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Headaches are commonly classified under categories such as tension, sinus, migraine, menstrual and cluster among others. Many researchers and doctors are no longer drawing distinct lines between tension and migraine headaches. They may only be different degrees of the same disorder, tension headaches being less severe than migraines. Headaches have been difficult to study for several reasons and continue to be misunderstood and mistreated.
Although a headache may be associated with a serious medical condition, most headaches are not serious, even when debilitating. Headaches can be caused by a wide variety of factors, but the overwhelming majority are of the tension/migraine type.
Differences between Tension and Migraine Headaches
For years, tension headaches were believed to be caused by muscle contraction due to stress. However, the muscle changes may occur in response to the pain and not be the actual cause of the headache. Similarly, in migraines, blood vessel changes can follow the onset of pain and not cause it.
Signs & Symptoms
Tension headaches usually have a steady, constant, dull pain that may start at the back of the head or in the forehead and then spreads over the entire head, giving the sensation of pressure or a “vise-like” grip applied to the skull. Tension headache is usually present on both sides of the head. These headaches can occur every day and are normally more severe in the evenings. Tension headaches are experienced when an individual is under stress.
The more intense headaches, called migraines, are characterized by a throbbing or pounding sharp pain. The additional symptoms such as nausea, visual auras and dizziness occur simply because the headaches are more severe. Migraines are usually experienced after stressful periods have ended and the body is attempting to repair and detoxify.
When to seek medical attention
Headaches which may be more serious are those that:
- Occur while pregnant
- Occur after exposure to a potentially toxic substance
- Occur after injury to the head
- Occur while taking a new medication
- Occur while experiencing other serious symptoms such as a fever, stiff neck, vomiting, vision changes, tingling sensations or speech difficulties
- Are different from headaches you have had in the past or are very severe and come on very suddenly
Recommendations and treatments
Pain-killers
Whilst it appears a rather easy solution to see your doctor when you have a headache, and ask for a pain medication, it is worthwhile to remember that other treatments are available, and that over-ron pain-killers can be a problem in itself.
Pain-killers only provide relief; they unfortunately do not deal with the cause of the problem. Pain medications may even aggravate the problems they attempt to solve. The use of medication, even in quantities as low as ten aspirin tablets per week, can be the cause of a chronic daily headache syndrome. One medical study found that stopping all treatments and pain medication actually decreased headache frequency and intensity in the subjects by more than 50%.
The best thing to do when tolerable and circumstances allow is to avoid taking pain medication and assist the body’s detoxification process.
If however the headache is intolerable, please see your doctor for further advice on the moderate use of pain medication.
Coffee / caffeine
Researchers have found that caffeine may make your headache feel better. Already an ingredient in some over-the-counter headache medications, caffeine may actually speed the other ingredients through your system to alleviate your headache faster.
Many patients report that they felt better taking just caffeine. When standard painkillers were combined with caffeine, 70% of patients reported complete relief.
However, caffeine does, of course, have its down sides. It is a stimulant and high caffeine consumption is linked with suffering from more headaches, perpetuation of the headache cycle and a temporary rise in blood pressure.
Please ask your doctor for further advice on this form of treatment.
Massage therapy
In a study of tension headaches, individuals were treated with either a combination of spinal manipulation and massage, or massage and a placebo laser treatment. Both groups experienced an improvement in symptoms suggesting that massage alone provides benefits for the treatment of tension headaches.
Avoidance therapy
Tyramine - containing foods are responsible for migraines in up to 15% of sufferers. If you have observed a sensitivity to such foods, you should try a tyramine - free diet for a short time.
Foods containing tyramines include chocolate, wine, beer, cheese, beans, and liver, so try to avoid these if you suffer from constant migraines.
Unhealthy practices such as drinking soft drinks, eating sweets and other nutritionless foods contribute to the problem. When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month, never needing medication or further treatments to control their condition.
For further advice on migraines and tension headaches, please see your family physician.
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