What is a headache?

Headache is a commonly occurring pain or discomfort around the head, face, or neck. It can last for an hour or sometimes persists for several days. A recent study suggests that 52% of people suffer from headache disorder globally every year. It is best to consult a headache doctor in Udaipur to get proper treatment.

The headache could be due to swelling or tightness in blood vessels or nerves around your scalp. Sometimes, it occurs due to several changes that stimulate surrounding nerves to pressurize the blood vessels or muscles.Symptoms and causes of a headache differ based on its type. Most of them can be treated using a mild medication, stress management, or biofeedback. It is crucial to know the headache type to get proper treatment and prevention methods. There are various signs available that lead you to Consult a Neurologist for Your Headache.

More than 150 types of headaches are known today. The majority of these headaches are categorized as :

If a headache exists on its own and is not due to some other medical condition, then it is called a primary headache. Some contributing factors to primary headaches include muscle tension, hormonal changes, dehydration, or food allergy. 

It further includes:

1. Migraine Headache
2. Cluster Headache
3. Tension Headache
4. New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH)

Secondary headaches arise due to some underlying medical issue. It might include causes like eyesight issues, neck injury, and teeth or jaw infection. 

The majority of medical conditions leading to secondary headaches are:

1. Head injury
2. Hypertension
3. Infection
4. Trauma
5. Tumor
6. A disease of blood vessels in the brain
7. Sinus congestion

The exact reason behind headaches is still a mystery to medical science. The top neurologist in Udaipur- Dr. Tarun Mathur, suggests the following causes that trigger headaches. 

A few nerves send an impulse to blood vessels and muscles. It leads to a heavy head, ultimately triggering a headache. The mechanism behind the activation of these unstable nerves that send pain signals to the brain is still unknown.

Symptoms of a headache depend on its type, as per the location of the pain, dizziness, frequency, and intensity. According to the headache doctor in Udaipur, some of its common symptoms are:

1. Pain on both sides of the head
2. Aching discomfort on the back of the head, neck, and facial muscles
3. Mild to moderate pain in the head
4. The slow onset of the pain
5. A dull and continuous pain, similar to a band between the forehead and hairline
6. Nausea, vomiting, photo-sensitivity, etc. There are also some symptoms of severe headaches.

If you want to know more about the Headache: Types, Symptoms, Causes read this blog in detail.

Headaches demand some serious attention and diagnosis. Most of them and their symptoms can be relieved with over-the-counter medicine. If you feel chronic recurrent headaches, you require immediate medical attention and proper diagnosis. 

1. A headache diagnosis consists of a proper medical evaluation of the patient, including the medical history, physical examination, and certain tests. 
2. The headache doctor would ask questions related to sleeping patterns, frequency, painful region, past head injury, psychological stress, etc. It is enough to diagnose the primary headaches. 
3. In the case of secondary headaches, a few medical tests are prescribed, like MRI, CT scan, blood test, and sinus X-ray.