Headaches – Introduction

Headaches are one of the most common complaints. Yet despite this, the precise mechanism and cause of certain types of headache remains unclear.

The three main types of headache are

  • Tension
  • Migraines
  • Cluster

Tension headaches – are characterised by constant pressure or tightness that affects both sides of the head accompanied by contraction of the neck muscles. They are the most common type of headache. The exact cause is unclear, but tension headaches have been linked to things such as stress, poor posture, skipping meals and dehydration.

Migraines – are typically characterised by a throbbing or pulsating pain. In addition you feel worse for physical activity and there often additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or smells.

Cluster Headaches – are characterised by being very severe but generally lasting less than one hour. One characteristic of cluster headaches is that the pain is often centred on the eye, which may water.   They are called cluster headaches because they can occur up to eight times in one day, for a few weeks or up to two months. Their cause is unknown but there is subjective evidence to suggest the triggers may include alcohol, strong smelling substances or extreme rise in temperatures.

Identifying which type of headache you have can be very difficult as tension headaches and migraines share many of the same traits.

Treating and preventing headaches depends on the individual and type of headache. It is often advisable to keep a diary in order to identify which type of headache(s), they experience and if there are specific triggers that can be avoided.

Related Posts

  • Can Tai Chi help relieve chronic neck pain?

    Tai Chi is a traditional form of exerise developed in ancient China which combines deep breathing and slow deliberate movements.  It has already proved helpful for back pain, rheumatism and psychological disorders, but can it help people with chronic neck pain? A group of 114 people suffering from chronic neck pain performed either Tai Chi or did nothing at all for their neck pain for three months.  By the end of the period, those who did the Tai Chi reported significantly less pain and disability, plus overall improvement in their quality of life ompaired with those who did nothing.  Tai Chi is also as effective as standard exercises say researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. This means for those people suffering from chronic neck pain there is evidence that Tai Chi help relieve chronic neck pain and is effective as standard exercises. Reference R Launche, C Stumpe, J Fehr, H Cramer et al (2016) The Effects of Tai Chi and Neck Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Journal of Pain Vol 17, Issue 9, 1013-27  

  • So you thought you knew what causes hardening of arteries … think again

    The standard theory of heart disease states that fatty foods cause the arteries to "clog up" and narrow, which is a major feature of cardiovascular disease.  Researchers have discovered that a lack of sleep seem to have more to do with hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) than a fatty diet. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can cause a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which causes them to stiffen and eventually close. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital now think that hardening of arteries has more to do with a "neuro-immune axis" linking sleep to the cardiovascular system.  Sleep helps regulate the production of inflammatory cells and maintain healthy blood vessels, and so it would follow that lack of sleep has the reverse effect. The researchers demonstrated the effect on a group of laboratory mice.  Although the cholesteral levels of sleep deprived ice remained the same, they developed larger arterial plaques and had double the number of inflammatory cells known to contribute to hardening of arteries. Reference Tall AR, Jelic S. How broken sleep promotes cardiovascular disease. Nature. 2019 Feb;566(7744):329-330

  • How to boost your Vitamin D levels?

    Vitamin D is a steroid hormone as the body can manufacture it (via exposure to UVB radiation from sunlight) as well as absorb it from food. So in the dark winter months when safe sun exposure is impossible without going on holiday, your can become depleted in Vitamin D.  (see signs).  So I want to explain how can you boost your vitamin D levels? Probably the simplest way it to take a vitamin D supplement, I would recommend D3 as this is the most natural form of vitamin D.  In addition vitamin D is found in the following foods.

    • Sardines
    • Wild caught Alaskan salmon
    • Egg yolks
    • Cheese
    • Beef livers
    • Butter
    • Breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin D
    • Yoghurt fortified with vitamin D
    However it should be noted that it can be difficult to optimise your vitamin D level just from food sources. Vitamin D is well known to prevent osteoporosis and promote strong bones and teeth but its role in disease prevention is probably less well known.  So in the next few blog posts I want to look at its role in disease prevention starting with the immune system.