From what a person has a headache. The most common causes of sharp pain in the head, their diagnosis and treatment

Headache - this is exactly the problem that people most often complain about to a specialist neurologist. According to the latest research by scientists, in the developed countries of the world about 70% of the population complains of periodic headaches. But in fact, this figure is not indicative, since people suffering from such pain do not always seek medical help, taking analgesic drugs for attacks that are sold without a doctor's prescription.

Features of a headache

Depending on the pathology headache can have different intensities and occur in different areas. Both persistent and intermittent pain can be a symptom of many diseases. This is the leading, and in some cases the only complaint in children and adults with, arterial hypotension , NS atologies of the kidneys and endocrine system , etc. The so-called cluster headache is a particularly intense one-sided pain that brings severe torment to the patient. A throbbing headache in the back of the head occurs when a person develops. Tension headache worries with depressive conditions. With drops, as well as in people with high level the perception of weather conditions is manifested by a sharp and severe headache in the forehead and in the temporal region. Besides, pain in the temples can be a symptom of many diseases, the diagnosis and treatment of which should be carried out by a doctor.

Headache may occur when different states organism. So, a woman is often disturbed by such manifestations during menstruation, during lactation. In addition to headache, breastfeeding is sometimes noted elevated temperature, indicating inflammatory processes. The exact reasons for this phenomenon should be determined by the doctor, as well as how to relieve these unpleasant symptoms. But even with periodic headache attacks, a specialist should offer a scheme for how to treat this phenomenon. In some cases it is necessary drug treatment, in others, treatment with folk remedies, massages or other unconventional methods of therapy is practiced.

Types of headaches

Doctors use several different options classifications of such pain. There are four directions in which the initial division of the types of headache is carried out. First of all, these are pains that manifest themselves as a consequence of organic diseases of the brain or disturbances in the dynamics of the cerebrospinal fluid. The causes of headache in this case are associated with head injuries, the presence of formations in the brain, as well as with inflammatory diseases of the brain.

The second subspecies is vascular headaches. This category includes migraine , which is characterized by very strong throbbing pain in one half of the head. In this case, nausea, vomiting are often manifested. Also, vascular pains include hypertension. In this case, the person suffers from severe pressing pain in the back of the head and neck.

Psychogenic headaches include tension pain, which is considered the most common. It most often affects people who are prone to depressive states ... Tension pain can also manifest itself as a response to severe emotional distress. In this case, it is difficult to determine the localization of pain, which has a constant, pressing character.

The fourth subspecies are headaches that cause extra-cerebral causes. They mainly bother a person with the development of extracerebral infectious diseases, in which it is the headache that often becomes the first symptom. Taking certain medications can also provoke headache attacks, as well as chemical substances- alcohol, carbon monoxide, lead. This group also includes pains that are associated with metabolic disorders, pain associated with pathologies of a number of organs. Often worried about seizures and patients diagnosed with cervical spine. In this case, the pain is initially localized in the neck and back of the head, after which it can be given to the temples. Such frequent headaches mainly appear after a certain mechanical overstrain, for example, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, prolonged physical load.

Headache diagnostics

If a person has headaches that often recur over a long period, then it is imperative to visit a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination. To date, computed and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, as well as magnetic resonance angiography, are used to determine the nature of headache. Monitoring is used to determine the presence of latent arterial hypertension blood pressure... In addition to such studies, it is sometimes advisable for the patient to carry out laboratory tests to determine the presence of signs of infection in the body or inflammatory processes... Almost always, in case of headache, the patient is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist, since special equipment allows detecting the presence of changes in the fundus. This can help determine the cause of the pain. Also, sometimes consultation with other specialists is required.

Headaches in children are more difficult to treat, as it is very often difficult to determine their origin. If a child says that he has a headache, then it is already difficult for him to describe in more detail the symptoms of discomfort. It is important to understand that only a doctor can determine why a baby has such complaints. He will also give clear recommendations on what to do if a child has a headache.

Therefore, in the presence of such complaints, the child should be immediately taken to an appointment with a pediatrician, who will tell you which doctors should be consulted. In this case, a comprehensive examination is important: the baby's eyesight is necessarily checked and the baby's eyes, his musculoskeletal system - his back, neck are examined. Sometimes even the child's skin and its condition, as well as the study of other organs, laboratory tests, can determine the origin of pain. In some cases, even dental problems can provoke a headache.

Experts say that modern children can suffer from migraine attacks. In this state, the pain is quite intense, it decreases somewhat in a state of complete rest or in sleep. Nausea and vomiting often develop in parallel. When assessing the child's condition, the doctor must pay attention to whether his parents have headaches. Also, the study of the baby's nutrition is subject to close attention, since many foods can provoke migraine attacks.

