Chronic headaches are a very common problem, affecting 45 million Americans according to WebMD. Although most headaches aren’t dangerous, they can certainly negatively impact your quality of life.
When headaches are dangerous
A small minority of headaches are dangerous, though. A headache that is sudden and severe, or accompanied by double vision, stiff neck, projectile vomiting, or paralysis, or occurring after head trauma, can be a health emergency and immediate care should be sought. With that said, however, most headaches are the inconvenient, debilitating chronic type.
Types of headaches
The most common kind of headache is the tension headache; probably 90% of Americans have had at least one of these in their lifetime, and they account for about ¾ of all headaches. Some people get them on a regular basis. With tension headaches, the pain is usually dull, and typically radiates from the back of the head or neck. The usual cause is muscle spasm or tension, and both physical and emotional stress are contributors.
Cluster headaches occur in clusters, timewise; you might get several within a few weeks, and then none at all for a while.
Sinus headaches usually affect the front of the face and the forehead, and are related to sinus infection.
Migraines are actually a different kind of headache altogether, although a severe tension headache can feel like a migraine.
Figuring out the cause, and why that’s important
As with most chronic conditions, the most important thing to do for headaches is to first determine the cause. Identifying and taking care of the cause will usually take care of the headache. A knowledgeable practitioner can help you figure out what is going on
You can try to correlate your headaches with what you have recently eaten or done. Do some detective work:
- Do your headaches come on after eating certain kinds of food?
- Do they occur mostly in certain settings, such as at home or at work?
- Did frequent headaches start at a time that can be isolated, such as after dental work or after starting a certain medication?
- Do they occur mostly at a certain time of day?
- Are you going through significant emotional stress such as a loss or a work deadline?
Causes of headaches
Of all the possible causes of headaches, the one that isn’t a cause is an aspirin deficiency. This is ironic considering how headaches are usually treated.
Many things can cause or contribute to headaches, alone or in combination. These include:
- Emotional stress, one of the most common causes
- Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, especially with poor posture, a poor-quality chair, or a desk or computer monitor that isn’t at an optimal height.
- If you have variable-lens glasses, it’s common to tilt your head back while at the computer to see out of the bottom part of your glasses, and this hours-long tilt can cause headaches.
- Eyestrain
- Structural problems such as a neck that is out of place; chiropractic evaluation and adjustment can help.
- Alcohol, withdrawal from alcohol, and of course the morning-after alcohol hangover
- Caffeine and caffeine withdrawal; ironically, caffeine is sometimes an ingredient in pain and headache medications
- Medications of various types, as well as withdrawal from some kinds of medication
- One kind of medication that can cause headaches is, ironically, aspirin, in the form of rebound headaches
- Smoking and smoking withdrawal
- Food allergies
- Dehydration; you might be surprised how drinking a tall glass of water can ease many headaches.
- Dental problems, including teeth grinding, a misaligned jaw, a high filling if headaches come on soon after dental work, an abscess, or a cracked tooth
- Temporomandibular jaw disorder (TMJD)
- Mercury from dental fillings is a significant cause of headaches; 95% of people with headaches improved significantly after the fillings were removed.
- Hard crying, or trying to hold back tears
- Anger, whether held in or expressed
- High blood pressure
- Exposure to chemicals such as formaldehyde, solvents, and pesticides
- Food additives, especially MSG, aspartame sweetener, nitrites and nitrates in processed meats, and aged cheeses that contain the amino acid tyramine
- Low oxygen levels such as are found at high altitudes
- A long-lasting low-level headache that mostly occurs at home can be due to carbon monoxide from a faulty furnace. This should be checked out immediately because too much carbon monoxide can be lethal.
- Microorganisms such as giardia
What can help
The most useful approach to treating headaches is to determine what is causing them, and taking care of that. A detoxification diet such as that described in the book Detox or Disease can help rule out food-based causes such as allergenic foods or food additives. See a chiropractor to address structural problems. See a holistic dentist to rule out or deal with dental issues. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and unnecessary drugs. Drink plenty of water.
Another benefit is the use of homeopathics, which are very individualized and should be given by a trained homeopath; a mixture labeled “headache” at the health food store probably won’t help much if at all. Some herbs such as white willow bark (related to aspirin), feverfew, ginger, and capsaicin can help. Massage of neck and shoulder muscles can relieve tension if this is a primary cause. Acupuncture has a good track record in the relief of pain, including headache. Biofeedback can train you to affect your blood flow, a consideration in some headaches.
