Many of us are familiar with that unrelenting pain that jolts the inside our skull like lightning, pounds behind the eyes, and reverberates along our temples. Even 90 % of people have reported experiencing an occasional headache, whether it comes in the form of a sharp pain or dull pulsing sensation.
Etiology of headache
Headaches can be caused by various factors, and they can be either benign or more serious.
- Peritz (3ied. Klin,ik, August 5th, 1927, p. 1169) classifies headaches as:
- Organic disturbances, caused by cerebral tumors, meningitis, hydrocephalus and syphilis
- Functional disturbances, caused by overwork, anemia, gout, fatigue, endocrine irregularities, obesity, intoxications, and reflected pains.
In the first group, the headache is not localized, but felt in the whole head. It sometimes begins suddenly, with an intense severity. It depends on the sudden or gradual (in case of tumors) increase of the intracranial pressure.
After a while, the signs of intracranial disease are manifested and subsequently diagnosed. This type of headache is often relieved after a lumbar puncture, a diagnostic procedure, is performed.
There are two types of headaches that have syphilitic origin: one is markedly localized in the bones and periosteum, and is often a result of irritation of the nerves of the meninges; the other type is indistinguishable from a functional headache, and probably also caused by meningitis.
Functional headaches are myalgic and don’t have cerebral or meningeal origin. Myalgia is a partial muscular contraction, and the degree of pain is inversely proportionate to the resistance of the nervous system.
The muscular contraction causes a production of lactic acid, which, if there’s insufficient oxygen supply to convert it into glycogen and carbonic acid, is not removed from the muscle and myalgia results.
If you experience fatigue after walking, it could be a result of your muscles producing an excess of lactic acid. Headaches caused by fatigue and overwork could be a result of excessive production of lactic acid in people with poor muscular development.
The diminished hemoglobin content in people who suffer from anemia causes a shortage of oxygen supply to the muscles, and an accumulation of lactic acid. In the same way, uric acid causes myalgia in people who suffer from gout, the normal removal of which is interfered with inciting contraction of the muscular tissues and myalgia.
Modern medicine recognizes 200 different types of headaches depending on their origin
Headaches hurt, but they do not cause pain to the brain. The brain tissue is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. The pain is actually caused by disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures around the brain.
There are nine areas of the head and neck that have pain-sensitive structures, including the cranium (the periosteum of the skull), muscles, nerves, blood vessels (that is arteries and veins), subcutaneous tissues, eyes, ears, sinuses and mucous membranes.
There are various classification systems for headaches. The most famous one is the one from the International Headache Society. The nerves send information to the brain that it is experiencing swelling, tightening, and other agitating pressure, and the brain communicates this through pain.
What can trigger a headache?
There are several types of triggers that can cause an onslaught of pain. There have been cases where people have suffered acute headaches during sexual activity, usually within seconds of orgasm, while others have experienced a gradual ache as sexual excitement starts building within the body.
Here is a list of the most common causes of severe headaches:
- Stress – stressful situations almost always trigger tension headaches. Stress is the most common cause for a headache in adults.
- Caffeine and alcohol addiction – they are both associated with various kinds of headaches. Alcohol expands the blood vessels and increases pressure around the skull, and caffeine, or the lack of it, can cause headaches similar to withdrawal symptoms.
- Allergies – people who suffer from allergies are 14 times more likely to experience migraines — a more chronic and painful type of headache. The allergen causes a build-up of histamines in the body which then cause the blood vessels to shrink and create pressure. Headaches can also be caused by a change in temperature, odor, light and elevation.
- Foods, such as chocolate, potato chips, dairy products, and the artificial sweetener Aspartame can have the same effect.
- Sitting in the same position for too long, or clenching your jaw can also lead to headaches. It is also bad for your muscles, bones, and circulatory system.
Summary:
A headache can be caused by many factors, including stress, fatigue and sleep deprivation, viral infections and common colds, the effects of medications and recreational drugs, dental or sinus issues, head injury, rapid ingestion of a very cold food or beverage, and many more.
Headaches can only be treated if the cause is known, but their treatment commonly involves pain killers. Headaches, whatever their form, are one of the most commonly experienced physical discomforts.
