Research shows that one out of every 10 people who apply to a doctor comes with a headache complaint. In addition, one out of every three applications to neurology is due to a headache.
What is a headache?
Headaches in any part of the head are a problem that everyone experiences. It constitutes 3% of the reasons for applying to emergency services. 96% of headaches are benign, but the remaining cases of malignant ligament pain are emergencies where early intervention is lifesaving. Emergency physicians carefully examine cases with such a tendency, take the patient's history, and perform a physical examination. Various laboratory techniques and radiological imaging methods are then used to understand the underlying condition.
There are many different types of headaches.
- Tension-type headache
- head throbbing
- Migraine
- Thunder Headache
- High Blood Pressure Headache
What are the causes of headaches?
The answer to the question of what causes headaches varies according to the type of headache. For example, environmental factors create an activation in the brain in people with a genetic predisposition to primary-type headaches. This activation causes the cerebral vessels to dilate and release chemicals. These cause pain by stimulating the nerves.
Secondary headaches can have many different causes. For example, infections, damage to blood vessels, tumors, and hypertension are some of the causes. Therefore, it is very important to identify the cause of secondary-type headaches. In addition, women may experience headaches during menstruation. Apart from that, stress is also an important triggering factor.
How does the headache go?
If the cause of the headache is a health problem, it is necessary to seek treatment from a specialist physician. Apart from that, in primary headaches, especially migraines, the neurologist examines your medical history and initiates the relevant treatment.
There are many medications to try for the treatment of headaches. The aim of migraine treatment is to reduce the triggering factors and suppress the sensitivity of the nervous system during pain and the events that occur in and around the vessel. The basic treatment is divided into preventive and attack treatments. Here, the patient's pain frequency is an effective factor in the treatment decision. For example, if the patient's pain is seen only once or twice a month, an attack treatment is planned for this patient.
Simple painkillers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs with active ergotamine, or triptan group drugs can be used for pain control. Although painkillers are generally innocent-looking drugs, they can cause irreversible damage, especially in the kidney parenchyma and other organs, when used continuously. Therefore, continuous use is not recommended. Painkillers should be taken at the beginning of the attack.
