Headaches are a fairly common occurrence and all of us have, at one time or the other, had to deal with headaches during an emergency. This is what makes it important to know what some of the causes of headaches are. It is amazing to think that there are more than 200 kinds of headaches, but all of which are generally categorized into two broad groups, namely primary headaches and secondary headaches.
Primary headaches
By definition, primary headaches make reference to the fact that the headache is in fact the issue at hand. An ideal example of this is the case of migraines. This category is the more common type of headache, and which many of us have experienced at one point or the other. The causes of headaches classified in this category remain the subject of debate worldwide. There are various types of primary headaches and which are classified as follows:
i) Cluster headaches. These headaches are relatively rare, and will often manifest when individuals are between 20 and 40 years of age. They are very intense and will usually result in pain in the temporal area. Some of the symptoms of this type of headache include tearing, swelling of the eyelid as well as sweating.
ii) Migraines are rather common across the globe, and are further subdivided into two: migraines with an aura and those without. The former means that there will often be a preceding sensation before the actual migraine, often characterized by blurred vision. The causes of headaches in this category are triggered and intensified by physical activity.
iii) Tension-type headaches are also referred to as muscle contraction headaches. The pain is best described as a restricting pain that ranges in intensity depending on the extent of the headache. The causes of headaches in this category cannot be defined adequately, but there are first aid treatment options available for patients who show this condition. OTC medicines are available, and effective for this type of headache.
Secondary headaches
When an individual is said to be suffering from secondary headaches, this occurs because the issue at hand arises from something else and the headache is just but a symptom of the underlying condition. In this category, some of the causes of headaches include trauma to the head, bleeding in the brain, infection arising from ENT conditions among many others. That means that the ENT condition present would be the issue at hand, and not the headache that the patient experiences.
The treatment of secondary headaches is different from that of primary headaches for the simple reason that the causes of headaches in the secondary section vary from patient to another. Whichever the treatment option, it is very important that the root cause of the problem is dealt with adequately. In case the injuries do not get resolved in a specific period of time, the attending physician will take measures to offer medication so as to reduce the pain until proper treatment is availed.