To relieve situational headache attacks in a child, doctors recommend using drugs based on. If the pain is associated with a certain pathology, then the doctor prescribes a treatment regimen individually. Speaking about the prognosis, doctors note that in about 60% of children, migraine attacks disappear during puberty.

If in the normal state of the body it is not difficult to relieve pain in most cases, then a headache sometimes causes a lot of worries and troubles. The Veda in pregnant women has a headache more often, and in some cases even more intensely. Its occurrence in expectant mothers is determined by a number of reasons. First of all, these are serious hormonal changes in the body. Also, serious shifts in the work of some body systems, changes in the daily diet, and weather conditions can provoke attacks of pain. In the last months of pregnancy, headaches are provoked by changes in a woman's posture.

However, sometimes a woman expecting a baby can be pleased with pleasant changes. So, in some patients who previously suffered from migraine attacks, during pregnancy they practically do not appear or go away much easier. But if a migraine attack manifests itself in the expectant mother for the first time in her life, this must be reported to the attending physician, who will prescribe the necessary examinations.

A tension headache for a woman in a position is more often worried in the first and third trimesters. In this case, the woman has to change her habits and lifestyle. But in such cases, it is better not to take pills for headache. But if the pain is too intense, then only a doctor can tell you what drugs can be taken during pregnancy.

A sharp and sudden pain in the head is especially dangerous: it can become a symptom of very serious ailments. Exists risk of intracerebral hemorrhage , pathologies of the central nervous system , cerebral venous and other diseases. Therefore, every minute is precious here: you need to go to a specialist immediately.

A pregnant woman needs to adjust some of her habits to prevent headaches. Good sleep is important, use normal amount liquids, proper and timely nutrition, moreover, fatty and salty foods, smoked meats, canned food should be removed from the diet. Of course, pregnant women need to avoid any emotional outbursts and overloads.

If the headache is severe, a pregnant woman may try to fall asleep, massage her head, put an ice pack on the back of her head, or tie a warm scarf over her head. Rosehip, lemon balm or mint tea will also help. If necessary, it is possible to use aromatherapy , homeopathic remedies assigned by the specialist.

Before taking any headache medication, it is imperative to determine the cause of the pain. If the diagnosis is established, then therapy is carried out for the disease that provoked such a symptom. For the therapy to be as effective as possible, only an integrated approach is needed. For some diseases, in addition to medications, magnetic and laser therapy, acupuncture, manual therapy, etc. are also successfully used.

It is important to understand that a headache is curable, provided the correct approach to therapy and all the doctor's recommendations are followed.

It is important to consider that some signs that appear in parallel with a headache may indicate serious ailments. If, along with such pain, a person develops nausea, vomiting, fever, then it should, without delay, cause ambulance.

But a person should think about how to get rid of a headache even before the attacks become systematic. In this case, all the basic preventive measures aimed at observing healthy way life: walks in the fresh air, gymnastics, healthy eating. If a person has a sedentary job, he should change position all the time. In between work at the computer, which must be done every hour, you can relax for a few minutes by closing your eyes. or do simple exercises.

How to relieve a headache?

If acute manifestations is not observed, sometimes you can try to relieve the headache on your own. With a slow, gradual increase in pain, in parallel with which the nose clogs up, sore throat, and other signs occur colds, you should take a pill and drink as much warm tea with honey and raspberries as possible. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

If pain occurs as a consequence of stress or serious emotional distress, you can take an analgesic drug, as well as a sleeping pill and sedative.

If your head hurts due to ailments of the musculoskeletal system, in particular cervical osteochondrosis, you should put a mustard plaster on the back of your head, take an analgesic and do a light head and neck massage yourself.

For pain that is provoked by an increase in pressure, antihypertensive drugs should be taken. If your head hurts because of low pressure, coffee or strong tea will help. With a situational headache, the use of pain relievers is allowed: aspirin , paracetamol , etc. A hot shower will help dull the pain, because streams of hot water have a relaxing effect on the muscles of the back of the head and neck. If the pain is throbbing, you can try to relieve it with a cold compress, which helps to narrow blood vessels... Such a compress can be made from ice wrapped in a towel, which must be kept for about 15 minutes.

There are also some medicinal herbs that are used to treat headaches. So, with the help of rosemary, you can alleviate a person's condition if pain has arisen as a consequence of stress. The leaves of the plant should be brewed like tea and consumed in case of pain attacks.

The pain resulting from it will help relieve licorice root or peppermint infusion. With a cold, it will help to alleviate the condition : they need to lubricate the forehead, back of the head and temples. Lemon pulp is also suitable for this purpose.

One more good remedy — infusion of cinnamon ... To prepare it, you need to take an eighth of a teaspoon of the seasoning and stir it with a tablespoon of water. Take after half an hour of infusion.

