Headache Causes

Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints observed by doctors. In fact, in a given year, ninety percent of people worldwide will have suffered at least one incidence of headache. Given the common nature of this phenomenon, there are numerous causes of headaches.

The vast majority of headache causes are actually quite harmless. A recent study found that for all cases in which the onset of a headache led patients to visit an emergency care facility, only approximately one percent of the causes of these headaches were actually severe enough to warrant such a trip. Among these headaches that arise from benign causes are migraines, which are intense, prolonged headaches accompanied by mild to moderate nausea. While research has found that there are no specific factors that determine whether an individual is predisposed to migraines, doctors have been able to isolate some causes of headaches in these predisposed individuals. For example, common causes of these headaches are related to stress, change in sleeping habits, exposure to smoke, and the consumption of alcohol or certain foods.

Another common type of headache is the tension headache. The tension headache, in fact, is estimated to be the most common type of headache. Those suffering from tension headaches often describe the pain as a constant pressure, lasting approximately four to six hours. Like the migraine, a major cause of tension headaches is stress. Changes in eating or sleeping habits are also listed as a common cause of these headaches. More specifically, however, the tension headache is predominantly associated with prolonged eye strain, sitting or standing for long periods of time in uncomfortable positions, and caffeine withdrawal. Thus, it is not uncommon for patients to develop a tension headache after taking a long exam, or completing a work day in abnormal body positions.

The causes of headaches can under certain circumstances be linked to the existence of other medical conditions in a patient. One obvious cause of such secondary headaches would be head trauma. Should the normal function of the neurological, skeletal and muscular structures of the head be impeded, headaches will usually result in some form. Often individuals with hypertension and other blood pressure disorders will report an above-average occurrence of headaches. For those attempting to discontinue the use of addictive substances such as alcohol, caffeine or narcotics, headaches are usually cited as the primary withdrawal symptom. Possibly the most common cause of these secondary headaches, however, is linked to inflammation of the sinuses, also known as sinusitis. Often instances of sinusitis are related to various allergies to pollen or animal dander, and headaches can be prevented by taking allergy medication or avoiding allergens.

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