Dynamic Homeopath Blog

Headaches are very common but can be more complicated than most people think. These headaches can be a symptom of another underlying condition or any disorder. Most people face short or mild headache issues once in a while. Having a headache due to workload or weather changes is common. But a person can face severe kinds of headaches due to the environment, medication, underlying conditions, and other causes. 

Primary Headaches

Primary headaches are those headaches that are not the symptom of another underlying condition. These headaches are themselves the condition. Common types of primary headaches are migraine or tension headaches. These headaches are further divided into episodic headaches and chronic headaches. Episodic headaches can occur often but not more than 15 days a month. These types of headaches are usually mild and can last for an hour to several hours. Whereas, chronic headaches occur more than 15 days a month and often require pain management. 

Secondary Headaches

These are those headaches that occur due to another health condition. Here, headaches are a symptom of the underlying condition. The headaches get better when the person treats the underlying condition. A person can get secondary headaches due to infection, high BP, medication overdose, mental health issues, tumors, stroke, head injury, nerve disorder, sinus congestion, etc. 

Common types of headaches and treatment options

Tension-type headache 

TTH is the most common type of headache and lots of people can face it at some time. TTH is constant and occurs on both sides. These headaches are usually dull and do not have a throbbing sensation. The person may feel tenderness on the face, neck and head, and shoulders. Sometimes you can also feel pressure behind the eyes and sensitivity to light and sound. A person can get tension headaches due to stress, anxiety, depression, etc. 

Treatment for tension-type headaches

For tension-type headaches, you can take OTC painkillers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin. These medicines can help in reducing pain. But if the person is facing tension-type headaches very frequently then search for homeopathic specialist near me and get proper treatment. Some lifestyle changes can also help in reducing tension headaches such as:

1. Get enough sleep
2. Do regular exercise and stretching
3. Have an eye test
4. Improve your sitting posture
5. Acupuncture, etc. 

Migraine headache

It is a primary type of headache with intense pulsing pain in your head. The person can face extreme sensitivity to light, smell, and sound. Many people also get nausea and vomiting. Migraine has four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. But not everyone faces all stages of migraine. Most people face an aura phase where they experience visual and sensory disturbance. Aura symptoms include partial loss of vision, tingling, seeing zig-zagging lines, and spots, muscle weakness, difficulty in speaking, etc. If you get aura often then you should talk to an expert as it can be a symptom of meningitis or stroke. Migraines are recurrent and can last for a few hours to several days. There is no exact cause behind the migraine. But it can trigger due to stress, anxiety, dehydration, hormonal changes, sleep disruption, certain foods, and medication. 

Treatment for migraine

Migraine treatment depends on symptoms and various factors. If a person is also experiencing nausea and vomiting then the doctor may suggest NSAIDs, triptans, and antiemetics. Some neurostimulation methods can also help in reducing migraine pain:

1. Resting in a quiet and dark place
2. Drinking a good amount of water
3. Placing an ice pack on the forehead

If you have chronic migraine issues then you should talk to a doctor. Your doctor may suggest drugs like topiramate, propranolol, amitriptyline, etc to prevent migraine. Some other changes can help in reducing migraine recurrence such as better diet, stress management, acupuncture, etc. 

Cluster headaches

These headaches are very severe and recurrent. Males are more likely to get cluster headaches than females. In this type of headache, people face burning and piercing pain behind the eye. Other symptoms of cluster headaches are:

1. Swollen eyelids
2. Watering eyes
3. Sensitivity to light and sound
4. Restlessness

These headaches can appear without any warning and can last for 15 minutes to 3 hours. Some people can face 7-8 attacks a day. These cluster headache attacks can persist for weeks or months. People often experience cluster headaches after sleeping a couple of hours at night. Some people also get hay fever.

Treatment for cluster headaches

1. Oxygen therapy
2. Verapamil
3. Melatonin
4. Lithium
5. Sumatriptan
6. Steroids

Doctors may suggest deep-brain stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation when the medication is not showing any positive results.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH)

Medication-overuse headache is also known as rebound headache. MOH is a secondary type of headache. The symptoms of this headache are similar to migraine or tension headaches. Painkillers respond to these headaches initially but the headache may reoccur sometimes. Doctors diagnose MOH if a person is taking pain relief medicines for more than 15 days a month. Common medicines that can cause acetaminophen, opioids, triptans, and NSAIDs. People who take painkillers to treat headaches often develop MOH.

Treatment of medication-overuse headache 

The only treatment to reduce MOH is to stop taking medications. But you must consult the doctor before stopping withdrawing any medication. Your doctor may prescribe alternative medicines. After drug withdrawal, a person may experience:

1. Nausea and vomiting
2. Increased heart rate
3. Low BP
4. Sleep issues
5. Worsened headaches
6. Restlessness
7. Anxiety

The doctor may prescribe medications like antiemetics to manage vomiting and nausea. He will suggest some pain management like acupuncture, etc. 

Sinus headaches

These are secondary types of headaches that occur with sinusitis. It is a kind of inflammation of the sinuses that occurs due to allergy or infection. Common symptoms of sinus headaches are:

1. Reduces sense of smell
2. Nasal discharge 
3. Facial pressure
4. Ear pain
5. Blocked nose
6. Bad breath
7. Dental pain
8. Fatigue

Sinus headaches are rare if there are no nasal symptoms then it more feels like a migraine attack.

Treatment for sinus headache

1. Rest 
2. OTC pain relief
3. Drinking fluids
4. Nasal decongestants
5. Antihistamines
6. Steroid nasal sprays
7. Antibiotics

If the symptoms are not getting better then you should talk to a doctor. 

Some other types of headaches are exertional headaches, hypnic headaches, caffeine-related headaches, head-injury headaches, menstrual headaches, etc.