For headaches caused by migraines, you can relieve a person's condition with a hot bath or hot compress on the head. You can also massage your head from your forehead to the back of your head. It is advisable to make a compress from a leaf of burdock or cabbage.

If the pain manifests itself after a nervous overstrain, then the condition will be helped to alleviate viburnum juice with honey, infusion of thyme or St. John's wort, fresh potato juice.

In addition to the listed recipes, others can be used to relieve headaches. medicinal plants: oregano herb, knotweed, nettles, linden flowers, horsetail herb.

For people who lead a particularly active lifestyle, playing sports, doctors advise to drink enough fluids, since headache attacks can also occur as a result of dehydration.

Don't drink too much coffee. What is important is a complete and healthy sleep, regular rest and walks.

Headache is one of the most unpleasant sensations. It does not allow a person to lead a normal, habitual lifestyle, greatly reduces his capacity for work, worsens overall well-being. Naturally, an episodic headache is not a threat to health, and even more so to life, but it is extremely unpleasant. And prolonged painful sensations may indicate a serious illness. Naturally, you need to know why your head hurts and how to deal with it.

So before considering the reasons pathological condition, you can understand its varieties:

1. Pressing. It is provoked by a spasm of the muscles of the head and neck. In addition to pain, a person also feels such symptoms: a feeling of heaviness in the head. The pain in this case can spread to the entire head. You can determine the points of such pain sensations by feeling the back of the neck. Pressing headache appears almost daily, and in the evening it intensifies. However, its duration is short, so no one runs to the doctor with such a problem.
2. "Histamine". Most often, this pathological condition develops in men after 20 years. Symptoms can be triggered by frequent use. The duration of an attack ranges from 15 minutes and reaches 3 hours. In most cases, such a headache can occur during the day, but sometimes it is felt at night, which makes the person just wake up. Its symptoms are as follows: the appearance of discomfort under the eye or around it, as well as above the ears. The frequency of manifestation of pain syndrome ranges from two to eight times a day. In addition, a person may have a concomitant pain condition: nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, swelling of the eyelids, swelling of the face.
3. ... Spinal diseases cause such discomfort. The headache then spreads to the neck, the area above the ears and the forehead. If the attack is not relieved with pain relievers, it can last all day.

As you can see, the headache can have a different character, which depends on the disease causing the pathological condition.

The main causes of headaches

So, if a person has disorders in the body, which can manifest itself in the form of a headache, it is imperative to find out the reasons for the development of such a pathological condition. The reasons can be completely different. The most common ones are:

• Physical fatigue or too much emotional experience. When a person falls into stressful situation, he may have a tension headache. The reason for this condition is quite simple - the tone of the muscles of the neck and scalp increases. Symptoms of the pathology are as follows: the pain is bilateral, it covers almost the entire head. The duration of the attack reaches 15 minutes, and the frequency of its recurrence is more than 15 days per month.

• Expansion and spasm of blood vessels. The reason for this condition is a sedentary lifestyle.
• ... Symptoms in this case are very pronounced: the head hurts all over, and it is quite strong, it just “splits”. The body feels weak, weak. The nature of the pain is pulsating.
• Migraine. This is an independent disease characterized by an unbearable headache that is localized in one half of the head. The duration of an attack ranges from several hours to several days. Bad habits can aggravate the condition of the body.

• Improper nutrition. This reason is very common. The fact is that the human body can react badly to some substances that are contained in food: tyramine, sodium nitrate, sodium glutamate. Often the appearance of a headache causes overuse caffeine. Additional symptoms in this case may be: anxiety, fear, absent-mindedness, weakness in the body, nausea, and even sleep disturbances.

• Inflammation of the brain. The cause of this condition can be viruses that provoke the development of meningitis, encephalitis. In this case, treatment is carried out in a hospital under the supervision of doctors.
• Intoxication. It appears when a person is poisoned by something. In this case, the whole body suffers and, of course, the head.
• Increased intracranial pressure. It is caused by excessive vascular activity. This condition is characterized by another symptom: the appearance of nosebleeds.

Physician neurologist, immunologist Kirill Aleksandrovich Shlyapnikov will tell you about the sources of headache, its diagnosis and treatment:

• Tumor in the brain. Even a benign tumor in this area can be very dangerous, which means that you need to see a doctor immediately if the headache does not stop even after taking medications, and is also accompanied by other symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, visual impairment. It is important to identify and eliminate its cause in time.
• Head injury. It also causes a headache, especially a bruise, a crack or a fracture in the bones of the skull.
• Neuralgic disorders. In this case, the headache may not have a specific cause. It is associated with disturbances in the work of nerve endings.

• Pinched nerves.
• Psychological factors. The cause of the pathological condition may be overwork, nervous breakdown, depression, nervous strain.
• Acute cerebrovascular accident - stroke.
• Hormonal imbalance: menstrual bleeding in women or menopause.

