Do You Know What Is Causing Your Anxiety Headaches?

There is no exact number of how many people experience anxiety headaches every day. Even though there are no statistics, it’s a sure bet that there are quite a few of us that end the day with a whopping anxiety headache. Additionally, judging from the total number of the over-the-counter pain medications as well as the amount of relief instruments to cure headache, the amount of money spend on finding relief for these headaches is increasing.

So, what are the reasons for having anxiety headaches?

Medical practitioners can’t settle on a concrete reason for this type of headache. A lot of them claim that it is a mixture of environmental issues which have caused it. While others theorize that it is caused by the way that the individual deals with stress. But what is very noticeable is that at some point during an anxiety headache the neck muscles are awfully tight. Despite the fact that there are still many things that can have an effect on this, there is one issue that is similar with most patients; it is their extreme level of stress.  When one is stressed your neck muscles tend to be tight – think about it the next time you are under stress and notice if your neck muscles have tightened up.

A few facts about anxiety headaches:

•    They are most commonly experienced by people who are thirty to thirty nine years old.
•    They are the most common kind of headache
•    Ninety percent of women experience this while but only seventy percent among men
•    They are usually explained as a taut band all-around the head
•    They usually come about in the morning and continue to turn bad as the day goes on
•    They are also said to cause aches at the base of the skull and the rear of the neck

Listed below are the usual causes of this kind of headache:

•    Depression and anxiety
•    Stress
•    Skipping a meal
•    Bad posture
•    On occasion, hormonal changes among women
•    Don’t have enough exercise
•    Clenching your teeth in the evenings, you have to visit your Dentist regarding this
•    Too much or excessive use of painkillers for headaches

Here’s what you can do to get rid of this headache:

1.    Now that you have learned about the possible reasons for anxiety headaches you can now start to search for a remedy such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen.

2.    However, the effectiveness of the medication could still depend on what has caused the headache, when the case is that, you have skipped your meal, the obvious treatment is simply eating something to fill you up.
3.    Get yourself out of a stressful situation immediately or rather avoid stress all together.

With today’s hectic world, it is almost certain that we will experience some kind of stress. Although we may perhaps be able to cope with it, there are still some unavoidable issues which are too great for one to deal with and that could create stress and eventually lead to anxiety headaches. If you can’t avoid stress, learn how to deal with it better  - the result could be less anxiety headaches!

What Is An Exertion Headache?

An exertion headache typically happens to people who get into a lot of exercise or are involved and active in different kinds of sports.

The cause for this kind of headache is said to be the increase in body temperature brought about by extreme exercises. This increase may be accountable for the blood vessels located in the brain to dilate or expand and putting pressures on the nerves which consequently, gives you a headache.

Sometimes, this type of headache can develop into a migraine.  Patients may experience seeing blinking lights prior to the onset of the headache. This kind of headache typically persists from four to six hours. The common medications for migraine often work effectively with exertion headache, particularly the preventative ones. Getting a dosage of a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, prior to your scheduled exercise sessions can help decrease your likelihood of acquiring a headache. Also, avoid getting too hot when you exercise.

Exertion Headaches affect one in every one hundred persons. The usual symptoms are a sudden, agonizing, and intense pain that is typically felt at the back of the head. After which the pain will be reduce to a background pain that can possibly still be felt for up to six hours. This is said to be brought about by the rise in blood pressure which turn intensifies blood pressure in the brain’s blood vessels when you exercise. This situation is normally not difficult to control with the help of the painkillers which can be bought over-the-counter.

One more type of exertion headache is one that usually happens through or subsequent to sex. Persons, both men and women who have this kind of headache often feel embarrassed to consult with a doctor.

Is it serious?

Not usually, but if you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor right away:

•    Pain on one section of the head that won’t leave.
•     A headache that start out all of a sudden
•    A headache that gets even painful over a few days
•    A stinging or numbness in any part of your body
•    Any kind of head injury
•    A headache that comes with other symptoms that you haven’t experienced yet
•    A headache that you haven’t had in the past
•    A stiff neck
•    Waking up in the night, or getting up in the morning with the ache

Allergies Headaches - Did You Know Allergies Can Cause Headaches?

