22/03/2021
```WATCH THAT HEADACHE```
I used to have horrible headaches! CHAI!!! left sided or frontal but I couldn’t do anything until the headache passed. Hmm. Stopping the headaches was a real headache 😂😂😂. SO LET’s TALK ABOUT HEADACHES!
*Headache* is a term that describes a pain that is felt on the head or face.
It comes from signals interacting among the brain, 🤕blood vessels and surrounding nerves.
During a headache, an unknown mechanism activates specific nerves that affect muscles and blood vessels. These nerves send pain😰 signals to the brain.
Headaches can occur from time to time in a normal individual - but if it occurs on more days than not, it is termed _chronic daily headaches_.
Types of Headaches
They fall into two main categories :
1. Primary headache and
2. Secondary headache
Primary headaches are those not due to another medical conditions that means primary headaches itself is the main medical condition and can become chronic.
Secondary headaches occur when there are an underlying medical conditions.
Okay, let’s talk about these Chronic Daily Headaches
Rather than a specific headache type, chronic daily headaches include a variety of headache subtypes. The term “Chronic” refers to how often the headaches occur and how long the condition lasts.
By definition, chronic daily headaches occur 15 or more days a month, or longer than three months in a year. True (primary) chronic daily headaches aren't caused by any other condition.
Consider this:
It’s probably a primary headache if:
a. You’ve had it for many months or years.
b. Your family has a history of similar headaches.
c. You don’t have any other health problems.
d. It’s triggered by:
Hormones, Weather, Foods, Lights, sounds, or smells.
There are short-lasting and long-lasting chronic daily headaches. Long-lasting headaches last more than four hours. They include:
*Chronic migraine* :
This type typically occurs in people with a history of episodic migraines. Chronic migraines tend to:
Affect one side or both sides of your head
Have a pulsating, throbbing sensation
Cause moderate to severe pain
And they cause at least one of the following:
Nausea, vomiting or both
Sensitivity to light and sound (also called Photosensitivity)
For some, a warning sign (an aura) comes just before a migraine attack. It can be a set of visual symptoms, like seeing flickering lights, blind spots, or zigzag lines, or other signs like numbness in a limb or a strange smell.
*Chronic tension-type headache:*
Almost everyone gets these from time to time. They bring a dull, constant, non-throbbing pain that can make you feel as if your head is wrapped in a tight band. You'll usually feel pain on both sides of your head or neck, not just on one side.
Tension-type headaches can be short-lived and happen rarely, or they can last a while and come back often. They’re "episodic" if you get them fewer than 15 days a month. They're "chronic" if you get them more often than that.
New daily persistent headache:
These may start suddenly and can go on for 3 months or longer. Many people clearly remember the day their pain began.
Some people find that it strikes after an infection, flu-like illness, surgery, or stressful event.
The pain tends to be moderate, but for some people, it's severe. And it's often hard to treat.
Symptoms can vary widely. Some are like tension headaches. Others share symptoms of migraine, such as nausea or sensitivity to light.
*Hemicrania continua* :
These almost always affects thesame side of the face.
There are two types:
*Chronic* . You have daily headaches.
*Remitting* . You have headaches for 6 months. They go away for weeks or months and come back.
You may notice:
Worse pain with alcohol or physical activity
Red or teary eyes
Runny or stuffy nose
Droopy eyelid
Narrow iris
Some people also have migraine symptoms like:
Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to light and sound.
*Which people have a greater risk of having headaches?*
Factors associated with developing frequent headaches include:
Female s*x (As if women don’t have enough problems already. Chai!)
Anxiety (This is a problem in itself- we’ll talk about that later)
Depression (Another matter to discuss)
Sleep disturbances (See how problems relate to one another?)
Obesity (This weight matter keeps coming up!)
Snoring
Overuse of caffeine (Too much of anything is not good)
Overuse of headache medication. (what!?!! Headaches caused by headache medicines? Yup! 😳)
Other chronic pain conditions...
For example, headaches can mean something more serious is happening in the body. If your headache keeps going on after rest, relieving stress and taking mild medicines from your pharmacy, consult your doctor
Many of the medicines for mild headaches are available Over the counter (which means you don’t need a prescription)
Some such medicines are available here 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
https://www.santebene.com/product-category/pain-and-fever/
