A headache is the pain or discomfort that a person experiences in their head . The term comes from the Latin word cephalaea , although its origins are in the Greek language.
Headache can be experienced in any sector of the skull and its internal structures. It is a disorder that most people experience occasionally for various reasons. Some individuals, however, may suffer from recurrent headaches.
Usually the headache is transient and reverses spontaneously. If the pain persists, it is possible to use over-the-counter pain relievers that help mitigate and eliminate the discomfort, always reading the leaflet to know how to take the remedy and what its contraindications are. When the headache is intense or persistent, it is recommended to contact a doctor .
Since headaches can arise from a large number of different causes, the International Headache Society is responsible for frequently publishing a list in which all types are classified into two large groups, primary and secondary . In the first of them we find approximately 78% of all cases, which are not usually so serious, although this has no direct relationship with the pain, which can be unbearable.
Let's look at some of the types of primary headache below:
* tension headache : this is the one that occurs most frequently. It is characterized by a sensation of pressure throughout the skull in a regular manner, as if something was exerting pressure on the perimeter of the head. It is associated with stress , anxiety, muscle contractures and depression and can last from a few minutes to more than a day. To counteract the symptoms, relaxation and physical activity are usually recommended;
* cluster headache : the pain it causes is of extreme intensity. Other names it receives are histamine and Horton's headache, and even cluster headache , in English, and all of them can be used interchangeably in the clinical setting;
* migraine : this type of headache appears quite frequently, so much so that between 12 and 16% of the population worldwide suffers from it. Regarding the development of its symptoms , it causes attacks of intense pain, which generally only affect one half of the head and are accompanied by a throbbing sensation, nausea and vomiting.
There are other headaches that are included in the primary group, and also in subgroups; Among them are the one associated with sexual activity, which can appear both before and after orgasm, the benign one due to cough , the hypnic one and the benign one due to exercise .
Secondary headaches , on the other hand, can be serious and are generally associated with specific, although highly diverse, diseases . Here we find several groups, since secondary headache can be attributed to:
* head trauma, cervical trauma or both : these are headaches that arise from traumatic brain injury, that is, an alteration in neurological function that occurs as a result of damage to the brain;
* infection : it is caused by a general infection, such as the flu, or an intracranial infection, such as encephalitis and meningitis;
* cranial or cervical vascular disorder : the cause of this subgroup is vascular, that is, abnormalities in the blood vessels (veins or arteries). They can occur as a consequence of giant cell arteritis , an inflammation of the vessels, or a stroke ;
* a substance or its withdrawal : these headaches occur due to the abuse of certain medications or drugs, as well as withdrawal syndrome.