Many of us experienced headache every now and then, and there are a few people who can’t perform their work due the headache pain. Scores of people do go to doctors for headaches, as a matter of fact, the ninth leading cause of doctor’s visits is the headaches. Certain types of headache are brought about by severe medical conditions and might require medical care but allergies headaches are brought on by just that - allergies.

Migraines, which is estimated to come at a standard rate of one to two times in a month, can continue to persist anywhere between three hours to three days. The pain, could fluctuate from agonizing to fair, often comes on slowly. And there are times that it begins on one part of the head and then change sides. Also, there are cases wherein the sufferer reported to have observed rainbows, lights, and their vision is blurred. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite can also happen.

Women complain more of headaches than men. Normally people who experience migraine come from a family who has a background in headaches. Almost forty three percent of migraine patients make a complaint of vision discomforts. In most researches regarding headaches, sufferers do experience other symptoms such as digestive tract irritations, eczema, hay fever, and travel sickness.

How allergies headaches develop

Migraines are mostly a result to an allergen that could inflame the blood vessels. With migraines, the external temporal artery will turn narrow firsthand and then that same section of the artery will dilate extensively, and expand. The heaviness of the blood which passed through that artery will intensify the ache; however by compressing that dilated section of the artery on that side of the head with the hands can help relieve the pain. Moreover, the management of blood vessel’s disposition is via the autonomic nervous system. As a result, most natural treatments with this case are intended for the blood vessels and nervous system.

Do foods actually cause allergies headaches?

If you develop a headache rather fast as soon as you have eaten something, and at the same time you have any of these symptoms:  rapid heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, hives, vomiting, and swelling of the lips, this may indicate that you may be suffering from allergies headaches. In this situation, contact your doctor at once because food allergies have the tendency to develop into a more critical condition rapidly.

A headache that has developed because of an allergy is in fact quite unusual. It is rather more likely that the headache is caused by migraine and the food is just being activated. This denotes that the food is not really the reason for that allergic reaction.

Other like symptoms can also come up from non-food allergies. Sure enough, we are all accustomed with sneezing and congestion that most of the people acquire in some period of the year. Bear in mind that congestion is an indication of allergies headaches too.

Sinus Pressure Headache

One of the most painful and frustrating types of headaches is the sinus pressure headache. This headache frequently happens to individuals who are susceptible to sinusitis or any type of sinus inflammation. The Center of Disease Control has released a report indicating that no less than 30 million Americans experience this type of headache annually, so if you are a sufferer, you are not alone.

One can describe the sinus pressure headache as a terrible ache that starts in the forehead then goes down behind the eyes until the pain reaches the cheeks. The pain becomes worse every time the affected person moves his head. On occasion, the mouth as well as the neck area is also affected. Such pain can impede normal activity and make it impossible to do the simplest of daily activities.

This headache is caused when the lining of the nose or the sinuses, become inflamed. The inflammation unquestionably leads to congestion. Cigarette smoking, allergens, strong perfume, and many other substances further aggravate the pain. At its worst, this type of headache can also affect the way we breathe and may trigger extreme pain due to the pressure on the sinuses.

Individuals who have sinus infections are more likely to suffer from sinus pressure headache. Treat this by using a decongestant followed by plenty of water intake. Hot showers or steam can also help alleviate the pain as well as provide some relief.

A sinus pressure headache should not be tolerated because the pain it causes can affect your enjoyment of life - if you suffer from them see your doctor for a diagnosis and some advice on the best way to treat your particular case.

Migraine Headache Causes

A migraine headache is a throbbing type of headache that is usually one sided. It affects women more than men and for most, it is a mystery as to what cause it. People will often think that certain foods like cheese or chocolate as well as stress are linked as migraine headache causes.  They are partly right because cheese and stress are just factors that can trigger a migraine attack. Actually, defining the causes of a migraine is not easy. You might be a predisposition to getting them, but something must really trigger it.

Physicians think that a blend of factors must be there for an onset of a migraine attack. These causes are usually stress and a particular type of food however this would vary from person to person. If you can find out your trigger factors, then you have just solved the problem regarding migraine headache causes for you in particular.