Treatment features

If the causes of the pathological condition are established, you can begin. Naturally, in most cases it is not an independent disease and does not require serious hospital treatment. However, some measures must be taken to eliminate symptoms:

1. The pain of tension can be treated with natural sedatives: chamomile tea, peony tincture. An excellent remedy is an independent head massage, which is supposed to relieve muscle tension (which is often the cause of discomfort). Also can help breathing exercises, aromatherapy.
2. If the cause of the pathological condition is vegetative-vascular dystonia or osteochondrosis, treatment with folk remedies may not help. Here are used antispasmodic medications: "Stugeron", "Drotaverin". In addition, when the head begins to hurt, you can apply contrasting compresses to it, after which you should massage the head and neck area.

Medical treatment of primary headaches (migraine and HDN)

1. Migraine. For the treatment of the first phase of this disease, drugs that dilate blood vessels are used: "Trental", "Stugeron", "Dibazol" with "Papaverin", after which you need to use vasoconstrictor... A light massage will also be helpful.
2. With improper nutrition, headache symptoms are eliminated by following a strict diet, which is prescribed by a doctor.
3. An inflammatory process that provokes a virus. In this case, an anti-inflammatory can be used. non-steroidal drug Nurofen, Ibuprofen.

Liu Hongsheng shows a simple acupressure how to relieve a headache (according to reviews, his technique works just magically):

These are the points themselves:

If the head starts to hurt, while other symptoms appear and the discomfort does not go away long time, you need to contact such specialists: therapist, neurologist, ENT, cardiologist, endocrinologist.

When should I see a doctor urgently?

So, if the head begins to hurt badly enough, then you do not always need to call an ambulance. You should consult a doctor if:

• The whole head hurts.
• Discomfort is felt over the eye sockets.
• It is felt in the area of ​​the temples and the back of the head.
• Man feels oppressive pain that runs through the forehead, temples and back of the head.

• One-sided headache behind the ear is felt.
• The patient presents with migraine symptoms.
• The patient loses consciousness, his speech is impaired, muscle weakness appears, vision is impaired - signs of a stroke.
• The patient developed partial body paralysis.
• The patient's body temperature greatly increased and he developed a fever.

Headache prevention

Headaches have no place in an active lifestyle. Its components: daily and nutritional regimen, attention to your health, physical activity, a positive outlook on life

In order to get rid of a headache for a long time and prevent its occurrence again, it is necessary to follow some prevention rules:

1. It is advisable to rest more, walk in the fresh air.
2. We must not forget about physical activity. You need to do some simple physical exercises every day.
3. It is imperative to promptly treat cardiac pathologies, blood pressure disorders, colds and viral diseases.
4. You need to take a close look at what human nutrition is. The headache is caused by excessive consumption of acidic foods, heavy foods and cold water.
5. The regime of work and rest should be adjusted.
6. It is advisable to observe correct mode night sleep: sleep should be at least 6-8 hours.
7. You also need to avoid stress in every possible way.

If a person feels a headache that is very intense, does not go away for a long time and is often repeated, then it is imperative to find out why the head hurts, what factors cause it. In some cases, it can be a signal that the body is not working properly or a serious problem. Treatment in this case should be started immediately, after a thorough diagnosis. Be healthy and leave your comments, share with us your experience of life without headaches.

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

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

This hat does not suit your face

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

"Neurotic's helmet" is usually two-sided, it is distinguished by a dull, monotonous, diffuse nature of pain, as if the skull is squeezed with a hoop. It is 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 inclined to negatively assess life events, that is, inveterate pessimists. In this case, pain is a bodily expression of anxiety, a manifestation of accumulated experiences and complexes. This problem can be eliminated with natural sedatives (chamomile tea, peony tincture, passionflower) and autogenous training... Self-massage of the head helps a lot: it relieves that very muscle tension - the cause of unpleasant sensations. There is even such a technique - "combing out" the headache with a massage brush. This increases blood circulation and relaxes the muscles. 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). It helps well breathing exercises or aromatherapy. Try 5-10 minute hot foot or hand baths. Instead of a water procedure, you can put a squeezed 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 a similar headache is those with vegetative 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. For those who are susceptible to this ailment, the discomfort intensifies with a change in the weather and a few days before menstruation. During pregnancy, the frequency of headaches decreases or they stop altogether, but, unfortunately, they resume after childbirth, as soon as the period of breastfeeding ends. In this case, home remedies won't help. We need medicines that stabilize blood vessels and relieve spasms (stugeron or no-shpa).

What to do: Wet 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 folk ways herbal preparations are used for treatment, containing hawthorn, dried cress, lemon balm. But in this case, you should not get carried away with coffee and preparations with caffeine.

