There are hundreds of factors that causes headache. Certain infections like common cold, flu, fever, sinus infections, measles, mumps and tonsillitis are well known for the same. Lifestyle also causes headache. This includes hangover, excessive alcohol, stress, fatigue, tension and excessive smoking. Dyspepsia and almost all eye problems including poor eye-sight are very well known factors triggering headache.
Migraine headaches are caused by the combination of the chemicals released from nerve fibers that coils around the blood vessels and the vasodilatation (widening of the blood vessels). The chemical causes inflammation, further enlargement of the artery and pain.
Tension headache doesn't have the clear cut origin but many neurologists suggest this is due to excess stress or even due to hectic day schedule. There are certain evidences that some tension headaches may have the cause that is similar to the migraine headaches. Cluster headaches are still to be discovered. Although, it is known that cigarettes and alcohol may contribute giving rise to them.
The secondary headaches have various causes depending upon the root cause. The main disease like strokes, hematomas, vasculitis, tumors have their own etiology of developing in the body. Hence the cause is referred to the main disease and can’t be single or common.
Medical procedure like spinal tap and an anesthetic procedure like epidural treatment also produces headache in an individual. Brain diseases like meningitis, encephalitis, heatstroke or sunstroke produces headache. Ayurveda believes that most irritating or foul smell may cause headache. If the work is forcibly done i.e. with lack of interest, one may get headache.
Latest research show that the headache is also due to psychogenic pain syndrome. One has to check out the root cause for headache that may be congestion, dental conditions, ear infections or nasal conditions.
Types of headache (Shirah Shool)
Generally one can classified this into two categories, primary headache and secondary headache. Tension headache is the most common type of primary and it is observed that 90% of adults have had or will have tension headache. These types of headache are more common in women compare to men.
Migraine headache is the second most common type of primary headache. There are 30 million people only in United States who suffer from this headache. Migraine can affect adults and children as well. Before puberty, the ratio that suffers from migraine in boys and girls remain same, but after adolescence women are more sufferer compare to men.
Migraine is often wrongly diagnosed with sinus or tension headaches and as a result the patients suffer a lot without the proper treatment or medications. Cluster headaches are rare and usually affects the age group 28-30 years, although this may begin in childhood
Secondary headache are caused by other diseases that may range from serious to life-threatening like strokes, meningitis, sub-arachnoid hemorrhages, brain tumors and common conditions such as discontinuation of analgesics and withdrawal from caffeine.
Ayurveda describes three main types of headache.
- In Vata dominant headache there will be piercing type of pain and is quite severe.
- Pitta Dosha dominant headache is usually associated with mild fever and burning sensation in eyes. There may be visual disturbance.
- Kapha dominant headache is described as heaviness in the head. It is usually associated with nasal and lacrimal secretions. It may have nausea or vomiting.
Other types of headache include Ardhavbhedaka (say – aa r daa va be da ka) and Suryavarta (say – soo ra yaa va ra taa). Ardhavabhedaka is narrated as half sided headache with severe mood disturbance and Suryavarta is described as the headache rising along with the sunrise. It is on its peak when it is noon and subsides as the sun sets.
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