But finding the cause for everyone is not easy because there is no specific rule about who gets them and when. Despite this, at least there is a pattern that shows how some individuals are more susceptible than the rest. The important thing is to be aware that migraine headache causes are not usually because of a single factor but are probably blend of two or more elements which can trigger the beginning of a painful migraine.
Knowing that some elements or factors can be changed while others are constant is also important. Through this awareness, you can take away some of the factors that cause your migraine headache so that you can prevent it from happening even before the start of an attack.

Different Types Of Headaches

“Ouch, I have a terrible headache today”, is a phrase that is heard quite often, but what most people realize is that there are many different types of headaches.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are about how the most common, striking between 30 to 80% of adults and typically happening to those between 20 and 40 years of age.  These are moderate headaches which can cause pain around the front of the head or the back of the head.  Sometimes this can be caused by muscle strain which pulls and constricts on the muscles around the head, thus the name tension headache.

There are actually two types of tension headaches chronic and episodic with the chronic ones happening more than 15 days a month and the episodic ones happening less than 15 days a month.  This type of headache can last from half-hour too many days and they usually start off as a dull ache often starting in the middle of the day.

Tension headaches can be caused by a number of things including stress and tension, of course, poor posture, not getting enough sleep, hunger, excessive exercise, depression and anxiety.

Cluster Headaches

One of the different types of headaches that a lot of people are unfamiliar with are cluster headaches.  That’s probably because not very many people get them - less than 1% of the population.  However for those that do these headaches can be debilitating and actually more painful than migraine headaches causing a sharp searing pain that can last for several hours.

These headaches usually happen at the same time every day and will go on for weeks or months but then will disappear for months or even years only to return again out of the blue.

These headaches seem to be somewhat of a mystery and no one really knows why they happen although some theorize it might have something to do the with the hypothalamus gland.  Some of the same treatment for migraine headaches can be used successfully on cluster headache sufferers and for very severe cases surgery may also be an option.

Migraine Headaches

About 10% of the population is affected by migraine headaches which can be very severe and debilitating.  Headaches can last from a few hours to three days and consists of severe pain sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and even vision problems.  Some people see auras before an attack while others simply get a headache with no warning.

Certain foods, stress and other things could trigger migraine but at other times there may be nothing that triggers them, or so it seems.  Some researchers believe that it is usually a combination of things that will bring one on which makes it even harder to pinpoint a certain trigger.

While aspirin will do nothing to reduce the pain of the migraine, there are other medications out on the market that can help relieve symptoms and if the headache can be caught early enough these medications can be taken at the onset with good results.

Other different types of headaches include a rebound headache which is from over medicating, sinus headache which happens if your sinuses become inflamed due to an allergy or infection and hormonal headaches which are caused by hormones.

Tension Headache Relief

Of all the types of headaches that people visit their doctor for, the tension headache is by far the most common.  In fact, if you are a woman there’s an 80% chance that you’ll develop one in your lifetime.  For men that’s 69%.  While anyone can get them they typically occur in people between 20 and 50 years of age.  While these are not the most painful headaches, they can certainly affect your quality of life and seeking a treatment is a high priority with anyone that suffers from them.

Given the name, most people would think that tension headaches are caused by stress or tension and this may be true in some cases but researchers are starting to believe that it may also be caused by something to do with the chemical serotonin as well as other chemicals produced by the brain.  Be that as it may, stress certainly doesn’t help!

A lot of people with tension headaches get them because of tense muscles in the head and neck area.  These often start out as a mild nagging ache and tend to worsen during the middle of the day.  Some people get them all the time and others only get them once or twice a month.

There are two different kinds of tension headache, chronic and episodic.  Episodic tension headaches happen less often - fewer than half of the days in a month and they may be accompanied by muscle tenderness.  Chronic tension headaches happen on more than half of the days of any given month for at least three months in a row.  For both types, they hurt about the same and last about the same amount of time.

There are quite a few things that can trigger tension headaches.  Stress, anxiety, poor posture, medications, depression, insomnia, not eating properly and even hormonal changes are thought to be a catalyst for these headaches.  Oftentimes people with a tension headache are under stress and will be grinding their teeth and clenching their jaws which only seems to make a headache worse.

So how do you treat a tension headache?

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so lifestyle changes might be in order of you are suffering from tension headaches.  If you can’t get away from the stresses in your life, learn how to deal with them better by taking stress management or meditation classes.  If your headaches are caused by tense muscles, a massage might be in order.  Make sure that you use proper posture when you’re sitting at your desk or working because bad posture and slouching can get your muscles and joints out of alignment which can trigger these headaches.

