Headaches are a common ailment that can range from mildly annoying to debilitatingly painful. They can be caused by a variety of factors such as stress, infection, alcohol, allergies, or a muscle strain.

While majority of headaches respond to treatment with OTC painkillers, some may be a sign of something more serious. However, any headache that occurs regularly, regardless of its response to painkillers, should not be ignored.



Below are some of the most common types of headaches and the recommended treatments.

                                1.Tension Headache

Tension headaches, also known as stress headaches, are the most common type of headache. They are typically caused by muscle tension or stress, and can last anywhere from half an hour to several days if left untreated. Symptoms include pain in the back or sides of the head, neck, or shoulders.

Other symptoms can include:

• tenderness or tightness of the face, head, neck, shoulders and upper back
• a feeling of pressure behind the eyes
• sensitivity to light and sound

Potential triggers include:

• dehydration
• loud noise
• stress, anxiety and depression
• muscle tension
• lack of exercise
• poor sleep
• poor posture
• eye strain

Tension headaches respond well to OTC painkillers, i.e., ibuprofen and aspirin. Lifestyle changes and certain treatments may help prevent tension headaches. These can include:

• getting enough sleep
• drinking 8-10 8oz glasses of water per day
• regular exercise and stretching
• improving sitting and standing posture
• chiropractic adjustments to improve alignment of the spine and reduce muscle imbalances
• having an eye test
• deep tissue massage
• management of stress, anxiety, or depression through yoga and meditation
• acupuncture

                            2. Migraine headache



Migraine headaches have a distinctive set of symptoms that include intense, throbbing pain often on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and even aura and visual disturbances.

 About a third of people may experience something called “aura” before the onset of a headache – these are visual and sensory disturbances, i.e., partial loss of vision, pins and needles, numbness and muscle weakness. Migraines tend to be recurrent, and are three times more common in females than in males. Triggers of migraine headaches include:

• Stress and anxiety
• Sleep deprivation
• Hormonal changes
• Skipped meals
• Dehydration
• Certain foods (such as red wine and aged cheeses, as well as some highly processed foods) and some medications
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Bright lights and loud noises.
• Constipation

Over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin can stop headaches or reduce pain and duration. Attacks may also be eased by:

• resting in a dark, quiet place
• placing an ice pack or a cold cloth on the forehead
• drinking water

People with chronic migraines should seek preventive treatment, i.e., dietary changes, vitamin and herbal supplements, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. A study reported in the “Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics” in February of 2000, involving 127 participants showed that after two months of chiropractic headache treatments, 22 percent of the participants reported more than a 90 percent reduction of their migraines. These participants said they had significantly fewer migraines and a shorter duration of the ones they got.

IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION NEEDED!

In some cases, a headache may require immediate medical attention. Seek immediate medical care if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms alongside your headache:

• stiff neck
• rash
• the worst headache you’ve ever had
• vomiting
• confusion
• slurred speech
• fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• paralysis in any part of your body
• visual loss

          POSSIBLE MEDICAL EMERGENCY

The symptoms of a stroke can also mimic a migraine headache. If any of these symptoms are new to you, seek immediate medical attention.

                   3. Rebound headache



Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, can feel like a dull, tension-type headache, or they may feel more intensely painful, like a migraine headache.

You may be more susceptible to this type of headache if you frequently use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Overuse of these medications leads to more headaches, rather than fewer.

Rebound headaches are more likely to occur anytime OTC medications are used more than 15 days out of a month. These OTC medications include:

• acetaminophen
• ibuprofen
• aspirin
• naproxen

They’re also more common with medications that contain caffeine.

                      4. Cluster headache



Cluster headaches are characterized by severe burning and piercing pain. They occur around or behind one eye or on one side of the face at a time. Symptoms may include:

• swelling, redness, flushing, and sweating on the side that’s affected by the headache
• nasal congestion and eye tearing on the same side as the headache

These headaches occur in a series. Each individual headache can last from 15 minutes to 3 hours. During a cluster, most people experience one to four headaches a day, usually around the same time each day. After one headache resolves, another will soon follow.

A series of cluster headaches can occur daily for months at a time, while in the months between clusters people are symptom-free. Cluster headaches are more common in the spring and fall and are also three times more common in men.

