Why do We Get Headaches?

Headache is supposed to be one of the most common chronic complaints of people all around the world. It is said even kids under ten years of age experience headaches. There are different types of headaches like tension headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, etc.

Headaches occur when the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles in the head tend to swell, tighten, or undergo pressure. Tension headaches are one of the most common forms of headaches. It causes dull, constant pain in the back of the head, frontal region, as well as side of the head.

A cold or flu can cause inflammation of the sinuses leading to sinus headaches. An allergy can also lead to sinus headaches.

One of the most irritating and debilitating forms is a migraine attack. It causes throbbing pain in the head, and can be triggered by a number of factors like stress, hormonal imbalance, spicy foods, chocolates, and drinking extremely cold beverages. Migraines tend to linger longer than other types, and can also lead to excessive nausea and vomiting.

Genetic Predisposition: If your grandparents, parents, uncles or aunts have suffered from headaches, you may have inherited the susceptibility to the condition. So, the next time you suffer from a throbbing, sharp or dull pain, you can blame it on your genes.

Eye Strain: People who continuously watch TV, use computers and laptops, read books in dim light, can suffer from eye strain. Inability to focus can also lead to eye strain, which causes head pain.

If you suffer from constant headaches everyday, and feel you have to strain your eyes to read or focus on things, better get your eyesight checked. You may need to use glasses to correct your vision, and reduce eye strain.

High Blood Pressure: In most adults, high blood pressure is the root cause for headaches. It is wise to get check blood pressure regularly, in order to lay your suspicions to rest.

Menstruation Cycle: One of the most common causes of headaches in women is hormonal change that takes occurs before, during, or after menstruation. Many women have complained of migraine attacks, just before the menstrual period.

Chemical Agents: It has been found many foods tend to cause head pain due to presence of some naturally occurring chemicals present in them. These include chocolates, caffeine, aspartame, red wines, alcohol, aged cheese, etc. Headaches may also be one of the withdrawal symptoms associated with tea, coffee, or alcohol.

Psychological and Physical Stress: The muscles of your neck, shoulders, scalp, and jaw contract due to stress, depression, and anxiety, causing headache. Sometimes, performing a particular activity that causes your head to remain in one position like looking at the computer for a long time, sleeping in an odd position, grinding or clenching your jaw, traveling, sitting or sleeping in conditions of low temperature, can lead to headaches.

Too much of sleep, as well as too little sleep may cause an individual to wake up with a pain in the head. When one sleeps for more than 8-9 hours, kidneys and other organs continue to function. This causes increase in the level of toxins, and other waste products in the body. Moreover, while we are sleeping, we do not drink water and do not urinate.

This increase in levels of toxins and decrease in fluid intake causes headaches. In case of dehydration, there is an increase in pressure on the meninges covering our brain, thereby causing pain.

Changing hormone levels during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, is one of the etiologies. Frequent episodes of mild to moderate pain, may occur in women prone to tension or migraine headaches. However, most women seem to have fewer migraine attacks during pregnancy.

During the second and third trimesters, lack of sleep, low blood pressure, stress (physical as well as psychological), etc. are the contributing factors. Also, pregnant women are more prone to dehydration and starvation, which may lead to headaches.

When one is hungry, the body begins to utilize the existing glucose for energy required to fuel the body functions. This causes the blood sugar level to drop significantly. A chemical signal is sent to the brain, and a neurotransmitter called serotonin is released, which influences sleep, mood, thirst, hunger, etc.

Thus, serotonin gives you a signal that you are hungry, and low on glucose. High levels of serotonin causes hunger headaches.

Over the counter drugs, balms, and ointments help to relieve headaches. Constant pain or highly frequent episodes can be an indication for tumors or brain cancer. It is advisable to consult a professional in case of any unidentified, repetitive episodes of head pain.