While you can get stronger medications at your doctor’s office, usually over-the-counter drugs like aspirin or acetaminophen can help dull the pain of a tension headache.  Changing your lifestyle by eating right and exercising and having some aspirin on hand for when you do get headache will help reduce your overall pain and improve your quality of life.

Hormone Headaches

Hormone headaches happen when certain levels of sex hormones, mostly estrogen fluctuate during a woman’s normal cycle and throughout her lifetime.  These headaches can be associated with pregnancy, menopause, menstruation and pre-menstruation.

Everyone has heard of the typical symptoms of PMS with headache pain being in the forefront but not too many people realize this is due to the drop in estrogen that happens right before you get your period.  In some cases, the headaches can be light but in many cases the headaches are quite severe and can even be debilitating.

There is another headache that can happen during your period and this is actually called a menstrual migraine as its symptoms are quite similar to that of a migraine and can include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and, of course, severe pain.

Because oral contraceptives help to regulate the estrogen somewhat, many women who take these report that their incidence of headaches goes down.  However this is a double-edged sword because while many women report fewer headaches, just as many report that their headaches get worse.

Hormone headaches can also happen during the beginning of pregnancy as well as the beginning of menopause.  This, again, is due to fluctuating levels of hormones.  Because their symptoms are so similar migraine headaches with intense throbbing pain usually on one side of the head they are often mistaken for migraines and not what they truly are.

Other then during pregnancy, these headaches can often be controlled with medicine.  People on oral contraceptives can sometimes have their dosage adjusted which may make the headaches go away.  In many cases, the drugs used to treat migraine headaches are successful in also treating hormonal headaches.

Just like the migraine, hormone headaches need to be treated at the first sign of headache because the drugs treating it are preventative and work best if you can catch it in the very beginning.  In the case of hormonal headaches, this can usually be done easily especially if you know that they happen at a certain time in your cycle.  If you know when the headache is going to happen you can start treating it the day before with good results.

Just like with any other kind of headache, however, overuse of the medications to treat them can cause rebound headaches so your best to consult with your physician before taking any kind of headache medication and use it only as recommended.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are extremely painful, but thankfully short-lived headaches.  Often characterized by a sharp burning pain around the eye area, these debilitating headaches might happen at the same time every day for a short period of time - usually under an hour but sometimes up to 3 hours in length.  Unfortunately, they come back every day at about the same time for weeks or months on end only to mysteriously disappear for some unknown period of time and then reappear which is why they are called cluster headaches.

While the cause of cluster headaches is not fully known, some experts believe that they stem from vascular channels in the head area, others think it is related to an abnormality in the hypothalamus gland.  Sometimes they can be triggered by environmental factors such as extreme temperatures or allergies, stress, or even the foods that you eat.  While just as painful as not more so than migraines cluster headaches have an interesting pattern because they affect men more than women where as migraines affect women more than men.

Over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and acetaminophen do little to relieve the pain of these headaches, but thankfully there are some medicines and treatments that your doctor can prescribe that might help.

One of the medications is something that they also give to migraine sufferers and are called triptans.  Triptans stimulate the production of serotonin, reverse the dilation of blood vessels and have anti-inflammatory properties all of which work to relieve cluster headache pain.  To work their best, they are usually injected but they also come in a nasal spray and can be taken orally.  The problem with using the nasal spray on cluster headaches is that oftentimes the nasal passages are inflamed and this can prevent the absorption of the spray. Triptans can have side effects and should not be taken by everybody so you need to discuss using them with your medical professional to see if these are right for you.

Another interesting treatment for cluster headaches is oxygen inhalation therapy. While no one is really clear on how this works to relieve the pain, it has been found that inhaling oxygen at a high rate at the onset of cluster headache can provide temporary relief and has been shown to work in between 50 to 85% of the people who’ve used this therapy.  It’s safe with no side effects, but of course requires access to oxygen and the proper administration.

Cluster headaches can really affect your quality of life and the symptoms might also be caused by something more serious so I you have them, you should talk to your doctor to get the proper diagnosis and find out what treatment options are right for you.