types of headaches that fall in the primary category," says Dr Bassel Kret, specialist in internal medicine, Welcare Clinic, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai. "Secondary headaches are the ones triggered by a medical condition like fever, hypertension, sinus or, sometimes, even due to bleedingin the brain."

Here is a list of the more common forms of headaches. If you have any of the symptoms, avoid self-medication and consult a doctor to find out what is causing the headache.

Tension

This is a common form of headache. It is benign in nature and bilateral - that is, it begins from the back of the head and radiates to the front. It usually occurs at the end of the day and ceases with medication. These are mostly mild to moderate.

Migraine

While 60 to 70 per cent of sufferers experience pain that is unilateral (it occurs on either the left or right side of the head), those remaining suffer bilateral pain.

A patient with a migraine is advised to sleep or rest a lot in a dark room. Medication is a must. The severity of a migraine can determine the potency of the medication. In severe cases, the migraine can last for as many as three to four days. The throbbing pain occurs mainly because of the contractions in the blood vessels in the brain. A migraine can be accompanied by symptoms like vomiting, stomach upset, nausea and loss of appetite.

While it is yet to be medically established why a migraine occurs, there are hints that it could be hereditary.

According to Dr Kret, "migraines have been known to run in families.It is particularly true fora patient whose mother and father both havea history of migraines."

Cluster

This type of headache is always unilateral. It can affect the sufferer's eye, leaving it red. It is also accompanied by a runny nose. Cluster headaches can occur three to four times a day and can last for as long as a whole week. There is no medical explanation why this headache suddenly appears and disappears in a patient. Sometimes medication is required to reduce the pain.

Trigeminal neuralgia

This type of headache causes severe facial pain due to a disorder of the fifth cranial nerve. Pain occurs along the jaw and cheeks, right up to the ear. In its most excruciating form, it can recur several times a day. Each time, the pain may last for a few minutes. The pain may make it difficult for sufferers to chew, brush their teeth or even smile. Men may experience severe pain while shaving.

Medically, it has still not been established what can trigger this type of headache and only medication can reduce the pain.

Sinus

This is a headache that is causeddue to an infection in the ENT (ear, nose and throat) area. The headache can be mild to moderate in severity.

In its most serious form, the infection can be transmitted to the brain and cause abscesses (clots of pus) and inflammation in the brain. This condition is best treated with antibiotics. A CT scan may be required to check for abscesses.

Fever

Any fever can cause a headache. From a medical point of view, a fever without an accompanying chest infection or sore throat needs to be investigated. It could be an indication of a serious medical condition. If you experience a sore throat with fever, body aches and headache, it is deemed a benign headache. Once the infection is treated with medicine, the headache usually disappears.

Stroke

Also known as Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), a stroke is caused by an interruption of the blood supply to the brain. This leads to a loss of brain functioning and a severe headache which calls for medical supervision. The headache in this case starts abruptly and the victim may experience shooting pain. In certain cases, the patient can lose consciousness and may have to be admitted to intensive care. The doctor may have to resort to emergency medicine. Another form of headache is caused by bleeding in the brain (subarachnoid haemorrhage). This is quite akin to a stroke and could happen because of a minor aneurysm.

Hypertension

High blood pressure can cause headaches. Doctors refer to this as ‘emergency hypertensive'. If the blood pressure reading is more than 240/130, a headache is inevitable. Also, a drastic change from low to high blood pressure or vice versa can cause a headache.

Toothache

A tooth infection can also causea headache because the nerves in the jaw area are linked to the head. By nature, it is benign.

Change in vision

Stress on the eyes due to poor vision can cause a headache. A patient with increased eye pressure (glaucoma) would have a severe pain in the eye area, redness of the eyes and a headache. In men over 50, pain maybe localised in the temple area. It may cause throbbing headaches and vision problems in the same eye. This is known as temporal arthritis. If it goes undetected and untreated, chances are high that the patient may lose his eyesight. Emergency treatment is called for in this case.

Things that can trigger a headache