Headaches
Lets face it, just about everyone in the whole world has had at least one headache. For some people they are a rare occurrence, while others can suffer them on a daily basis. Often we give them little thought, and they soon pass. However sometimes headaches become so painful or so frequent that they can severely affect our lives.
Did you know there are over 150 different types of headaches people can suffer from? Some of the more common types include:
- Tension Headaches
- Migraine Headaches
- Sinus Headaches
The good news about most headaches is that the majority of them are completely harmless. However, every so often a headache is a warning sign of something more serious. So, how can you tell?
Believe it or not, the longer you have suffered from a headache the less likely it is that it indicates some serious condition. As a rule, any sort of headache you have had many times over a period of several years, without developing any other symptoms, is almost certain to be harmless. However, a new type of headache or new symptoms to an old headache can sometimes indicate a more serious condition.
Other headache characteristics that can indicate a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention include:
- headaches that strike suddenly and cause severe pain
- are accompanied by vision changes, confusion, loss of consciousness, numbness or any similar changes.
- wakes you up during the night
- become more frequent or severe
- follows a blow to the head
- occur with fever or a stiff neck
- occur in young children or older adults
- repeatedly affect the same area such as an eye or ear
- are accompanied by convulsions
As a general rule, we are most concerned about new headaches. If you get the occasional headache, a new headache means that it feels different from any you’ve had before. The majority of new headaches turn out to be harmless. Most turn out to be a migraine or tension headache. However, if you have experienced a new headache you should have it evaluated by a health care professional.
