How do you feel? Can you describe it?
A ringing bell, blasting horns, emission of radio waves, beating and pumping rythmically like your heart, banging at the door, boiling from the inside, freezing on the outside, poundings, throbbing in the head. ALAS! It's a headache or should I call it cephalalgia, whichever way.
Headaches are pains that occur in any region of the head; one side, both sides, at the front, at the top, behind the eyes, it's still a headache. Yet simple, yet complex. They may arise sharply, gradually, lasting for few hours, less than an hour, a day, few days, multiple days or even weeks.
Headaches are one of the most common ailments that can affect all categories regardless of age, gender, blood group, race, name it. It must have been experienced during a time or many times in one's lifetime.
A headache may appear as a lone-wolf, standing alone as an illness or a symptom or characteristics of other ailments or conditions that are yet to or have arised. According to the National Institute of Health, NIH, headaches are classified mainly into 5 types; they may be
• Vasular - relating to vessels that circulate and conduct fluids
• Myogenic - originating in muscle tissues
• Cervicogenic - referring to the neck region
• Traction
• Inflammatory - pain, swelling, redness, heat, irritation
Although, there are over 200 types of headache. However they are generally grouped into two; primary and secondary headaches depending on what causes them.
PRIMARY HEADACHES
They are headaches caused by the overactivity of or problem leading to improper functioning of the structures in the head that are pain-sensitive such as blood vessels, muscle tissues, nerves of the head and neck or change of chemical activity in the brain. While these headaches may cause significant daily pain and disabilities, they are not life threatening. 90% of all headaches are primary headaches. Examples of their cause include migraines, tension type(which occurs on both sides of the head) and cluster headaches. Primary headache may also be triggered by stress, lack of sleep and food, alcohol intake etc. They are mainly of short episodes.
SECONDARY HEADACHES
They are headaches that occurs as an effect or symptom of other illnesses. They may be triggered by infections, brain injury, vascular disorders, tumors, fever. They are more severe, of long episodes and may be life-threatening. Some are not life-threatening such as cervicogenic ones. Secondary headaches are mostly a symptom of meningitis, fever, inflammatory diseases, dehydration, panic attack, stroke, glaucoma, high blood pressure, flu etc.
SIMPLE SELF-REMEDIES TO RELIEVE ONE OF HEADACHES.
• Get enough rest and eat regularly
• Avoid stress and taking over medications when stress is unavoidable
• Eat regular meals/ balanced diet and maintain stable blood sugar
• Exercise regularly e.g yoga
• Apply a heat pack or ice pack (depending) to your neck or head to avoid extreme temperatures
• Engage and enjoy outdoors
• Avoid things that you are allergic to
• Improve your posture
• Drink enough water for proper functioning of the body
From the famous sayings, if the symptom(headache) persists for more than two days, please consult your doctor or a health care provider.
Sources
http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/headache-when-to-worry-what-to-do
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache
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