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 attacks of unbearable pain strictly in one half of the head. Doctors associate this pathology with impaired 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 suffered from an unbearable headache for most of her life, most likely, a similar fate awaits you. After all, migraines are usually inherited. The situation is aggravated if you lead the wrong way of life: you smoke, drink alcohol, exercise a little and are rarely out in the air.

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 in front of the eyes", narrowing of the field of view, double image.

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

The "wrong" sausage

Scientists have recently discovered that headaches can be a companion food intolerances some products. 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, shrimps), smoked meat, sausages, as well as in all types of beer. This substance is insidious in that its amount in products increases with long-term storage.

Another chemical 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 ailment with the sonorous name "Chinese restaurant headache." If you are not a fan of oriental cuisine, do not rush to rejoice. It can be found in bouillon cubes, potato and corn chips, flavored croutons, and some dry soups.

Caffeine deserves special attention. It is curious that it causes unpleasant sensations not by its presence, but by its absence - this is the so-called abusus headache. In this case, people suffer from a lack of their favorite coffee, cola or tea. Abrupt withdrawal from these drinks is accompanied by throbbing headaches in the temporal regions, weakness, irritation, absent-mindedness, anxiety, fear, sleep disturbance and nausea.

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

Attention!

Do not postpone a visit to the doctor if the headache increases, the pills do not help, or the discomfort constantly recurs for several days or weeks. If the ailment 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

• The whole head is a fever, a cold infectious diseases
• Forehead (both sides above the eye sockets) - eye diseases, incorrectly selected glasses
• Temples on both sides, occiput - pulsating vascular headache (with hypertension)
• Hoop (passes through the forehead, temples, back of the head) - for tension headaches
• Behind the ear (on one side), temple - dental problems or otitis media
• Temple (one side) - migraine

Expert opinion

Larisa Novikova, neuropathologist of the highest category

Of course, in the treatment of headaches, the normalization of the daily routine is of great importance, that is, adherence to the rules of a balanced diet, the obligatory alternation of work and rest, limitation of emotional stress (primarily negative), and proper sleep. Unfortunately, these measures are not always sufficient. And only a specialist can understand the true cause of a headache. If the use of first aid is not effective, do not postpone the visit to the 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 recover, I did not need to rest, or drink special teas or decoctions, or take wonderful baths. When this happened, the usual aspirin pill saved me. Apparently, this is just a feature of my body, which I, seeing how others are tormented, is very happy.

Yana Rudkovskaya:

- A warm, relaxing bath helps me to relieve headache attacks. I always add stress-relieving agents 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 at the same time the contours of the face are tightened.

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 pill 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

The phrase "headache" is used by people in almost all cases of ailments, so as not to explain for a long time what's what, therefore headache (GB, cephalalgia, 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 often requires a large number of various analyzes and research.

Why is there pain 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 located outside the cranium (skin and tissue underneath, arteries, tendons, aponeuroses, oral and nasal cavity, teeth, middle ear). Only superficial veins, the bones of the skull and the spongy substance of the bones of the cranial vault (diploe).

Any pathology that affects pain receptors and the triggering mechanism for the development of cephalalgia. 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: squeezing, throbbing, bursting, squeezing, dull or sharp. Important criteria in the diagnostic search are also:

• The duration of the pain (persistent or short-term);
• The frequency of seizures (GB, occurring frequently or from time to time);
• An impending headache is signaled by precursors or the 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 occipital pain, unilateral or covering the entire head).

In addition to the striking variety of options for a seemingly one symptom (GB), seizures vary in severity:

1. The pain may be mild, not particularly affecting the ability to work, it is enough to take a pill, lie down and everything goes away;
2. Medium severity, which helps to cope with various headache remedies (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.

The causes of cephalalgia

The headache is caused by various reasons, which also have a certain value, because everyone knows that hypertension with an increase in temperature due to a cold will heal upon recovery, while constant or often recurring episodic pain requires additional diagnostic methods.

The onset of cephalalgia can be due to:

• Vascular mechanism - slowing blood flow, excessive intracranial, hypoxia;
• Increased or decreased;
• Tension of the muscles of the head and neck during excessive (static) loads and stresses with activation of the transmission of impulses in the neuromuscular synapses;
• The influence of various pathological processes on the nerve endings;
• Combined action of the listed 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 the cerebral vessels to a lack of oxygen. Oxygen starvation is a provocateur and, naturally, 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 pounding in the temples, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances;
2. The ratio of such factors how the ambient temperature, humidity and air composition, atmospheric pressure, entails a chain reaction of oxygen imbalances, which contributes to the occurrence of cephalgias, which especially affect people with;
3. Sudden change in weather conditions(flight from one climatic zone to another) causes meteotropic reactions, characterized not only by headaches, but also by other symptoms. Nausea with vomiting, weakness, dizziness, cardialgia - a sign of a failure of biorhythms and stereotypes 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, therefore 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 activity, fasting.

