What Could Be Causing Your Headache?

Everyone has a headache once in a while. Some people are blessed with a high pain threshold and barely notice a vice like grip around their temples and can carry on with their daily lives none the worse off.

I am not one of those people.

For some of us, headaches can be more chronic and lead to us worrying needlessly about the possibility of a brain tumor or something worse. This worry can then go on to make our headaches more painful and send us into a spiral of needless anxiety. Headaches do range from the serious to the not so worrisome. Take a look at these potential causes for your headache and what you can do to combat them.

Tension Headache

Tension headache is the most common sort of headache that nearly everyone has suffered from at some point in their lives. Like the common cold that has no cure, the tension headache is not researched fully as it isn’t deemed as a serious condition that will damage your health. While it can be painful for a short while, anti-inflammatories tend to be effective to alleviate the pain. You know a tension headache from its throbbing nature and tight like feeling. For many, stress can be a cause so it’s important that you take time to relax, maybe head for a massage or embark on a course of acupuncture therapy.

Shingles

Although usually a worry for anyone aged 50 and over, shingles can strike at any age if the conditions are right for it. If you’ve had chicken pox in the past, and then you go through something that makes your immune system weaker than usual, the shingles virus could become active. 

However, it can be hard to diagnose shingles, as the associated rash doesn’t appear immediately. You may feel a bit ill like you’ve got a cold, usually accompanied by an area on your skin that looks red, is sore to touch, and feels like it’s burning. 

As such, headaches are very common in the early stages, which often get written off as something unrelated. But be vigilant, especially if you’re stressed out right now. Talk to your doctor, get the best cream for shingles over the counter, and try to get plenty of rest.

Ear Infections

Most ear infections are relatively mild and will cause acute ear ache and nothing more. However, if you find yourself with a particularly severe infection, you might have pain in your jaw or you might find the pain radiating into your temples, causing painful headaches. Your first port of call should be a doctor to assess the nature of your infection. You may be prescribed antibiotics. Sometimes, ear infections can affect balance, cause tinnitus or result in acute and temporary hearing loss because of damage to the eardrum. If this happens to you, head to an audiologist to conduct some hearing testing to ensure there is no lasting damage.

Migraine

Migraines can be incredibly painful and cause nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances and tingling sensations in the limbs. These symptoms can be terrifying, and the most severe migraines are often confused with a stroke. A migraine can be common or complex, depending on whether you have something called a visual aura. This can make you suffer from a blind spot, hallucinate, or lose vision entirely. No wonder people with migraines worry that they may have a brain tumor. If symptoms are regular and debilitating, MRI scans may be utilized to discover the part of the brain affected, and a treatment plan can be designed.

Most migraines have a trigger, and it’s important that you find yours. It could be lack of sleep, not eating enough, eating a trigger food like cheese or chocolate, or stress can play a part. Look after yourself, be active and eat well to combat migraine symptoms.

Headaches can be acute or chronic, but they all affect our quality of life. Combat yours by finding out what is causing it.