Headache is a widespread condition that affects our daily routine. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), headaches and related conditions affect approximately 40% of the world’s population, with a higher incidence in women than men.

These headaches vary in duration and cause, some resolve on their own while others are a warning sign of an underlying condition.

Types of Headache

According to Dr. Kadam Nagpal, Head of Neuroimmunology and Senior Neurologist, Salubritas Medcentre, headaches can be classified into primary headache disorder and secondary headache disorder.

While primary headache disorders mainly include migraine and tension-type headaches, secondary headache disorders are basically caused by trauma, sinusitis, infection, structural lesions in the brain or mental disorders.

Migraine headaches are more common in younger individuals and follow a predictable pattern or history. The pain is often described as throbbing or throbbing and is sometimes accompanied by an “aura”.

Aura refers to sensory disturbances that occur before or during a migraine, such as:

• visual changes such as flashing lights or blind spots
• Tingling or numbness in parts of the body
• difficulty speaking or confusion

These characteristics help distinguish migraine from other types of headache.

Headaches caused by migraine can be debilitating, resulting in loss of working hours and ultimately impacting the mental health of the patient.

Headaches caused by disorders of the neck, eyes, teeth, mouth, and other facial structures have distinct regional tendencies.

Progressively worsening headache: A headache that gets worse over a few weeks.

Acute severe headache: This is sudden, severe pain or discomfort that quickly gets worse. This is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Thunderstorm Headache: This is also a sudden headache that reaches peak intensity within a minute and sounds like thunder. This type of headache is not so common.

causes of headache strain or sneeze: These are due to hard work. Coughing, sneezing or any kind of strain can cause this type of headache. Sometimes, the common trigger may be physical activity.

When to seek help?

Some headaches are caused by balance problems and loss of consciousness, some are caused by fever and stiff neck. However, changes in headache patterns or symptoms may indicate serious problems.

The National Health Services, the UK’s health agency, suggests that someone should see a doctor when they feel “a severe throbbing pain in the front or side of the head.”

Other reasons why you should go to the doctor are when your headaches occur frequently, when painkillers do not work, when you have frequent headaches during your period or when they become worse than the last time. .

Headache management

Treatment of migraine headaches revolves around the treatment of acute pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antiemetics.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a class of drugs that reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. An antiemetic is a medicine that reduces or prevents nausea or vomiting caused by severe headache.

Furthermore, drugs from different drug classes are prescribed depending on the patient’s profile, considering factors such as body size, shape and overall build.