Headache again ... Frequent and chronic pain

The causes of frequent headaches, when a person considers himself to be practically healthy, as a rule, lie in the wrong way of life, when the 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 generally not given due attention. 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, developing into hypodynamia and leading 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 that from time to time arise simply due to overwork or lack of sleep, headache in ICD-11 is divided into primary and secondary... In addition, in a separate (third) part, a group is distinguished, represented by cranial neuralgias, central and primary pains, and other GBs.

Primary headache options

TO primary cephalalgias 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 arise 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 kind of stimuli can sometimes be difficult to attribute to one type or another. For example, acute idiopathic hypertension 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 (it hurts and that's all), the character is stabbing, it can appear sporadically or proceed as a series of attacks.

A cold headache, which is usually localized to the forehead, can be experienced when exposed to cold (weather, swimming in an ice hole, or even food such as ice cream). GB, radiating 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 somewhat different secondary headache, which, as a consequence of a pathological process, usually does not catch 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 by:

• Post-traumatic cephalalgias, which were the result of TBI (traumatic brain injury) and / or injury of 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 cancellation;
• GB due infectious diseases;
• Cephalgia associated with a violation of the constancy of the internal environment;
• Psychogenic cephalalgias caused by diseases of internal organs;
• Symptomatic HD 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 GB is secondary and occurs due to "non-cerebral factors"

The most common type is tension headache

HDN is of a muscle nature

Tension headache (HDN) annoys people of both sexes, regardless of age. This is the most common form that occurs for a number of reasons that are found at every step. We can agree that it is difficult to protect yourself from anxiety, fatigue, to calculate the correct physical activity and strictly follow all the prescriptions of medicine. HDN can provoke factors of daily life, which a person is not always able to prevent: stuffy room, strong wind, transport, lifting weights, alcohol and much more ... And as varied are the causes of pain, so heterogeneous are its manifestations.

Patients compare the nature of cephalalgia with tightening the head with a hoop, being in a vise or wearing a helmet, which indicates a tightening, compressing (but not throbbing!) Pain. Usually HDN is monotonous, but its strength is different for each person: mild, "tolerant" or painful, accompanied by other symptoms (irritability, nervous tension, weakness, intolerance to loud sounds and bright light). At the same time, with HDN, as a rule, neither vomiting nor nausea is present, and it does not have seizures.

In addition, HDN is divided into episodic, lasting from half an hour to half a month (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 the person does not part with it. Chronic pain is monotonous, exhausting, leading to neuroses and depressive states, a person gets tired of it, he is not happy with life and, as they say, "he does not like the white light." There is only one way out in a chronic situation - going to the doctor for examination and treatment. First you can go to a family therapist, if you have one, or go to your local health center. Further treatment for the headache is likely to be done by a neurologist.

Cluster headache is a "privilege" of men

Cluster headache (KGB) refers to rare species vascular GB, only 1% of people living on Earth know about it, and the vast majority (about 80%) are men. The female half has such "pleasure" extremely rarely, and even 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 pursue a person from day to week, mainly at night. The attack lasts from half a minute, although it seems that an eternity has passed, 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. Trumpet GB ends as suddenly as it begins, and after a series of attacks it may not appear for several years, however, it is difficult for a person who has experienced incomparable, acute, "wild" headaches to forget about them. And sometimes it is even impossible to withstand them, in medical practice there are cases of suicide caused by cluster headaches.

The causes of sharp headaches in such situations are not fully understood, just as the exact scheme of the mechanism of their development has not been found. Meanwhile, it is not unreasonable to assume that the sources of the KGB are:

1. Extension carotid artery(vascular character);
2. Irritation of the nerves behind the eyes, why there is pain in the eyes, which is considered characteristic feature cluster headaches;
3. Significant hormonal imbalance (structural changes in testosterone - the male sex hormone).

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

• A piercing acute headache "behind the eyes" quickly joins the ear popping;
• Eyes redden, tears flow;
• Blocks nose;
• Throws in a sweat.

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

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

Cephalalgia in children

For many years, it was believed that children rarely have headaches, although, as it turned out, this statement is not true. It's just that young children are not able to correctly assess their feelings and indicate the localization of pain. They are capricious, their temperature rises, vomiting may occur, but, as a rule, adults attribute such manifestations to symptoms of infection, which is quite understandable, since infectious diseases also have such a beginning.

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

sinus GB in children is a common occurrence with illness

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

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

A pediatrician, or rather a pediatric neurologist, who is sometimes called a cephalgologist, deals with the treatment of headaches in children. It should be noted that there is no such profession 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 another specialist, depending on the cause of hypertension.

