Headache - usually this ailment is not life threatening, but in some cases it requires urgent medical consultation. Sometimes a lot of research is needed to determine what the causes of a headache are and to start the treatment properly. Find out which tests are helpful in determining the cause of a headache.
Chronic, recurring headache usually does not require urgent specialist intervention. The anxiety should arise from a headache that is sharp, very severe and for the first time in your life. When it appears, see a doctor quickly. He will not have an easy task. He has to determine whether it is a primary headache (tension or migraine) or a secondary headache (derived from some disease), where it is located and what it is. In many cases, it is also necessary to perform specialized tests.
Finding the cause of your headache starts with an interview
After collecting an interview (about the patient's lifestyle, addictions, past illnesses), the doctor checks the blood pressure and pulse. This alone may show that the cause of the pain is arterial hypertension. The pain that suggests hypertension is severe, sometimes paroxysmal, and starts at the back of the head and does not go away with the painkillers. It is necessary to start treatment and change your lifestyle: lose excess weight, stop smoking, reduce fat and s alt in your diet. But pains related to the degeneration of the spine, especially the cervical and thoracic sections, also manifest themselves in a similar way. Then it is necessary to X-ray the appropriate section of the backbone pile and proper rehabilitation.
This is not the end, however. Pain in the temples is often caused by hormonal imbalances, and may signal a cold or flu, but also developing glaucoma, often accompanied by high pressure inside the eye. In the case of a cold, the matter is simple, but when glaucoma is suspected, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist who orders specialist tests, eg HRT - a study to assess the advancement of glaucomatous neuropathy. Your primary care physician may also order blood counts and blood chemistry tests to assess the functioning of individual systems in the body.
Migraine or sick sinuses?
Half-head pain that occurs withhypersensitivity to light, noise and smells, it is most often diagnosed as migraine. Migraine treatment is de alt with by specialized migraine clinics to which the primary care physician issues a referral. In the case of pain above the eyes or in the temples, it is worth going to the ENT or dentist, because the causes of such ailments are sometimes diseases of the sinuses or teeth. In some cases, a psychiatric consultation is recommended, because headache may be a symptom of depression, sleep disorders or severe stress.
Headache can be caused by overuse of painkillers and anti-migraine medications.
Tension headache
It is mainly women who suffer from it. It appears on both sides, most often around the forehead and temples. It is compressive in nature and will build up over the course of a few days. An attack of tension pain lasts from 30 minutes to a week. It is not accompanied by visual disturbances (characteristic of classic migraine), but it happens that the suffering person has nausea. Along with the headache, there is increased tension in the muscles of the head and neck. This type of pain requires neurological research. The only solution is to take medications recommended by your doctor.
Cluster headache
Mainly men suffer from it. It is manifested by pain in the eyeball, forehead and parietal area (center of the skull). An attack lasts from 15 to 180 minutes and may repeat itself several times a day. A characteristic feature of cluster pain is the appearance of discomfort in blocks, which means that they torment the patient for two weeks and then disappear. Pain is easily provoked by, for example, drinking alcohol. It is also a hallmark of this type of headache.
"Zdrowie" monthly