The exact mechanism of cluster headaches is not fully understood but several triggers have been identified. Alcohol and tobacco use, as well as irregular sleep schedule were most closely associated with development of this debilitating condition. Interestingly, in the hospital setting oxygen therapy is the first line of treatment; the delivery of pure oxygen is known to be a fast-acting acute approach. With this in mind, some sufferers have found deep breathing exercises to be effective in managing symptoms.

                     5. Hormone headache



Women commonly experience headaches that are linked to hormonal fluctuations. Menstruation, using birth control pills, and pregnancy all affect estrogen levels, which can cause a headache.

Those headaches associated specifically with the menstrual cycle are also known as menstrual migraine. These can occur right before, during, or right after your period, as well as during ovulation.

In conclusion, different types of headaches are managed differently. Treatments could range from simple dietary adjustments to invasive procedures performed by a medical professional.

Not everyone will respond to the same treatments, even for the same types of headaches. If you’re experiencing headaches that you’re not able to treat on your own, speak with a doctor about putting together a treatment plan.

• Eat a healthy diet and aim to include 6-8 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Plants are high in anti-oxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties and are very high in water content. It's well known that poor digestion and constipation are a common cause of chronic headaches. As toxins build up in the blood stream, they poison the body from the inside. Eliminating toxins from your bloodstream (via kidneys), colon, lungs (through proper breathing) and skin (through sweating) is the quickest way to a vibrant health.
• Aim for about 3 liters of water, herbal tea, bone broth, and mineral water daily in order to help your kidneys flush out toxins in the blood stream. Reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages and/or try to drink an extra cup of water for every serving of coffee or tea you consume. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches, and drinking a glass of water sometimes is enough to get rid of a nagging headache.
• Reduce or completely eliminate highly processed foods from your diet as they often contain harmful ingredients and additives, such as MSG, artificial dyes and flavors, all of which have been known to trigger a headache. If you suspect that a food ingredient may be responsible for your recurrent headache, it may be helpful to start a food diary where you carefully record everything you eat in a day and any possible negative health effects. Do this for at least 1 month.
• Get regular exercise and remember to stretch. Muscles  need to get prepared for an intense physical activity, otherwise muscle fibers might tear and/or spasm. Give yourself 10-15 minutes of stretching before each workout and treat stretching as one of the most important elements of your exercise routine (rather than a waste of time). Plus holding long stretches helps to create more space in your body and lungs, allowing more oxygen to enter the blood stream. Below is a 13 minute full body stretch tutorial.

• Get adjusted by a qualified Chiropractic Physician. As muscles of the neck and shoulders tense up (even during normal daily activities such as working at a computer), they pull on the vertebrae that they attach to. When muscles stay tense, they may spasm and go on to develop trigger points (known as "knots"). Over time and without treatment this may create misalignment of the vertebrae which will lead to pinching of the cervical nerves causing pain, headaches, discomfort and certain neurological issues, such as dizziness, numbness and weakness.
• Get fresh air. Many people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, especially in the colder months.  According to the EPA, indoor air quality can be two to five times worse than outdoor air quality, particularly with regards to airborne chemicals. Dust particles, mold, chemicals from household cleaners, substances from chemically treated fabrics and carpets, as well as beauty products, new clothes, paints, pesticides and disinfectants all introduce toxic substances into the home. In addition, indoor air is often too dry and possibly too low in oxygen (we're all familiar with a "stale air" concept). According to Indoor Air Quality specialists in Texas, even an oxygen drop of 1% in air composition (say 20.1% to 19.1%) can induce the subtle but deleterious effects of hypoxia. It's very important to spend time in nature, get air-purifying plants, or at least open window to let fresh-er (depending on where you live) air in. 

Some herbs and supplements known to be useful in the treatment of headaches:



Magnesium - essential for the regulation of muscular contraction, blood pressure, insulin metabolism, cardiac excitability, vasomotor tone, nerve transmission and neuromuscular conduction. Imbalances in magnesium, usually involving low magnesium or hypomagnesemia, could result in neuromuscular, cardiac or nervous disorders. 300-600 mg of either magnesium citrate or magnesium L-threonate daily has been shown to successfully treat headaches.



B-complex -  B vitamins play a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being. As the building blocks of a healthy body, B vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism. They're essential in DNA repair and cell division, neurological function and amino acid metabolism. Specifically, vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are necessary to maintain the health of the nervous system.