Pregnancy provokes headaches?

Headache during pregnancy is a fairly typical phenomenon for this condition. In addition, headache and nausea in other cases are the first to prompt 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 reorganize 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, fluctuations in blood pressure are often observed in women, and, in addition, they are often exacerbated chronic diseases... For example, a migraine may progress, which already brings a lot of suffering, and in a similar state leads to constant headaches.

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

Many problems are also created by diseases of the spine, which also have to bear a significant load. Malnutrition of the brain, which often occurs with cervical osteochondrosis, for a pregnant woman, it is especially undesirable, since it leads to surges in blood pressure, that is, to symptoms. The repetition of such conditions has a negative effect 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 are especially acutely aware of the lack of fresh air, they even know its smell, so hypoxia is extremely poorly tolerated. If a woman walks a little, leads a sedentary lifestyle, does not monitor nutrition, 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 state of a pregnant woman, referring to which you can skip a serious pathology. In this situation, a woman should not try to relieve the headache on her own, because this can harm the unborn child. A therapist or neurologist (depending on the cause) deals with the treatment of headaches during pregnancy, and a doctor (gynecologist) prescribes the consultation of these specialists antenatal clinic who observes a woman before giving birth.

Headache treatment

Cephalalgia refers to those conditions that are said to be you need to treat the cause, not the symptom.

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

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

1. A bursting headache in the occipital region, peculiar, they act not only with 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 a number of drugs are used, which are selected individually for each patient, since there is no clearly developed treatment regimen for this disease, since vasodilators help one person, and vasoconstrictors help the other;
3. Treat headache with cervical osteochondrosis, localized in the back of the head and spreading to the forehead and temples, are helped by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with an analgesic effect (naproxen, ibuprofen, ketorol), simple analgesics, antispasmodics, muscle relaxants (tizanidine);
4. Take off headache due to neuralgia trigeminal nerve, often succeeds with carbamazepine and its analogs (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 medicines for headache, because every disease, the symptom of which is a headache, requires its own approach, and schemes designed for long-term use should be indicated by the attending physician after examining the patient. In the home medicine cabinet, we can only keep over-the-counter headache drugs designed to help a person who has a headache as a result of trivial circumstances.

Headache, whether it is spontaneous, growing, sharp, aching, throbbing or pressing, occurs in the life of any person, but without a reason it happens quite rarely. Almost always, she warns of a malfunction in the body or its susceptibility harmful factors... It is quite difficult to identify the true cause of the onset of head pain, given the large list of diseases and disorders that provoke it, however, it is quite possible to do this if we take into account our own feelings and accompanying symptoms when diagnosing.

Causes of headaches

In most cases, headache acts as a symptom signaling the influence of unfavorable factors on the body or the development of latent pathology that requires immediate treatment.

Adverse factors, under the influence of which a headache appears, include:

• a sharp change in climate or meteorological conditions;
• environmental pollution with harmful vapors, toxins, carbon monoxide;
• low-quality food products, which contain a high concentration of monosodium glutamate and nitrites;
• emotional fatigue against the background of frequent stressful situations;
• alcohol abuse and hangover syndrome as a result;
• long exposure to the sun.

Common pathological causes of head pain are:

• vascular disease circulatory system and development arterial hypertension, hypotension as a consequence;
• liquorodynamic disorders and, arising during the development, and other diseases of the membranes of the brain structures;
• neurological diseases, including trigeminal neuralgia, vertebral apparatus, entrapment of the nerve processes of the cervical spine;
• trauma to the brain and bones of the skull, as well as chronic post-traumatic conditions;
• drug poisoning, food, toxic substances;
• inflammatory processes in the visual and ENT organs;
• diseases of a viral or cold nature, accompanied by high temperature and a headache as a consequence.

Any headache that comes on regularly, becomes lingering and is not relieved by pain relievers should be alarming.

In this case, it is better to play it safe and appear to a specialist so as not to waste time and prevent the development of complications if painful sensations are caused by a pathological process.

Types of headaches

To identify the cause of the appearance of cephalalgia, you need to determine its type according to the corresponding signs. Most often in medical practice, headaches are classified in the following areas:

Headaches caused by vascular diseases

Due to narrowing, expansion, inflammation or rupture of blood vessels, pressure occurs, which is often complemented by nausea, dizziness and a decrease in the main reflex functions. This type of pain is typical for:

• migraine attacks;
• violations of blood pressure (hypertension or arterial hypotension);
• temporal arteritis;
• multiple sclerosis;
• atherosclerosis of the spinal vessels;
• strokes.

Psychogenic headaches (tension pains, tension pains)

Constant squeezing and spreading headache causes a feeling of a hoop squeezing the head, arises against the background of prolonged physical and psychological stress in persons who are unstable to stress. In a calm state, the pain is mild or moderate, with bending, physical activity and nervous shocks, its intensity will increase.

Headaches associated with cerebrospinal fluid and intracranial pathologies

Painful sensations of a local or overflowing nature are disturbing due to a violation of the circulation of cerebral fluid through the cerebrospinal fluid system, its excessive accumulation in meninges and arising as a consequence. The intensity of headaches increases in the night and morning hours, painful sensations are often supplemented by nausea, vomiting, decreased vision and hearing. This type of headache is typical for:

• post-traumatic conditions;
• congenital or acquired brain pathologies;
• severe infections of brain structures (encephalitis,).

Cluster headaches

Intense painful sensations of unclear etiology, in most cases found in men. They appear suddenly, are one-sided. Seizures of varying duration occur at regular intervals (day, week, month). The condition is getting worse accompanying symptoms- swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and lacrimation. ...

Headaches not associated with a violation of the brain structures

• viral or infectious diseases, in which a aching headache occurs due to general intoxication of the body;
• inflammatory processes occurring in the organs of hearing, smell, vision, oral cavity or facial nerves(in this case, the patient feels a shooting or aching headache, radiating to a painful place);
• excess dosage medical supplies, alcohol abuse;
• caused by traumatic processes, low physical activity and limitation of movements.

If headaches bother you regularly, and the condition is aggravated by symptoms of a pathological nature, then you should seek the advice of a doctor.

Regardless of the cause and nature of the origin, doctors do not recommend enduring a headache and, with intense pain syndrome, prescribe pain relievers in tablets.

Depending on the type of headache and the cause of its origin, you can take one of the following medicines:

1. Paracetamol... The safest pain reliever and antipyretic drug approved for pregnant women and children. It relieves moderate head pains caused by colds or infectious diseases, inflammatory processes.
2. Migrenol... Combined medicine, in which the action of the main substance paracetamol complements caffeine. The drug is prescribed for hypotensive patients to relieve pain attacks caused by a decrease in blood pressure, meteorological dependence, VSD, migraine.
3. Solpadein... Anesthetic drug with codeine and caffeine in the composition. These substances enhance the effect of the main component of paracetamol, so the drug effectively relieves intense headache attacks.
4. Analgin... The analgesic effect of the drug is very pronounced, but its prolonged use negatively affects the structure of the blood, reducing the production of leukocytes.
5. Ibuprofen... Pain relieving agent with minimal side effects treats cephalalgia of various etiologies.
6. Sedalgin Plus... An analgesic agent, the complementary substances of which are caffeine and vitamin B1. The drug effectively relieves pain attacks caused by psychoemotional fatigue, hypotension, migraines, colds or chronic fatigue.
7. Spazmalgon (Spazgan)... An analgesic drug with a pronounced spastic effect. It is prescribed for headaches caused by vascular spasms.
8. Brustan... A tablet combined product that combines two anesthetic substances that complement each other - paracetamol and ibuprofen. Prescribed to relieve severe headaches when other drugs do not help.

Painkillers should not be taken continuously, combined with each other, and mixed with alcohol. The choice of a specific drug and dosage, depending on the severity of the pain syndrome and individual tolerance, should be made only by a doctor.

Folk remedies

If headache attacks are of a non-intense and short-term nature, while there are no accompanying pathological symptoms, then simple but effective folk remedies can be used to relieve discomfort.

• Lemon balm tea with chamomile or valerian flowers. The drink dilates blood vessels and relieves spastic head pains.
• Soothing rosemary and mint tea. It is taken to relieve headaches that have arisen against the background of nervous exhaustion.
• Inhalation or rubbing with grapefruit, lavender, mint, rosemary or lemon balm essential oils. One of the oils or a mixture of them in a small amount is applied to the whiskey and rubbed gently. You can also light the aroma lamp, and essential oil to reduce the concentration, dilute with water beforehand.
• Compress from saline solution per region frontal lobes and temples. To do this, in warm water (1 l), you need to dissolve st. a spoonful of sea salt, moisten a cloth with a solution and apply it to the sore area of ​​the head.
• An express method for relieving headaches in the summer is fresh leaves of mint, lemon balm or knotweed, which must be applied to the back of the head or temples. In winter, for these purposes, you can use cabbage leaf, which must first be kneaded until the juice appears.
• Inhalation with a solution of apple cider vinegar for migraine attacks. For this Apple vinegar added to water in equal proportions, the resulting composition is brought to a boil, after which, slightly tilting his head over the container, gently inhale its vapor.

Are you worried about something? Illness or life situation?

You should refuse to use folk remedies, if the cause of the headaches that have arisen is unclear and the patient has pronounced pathological signs. In this case, you need to immediately see a doctor and only after an accurate diagnosis has been made, agree with him on the appropriateness of using folk remedies.